CGF recently disbursed an $875 citizenship loan to a Dominican Republic native currently living in the city of Providence. The loan will pay for the application for obtaining U.S. citizenship, as well as the cost of legal representation by the International Institute of Rhode Island. Stay tuned for updates on all of our current borrowers as well as more information on new loan disbursements!
July has been an eventful month for CGF! Read about all of CGF’s activities in its newsletter for the month of July. The newsletter can be accessed in PDF format by clicking the following link: July Newsletter
Eva Jimenez, CGF’s first borrower, recently passed her U.S. citizenship examination, just four months after receiving a loan from CGF to cover the application cost of $675 and the cost of legal representation $200. As Eva put it, “before CGF, I never thought I would become a citizen because I couldn’t afford it. Now I am so happy to be a citizen of this country.”
The test, comprised of 100 questions, gauged Eva’s understanding of American history, politics, and governmental procedures. After spending weeks preparing for the test, including some informal practice with CGF staff members, Eva passed the test on Wednesday, July 22, 2009. Eva will officially become a citizen on September 17, 2009.
This is very exciting news for Eva as well as for CGF. As a citizen, Eva will enjoy rights previously inaccessible through her legal permanent resident status, including the ability to vote, a greater sense of permanence in the U.S., and the ability to sponsor relatives that may want to immigrate to the country, to name a few. As Eva embarks on new journeys in her professional and personal life, her citizenship will add security to her sense of belonging in the U.S. and will give her a strengthened ability to participate in the American political system—opportunities many of us have been fortunate enough to already have. Eva is already thinking about seeking another loan from CGF after she pays off her citizenship loan. As an amazing writer and illustrator, she is interested in taking a loan to enable her to print and market her first children’s book—a wonderful story about Haiti, the Dominican Republic and the importance of tolerance and understanding.
CGF staff and borrowers recently convened for the Fund’s first borrower meeting. The meeting, which was held on Monday, July 20th at the Algonquin House in Providence, brought together borrowers in order to help strengthen their relationships with the Fund and to cultivate new friendships and partnerships. The meeting provided borrowers with a forum to interact with one another, to share some of their experiences, and to talk about how small loans from CGF have helped them realize life-long dreams. Borrowers also commented on how they plan to use CGF’s services in the future. Stay tuned for personal testimonials from the borrowers themselves!
The College Hill Café operated by Blue State on Brown University’s Campus has announced that it will carry CGF as one of its local causes through the period ending September 30, 2009! Every quarter, Blue State Café donates 5% of its gross profits to four selected causes proportionate to the number of votes these causes receive from customers. During the second quarter of 2009, CGF received 42% of all customer votes! Continue to support CGF by visiting the College Hill Café Today! Blue State
The Capital Good Fund has begun its fundraising campaign to raise $100,000 by the fall of 2009! The fundraising campaign will generate support for low to moderate-income entrepreneurs that want to start or expand green businesses. Help these entrepreneurs today by clicking here or by contacting us directly. Thank you very much for supporting CGF!
June has been a very exciting month for the Capital Good Fund. Read all about CGF’s activities during the month of June in our monthly newsletter! Click Here to access the newsletter in PDF format.
CGF will be conducting focus groups at community centers in Providence throughout the month of July as a part of its summer research into green credit-builder loans. The focus groups will provide insight directly from potential borrowers about demand for loans that finance household energy efficiency upgrades and build the credit of borrowers. We are very excited to speak to members of the Providence community about this innovative loan product. Stay tuned for more updates throughout the month!
Members of the Capital Good Fund staff will be posting on the website’s blog regularly throughout the summer. Click Here for in-depth, insightful analysis on economic development, entrepreneurship, and microfinance!
The Capital Good Fund was recently recognized for its Outstanding Commitment to Poverty Alleviation by the Clinton Global University Initiative. CGF received $4,000 as a result from the Pat Tillman Foundation’s Social Action Fund. Click here to browse CGF’s project description as well as other winners of the award!
