Working Solutions Joins Responsible Business Lending Coalition to Advance Fair Lending Practices in California
SAN FRANCISCO, CA — Working Solutions, a nonprofit Community Development Financial Institution (CDFI) serving entrepreneurs across California, is pleased to announce its official membership in the Responsible Business Lending Coalition (RBLC). This milestone builds on Working Solutions' long-standing commitment as a signatory of the Small Business Borrowers' Bill of Rights and represents a deeper engagement in advancing fair and transparent lending practices for entrepreneurs nationwide, with particular focus on California.
The Responsible Business Lending Coalition is a growing movement of industry and nonprofit leaders working together to expand access to financing that helps small businesses thrive and stop the rise of irresponsible lending targeting small business owners. The coalition created the Small Business Borrowers' Bill of Rights, a core set of standards for lending responsibly to small businesses.
“As a CDFI, Working Solutions has always believed that access to capital should empower entrepreneurs, not burden them,” shared Sara Razavi, CEO of Working Solutions. “We are a longtime signatory of the Small Business Borrower’s Bill of Rights, and joining the Responsible Business Lending Coalition as an associate member allows us to deepen our advocacy for lending standards that protect small business borrowers as part of our mission to increase economic opportunity across California.”
"We're thrilled to welcome Working Solutions as an official member of the Responsible Business Lending Coalition," said Louis Caditz-Peck, Executive Director of the RBLC. "As a trusted CDFI, Working Solutions brings invaluable on-the-ground experience and a deep commitment to serving entrepreneurs who have been historically excluded from fair financing."
This new membership comes at a critical time as California and other states work to strengthen protections for small business borrowers. Through the RBLC, member organizations are helping to protect small business owners from predatory financing costs, enabling them to build generational wealth in their families and create jobs and prosperity in their communities.
About Working Solutions CDFI
Working Solutions CDFI is the First to Believe in Small Business. As a nonprofit Community Development Financial Institution (CDFI), Working Solutions increases economic opportunity in California by providing small-dollar loans and grants and free consulting support to start-up and early-stage businesses, with a focus on systemically under-financed communities, particularly low-income individuals, women, and entrepreneurs of color. To date, Working Solutions has deployed over $65 million to 3,000 small businesses across California. Learn more at www.workingsolutions.org.
About the Responsible Business Lending Coalition
RBLC is a national coalition of nonprofit and for-profit lenders, fintech companies, investors, and small business advocates committed to ensuring that small business owners have access to fair, transparent, and responsible credit. The coalition created the Small Business Borrowers’ Bill of Rights and leads advocacy efforts to institutionalize responsible lending practices. Learn more at www.borrowersbillofrights.org.