New Loan Program to grow Nonprofit Organizations and Small Businesses

One PacificCoast Bank is now offering loans for nonprofits and businesses to help grow small enterprises. Business and Nonprofit Builder loans are from $5,000 to $25,000 and can be used to refinance business debt, purchase equipment, finance inventory and accounts receivable, tenant improvements, or other working capital needs. Loans cannot be used to repay personal debt.

Existing nonprofits or businesses with over three years of operations and profitability in the past year can apply. Loan terms range from two to four years and payments are made in monthly principal & interest installments. Collateral is required and there is a $100 application fee. For more information, please contact Cara Wick at 510.550.8431 or email cwick@opcb.com.

We are excited to be one of the few banks that provide loans to nonprofit organizations in the Bay Area!

The 5^th Annual Oakland Indie Awards were a smashing success! On May 13^th, Oaklanders honored local artists and small businesses at the Indie Awards. Check out photos of the event at http://www.flickr.com/photos/onepacificcoast. The Oakland Indie Awards encourages people to recognize the community, economic, environmental, and political impact of supporting Oakland’s locally-owned businesses and artists instead of chain stores. It also provides rare opportunities for recognition for the small businesses and artists that make Oakland such a wonderful, creative place. Finally, it’s a chance for Oaklanders to just celebrate Oakland by enjoying Oakland food, wine, chocolate and music.

Congratulations to the Indie Awards winners:

• Business Greenie Award – The Rising Loafer Café & Bakery

• Artist Greenie Award - Jamie Vaida

• Pillars – Montclair Vet Hospital & Give Something Back

• Innovative Newbie – Back to the Roots Ventures

• Ripple Effect – Mandela Foods Co-operative

• Socially Responsible Rockstar – Karen’s Flowers

This event would not have been possible without the support of our committed sponsors including: Mattmar Group, Coblentz, Patch, Duffy & Bass, Uptown Apartments, Dan Carroll and Stasia Obremskey, Pete Higgins and Leslie Magid, Blue Heron Catering Company, SuperPrint, Exploratorium, Jack London Square, California Waste Solutions, First Solar, YMCA of the East Bay, City of Oakland, Urban Legends Winery, East Bay Community Foundation, Ron Beller and Jennifer Moses Family Foundation, Bay Area Derby Girls, Oakland Outlaws, AnewAmerica, Kipp and Sara Howard, Nancy Neel, and Bruce and Susan Kelley.

New Fair & Manageable Alternative to Payday Loans

Seeking Partners for Pilot Alternative to Payday Loans

One PacificCoast Bank is excited to announce its pilot of a new alternative to payday loans: the Pal loan. This program will allow individuals to borrow from $500-$1000 dollars to cover an unexpected expense and pay it back in small monthly installments of 8-12 months. This loan is intended to provide a manageable alternative to expensive payday and car title loans that often keep people trapped in debt cycle.

In addition to the loan itself, this program can help build credit, includes financial tips and tools, and provides incentives to save. Our optional Automatic Payment and Savings program includes an immediate $25 incentive that gets deposited into a new free savings account for the borrower. Upon repayment, the same monthly amount will automatically transfer into their savings account each month until/unless the former borrower cancels it.

The program meets or exceeds the FDIC’s guidelines for small dollar loans, with an interest rate of 18% and a $30 financed loan origination fee. This fee is incorporated into the monthly loan payments; it is not paid up front.

The program launched on July 15th 2011 with four partner employers, and One PacificCoast Bank is seeking additional local employers to partner with us. Participating employers will let their staff know that the loan is available, will help them with application questions, and will provide employment verification. There are no fees or financial risks to the employer.

Employer requirements (for-profit or non-profit):

* 25 or more employees
* Most employees are year-round, not seasonal
* Offer direct deposit of payroll to employees

Interested employers should contact Erin Kilmer Neel at One PacificCoast Foundation, ekilmer@onepcf.org or 510.663.2253.

For more information about One Pacific Coast Bank,FSB, go to http://opcb.com. Member FDIC. Equal Housing Lender. CDFI Certified Bank.

People’s Federal Credit Union is currently offering free credit report reviews. Make an appointment to receive a copy of your credit report and meet one-on-one with a trained credit coach. Credit coaches can answer questions and help you to make a plan to rebuild your credit. For more information, contact the People’s Federal Credit Union at 510.267.0450 x305, para espanol x307 or stop by at 1432 7th St. Oakland, CA 94607 across from the West Oakland Bart Station.

Did you know that you can buy office supplies locally and for less than the big box stores? Give Something Back is a local office supply company that provides full service, free nationwide delivery and a low price promise. It also happens to be a 2011 Indie Award winner!

What’s even better is that Give Something Back donates 75% of their net earnings to a variety of nonprofits in the West. By purchasing supplies from Give Something Back, you are supporting a local business and you can even vote on which nonprofits receive donations. Learn more about give something back at www.givesomethingback.com.

ReliaTech is a local computer service and e-waste recycling organization that offers reliable and reasonably priced computer service by certified technicians. They offer carry-in service at the San Pablo and San Francisco stores, and on-site service throughout the Bay Area. ReliaTech has a “No Fix, No Fee” guarantee and also offers discounts to nonprofits.

ReliaTech is the nonprofit social enterprise of The Stride Center, which is a social venture nonprofit empowering economic self-sufficiency for individuals and communities in the San Francisco Bay Area. ReliaTech provides on-the-job training for Stride Center participants and hires graduates of the program. All of Reliatech interns and employees are chosen and trained for their ability to treat every customer with respect and dignity. Learn more at www.reliatech.org.

