October 27th, 2011.

3:30 – 5:30 pm
Coblentz, Patch, Duffy & Bass LLP
One Ferry Building, Suite 200
San Francisco, California 94111

Join One PacificCoast Bank for a round table discussion hosted by Coblenz, Patch, Duffy & Bass.  This seminar focuses on new banking products for nonprofits with 25 or more  employees.

For additional information or to register, contact Frances Topacio at
nonprofit@coblentzlaw.com or 415.677.5292.

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.

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.

There are ways to avoid the mall this holiday season, support local stores and artists, and still buy gifts for everyone no your list.  Oakland Unwrapped, in collaboration with Jack London Square, ProArts, adn Oakland Grown, is putting on a “mall-ternative” shopping event, Holiday Buy Night, on Thursday and Friday, December 10th and 11th, from 5 to 10 PM.  From pet lovers to food lovers, fashionistas to athletes, women, men, children, and everyone in between, Holiday Buy Night promises to have something for everyone on your list.

If you need a shopping break, be sure to check out the music and live entertainment going on throughout the evening.  Have the young ones check out the kids section for games, arts and crafts, and a movie.  And if you get hungry or thirsty, be sure to check out the “food court” at the event.  Restaurants from Jack London Square will be selling food, including Kincaids, Cocina Poblana, Ben and Jerry’s, and others.  Awaken Cafe will provide coffee and hot chocolate and Numi and L’Amyx will provide hot tea to keep you warm and alert while shopping.  There will also be a beer and wine bar, featuring the East Bay Express’ holiday lager!  This is one shopping event you won’t want to miss this December!

Save the date!  Add this event to your Outlook Calendar here.

Interested in volunteering?  See below:

The Alameda County Board of Women’s Initiative for Self Employment is partnering with The San Francisco Business Times to recognize 15 female entrepreneurs throughout Alameda County for their success in sustainable small business enterprise. The time to recognize these women is now, because they are vital components of America’s economic recovery. According to Carla Foster, Alameda County Women’s Initiative Board Member, “Research has shown that it is entrepreneurs who will pull us out of this recession and women in particular will do what it takes to support their families.”

Nominations are being accepted now until August 28^th. One woman from Oakland will be recognized as Oakland Woman Business Owner of the Year 2009. In order to be considered for the award, the female entrepreneur must: “1) Have been successful despite the barriers that exist for woman business owners, 2) Exemplify how business ownership and leadership is beneficial for women, 3) Have a positive impact on local community or the community at large, and/or 4) Advance their field through innovation.” The winner will be recognized in The San Francisco Business Times, The San Jose Business Journal, on the Women’s Initiative website, and through various other media and events in the Bay Area.

If you want to show a female entrepreneur in Oakland how much you appreciate what she does every day, click here to nominate her for Oakland Woman Business Owner of the Year 2009. To learn more about the Women’s Initiative, visit their website at www.womensinitiative.org.

Many businesses claim to be green or market their products as environmentally friendly, but how does the consumer know if they are actually supporting a company that is truly eco-friendly?

How do companies that have a double or triple bottom line differentiate themselves from those who see social and environmental issues as a marketing strategy?

How can these businesses network and learn more about running a socially and/or environmentally responsible company?

The San Francisco Bay Area has developed several organizations that certify businesses as green and socially responsible or furnish networking for businesses that are making honest and serious attempts to be as green or socially responsible as possible. Many cities and states have their own green business programs, and Oakland is the home of the Bay Area Green Business Program (BAGBP). The BAGBP verifies that businesses meet certain standards of environmental performance by conducting in depth reviews of business operations. So far, over 1,600 Bay Area businesses have been certified green since 1997 in the nine Bay Area counties. The San Francisco Bay Area is also home to the Green Chamber of Commerce, a center that fosters “the success of businesses committed to environmental and social responsibility.” The Sustainable Business Alliance also has over 250 participating Bay Area businesses. The Sustainable Business Alliance facilitates networking, education, technical services, and partnership opportunities for sustainable Bay Area businesses. San Francisco Green Drinks also makes possible the networking and socializing of area green business professionals. Once a month, environmental professionals get together at 111 Minna to socialize and discuss issues related to the environment. Another sustainable business networking group is EcoTuesday, which is held across the nation and locally in San Francisco on the fourth Tuesday of every month. EcoTuesday gives sustainable business leaders a chance to network and discuss current issues both in person and online.

There are also ways to know that the business you are supporting is socially responsible—look for the B-Corporation certification and you know that the company you are purchasing from has a triple bottom line. In order to be a certified B-Corporation, businesses must go through a series of tests and meet various standards, which are vigorously enforced. A growing number of companies are realizing that social and environmental responsibility is more than just a marketing scheme, it is important for the future that we develop sustainable business practices for the long run.