UrbanFire is offering a unique opportunity to help you create your business plan with the The 5-Finger MBA (Micro Business Accelerator). In the 5-Finger MBA (formerly Launch Pad) program, you’ll spend four Saturdays from 9am to 1pm from September 10th to October 1st answering a series of questions in an environment to help you concentrate.

If you’ve procrastinated or dreaded the thought of writing a business plan, this process is ideal for you! For one thing: there’s very little writing. The four hours are broken into four segments, each geared to stimulate your creativity, improve your answers and organize the five most important areas that create successful businesses. Your final product will be visual and easier to execute into reality.

You must have a serious business concept developed or have recently launched a new business. Graduation from an entrepreneurship program, business school or experience in the field of your business is helpful. You must have a passion for what you do. For more information or to sign up for the program, visit www.urbanfire.org.

In these tough economic times, our local communities are facing tremendous financial challenges. Middle to low-income families have been disproportionately devastated by the unprecedented financial crisis facing our state.

To help you and your family better understand and better plan for your financial futures, we are offering our Third Annual Financial Planning Day, which will include free and private financial consultations with certified financial planning professionals. Whether you need guidance with basic financial planning or more specialized advice on retirement planning, investment strategies, estate planning, tax issues, insurance, employee benefits or other special circumstances, highly competent financial planners and experts will be available to assist you.

Participants can receive as many private consultations or attend as many of the free educational workshops as they like.

Planning for your financial future is more important than ever and by bringing together local communities and certified financial planners, we are offering individuals the opportunity to take control of their finances. The valuable services provided at this highly anticipated event are free, confidential, and unlimited! Please come and attend all of the workshops and receive several private consultations on your financial issues.

The Financial Planning Day is sponsored by The Financial Planners Association-East Bay Chapter In Collaboration with Assembly Memember Sandre R. Swanson, Senator Loni Hancock, Assembly Memeber Nancy Skinner, Oaklnad Mayor Ronald V. Dellums and The City of Oakland

Mark your calendars and look out for the flyer with additonal information soon!

A day of free Financial Planning

Saturday, October 2, 2010
10:00am to 4:00pm
Oakland City Hall | 1 Frank H. Ogawa Plaza | Oakland, CA 94612

For more information, please contact the District Office at (510) 286-1670.

Click Here for More Information

“Controlling your money, rather than having your money control you” is key to every woman’s quality of life.

The YWCA Berkeley/Oakland’s Young Women and Money Conference will help you gain financial independence and success.

Tired of living paycheck to paycheck? Worried that your credit card will be rejected? Wishing you could see your money grow rather than go? Join the YWCA for the Young Women and Money Conference that will give you the tools and confidence to gain financial independence and success! Learn the smarts about your money - good credit, balancing your accounts, managing your debt, starting your own business, investing, and more!

Workshops

Financial Terms 101
How Budgeting Can Make You Rich
Online Reputation Management
Look Great Without Going Broke
Salary Negotiation/Interview Skills
Developing a Spending Plan
Creating Wealth Through Investments
Power Over Plastic
Your Financial Foundation
Having a Fabulous Relationship with Money

Presenters

Loretta Abrams
Senior Vice President, Community Investment - HSBC North America
Suzanne Agasi
Founder & Director, ClothingSwap.com
Stephanie Barbour
Leadership & Personal Coach, Barbour Coaching & Consulting
MB Deans
President & CEO, PalazzoTech, Inc.
Nivea Gonzales
Unit Manager, Collections - HSBC North America
Peggy Green
Education Specialist, Money Management International
Aurora Medina
Money Coach, Meriposa Money Circles
Ly Franshaua Pipkins
Personal Finance Coach, Pipkins Financial
Rachel Robasciotti & Maya Philipson
Financial Planners & Investment Advisors, Robasciotti & Associates
Jenny Smith
Business Consultant, Tanger Group
Ann Tardy
Founder & CEO, The LifeMoxie Company

Saturday, November 6, 2010
9:ooam to 4:30pm
Marriott Oakland City Center,
1001 Broadway, Oakland 94607
Price: $75

More information and to register:
510-848-6370 |info@ywca-berkeley.org
www.ywca-berkeley.org

We at OneCalifornia Bank are excited to announce that we are leaders in providing SBA loans to Bay Area small businesses, according to the U.S. Small Business Administration.  Thanks to our SBA team, led by Robert Gebauer, the amount of lending for our small size and young age is amazing.

 In the first nine months of the fiscal year 2010, out of the 80 banks in the San Francisco SBA District Office, OneCalifornia Bank was 6th in terms of number of loans and 10th in number of dollars lent for the nine month period between October 1, 2009 and June 30, 2010*. We generated a total of $5.75 million in loans during this time. In fact, we lent more dollars than Citibank, Bank of America, Bank of the West, and JPMorgan Chase in this district.  Pretty impressive considering we’ve only been around for 3 years and their assets are on substantially larger than ours!  We look forward to having them join us in increasing the amount of loans being made to our local small businesses.

We are proud to be able to help many businesses in stay in operation (and grow!) during hard times, and in turn help retain and create jobs in our local community.  This is what our work is all about - strengthening our local economy to benefit community members of all income levels, races and walks of life.  You support our clients every day without knowing it, from a Hispanic bakery in San Pablo to a recycling retail business in Oakland, to a restaurant in San Francisco.  Thank you for supporting us in this work!

For enlightening facts about how small banks across the country are helping our communities, see this article in last month’s newsletter.

*for 7a loans