Atlanta, GA — The Community Foundation for Greater Atlanta has announced a partnership to support the launch and growth of the National Black Bank Foundation (NBBF), whose Co-Founder and General Counsel is Ashley D. Bell (pictured). The Community Foundation is serving as fiscal sponsor of NBBF as it awaits its final IRS determination letter which will allow it to act as an independent nonprofit entity.The Community Foundation also will provide ongoing administrative services to NBBF by way of back-office support including financial oversight, managing donations to the organization, and amplifying their mission across a network of 800 community foundations across the U.S., thus accelerating NBBF’s ability to grow and scale its impact in local communities.
Black-owned banks have worked to build economic equity for the last century by extending credit for small business loans and home purchases to borrowers that major lenders reject. In minority-majority zip codes, Black banks are often the primary source for fair, non-predatory lending. But countervailing market forces have severely restricted their impact and numbers. In 1976, there were 50 Black-owned banks. Today, there are just 18, and that retrenchment has left many impoverished Black communities without retail banking options. According to the Federal Reserve, 49 percent of Black households were unbanked or underbanked in 2019, compared to just 15 percent of white families.
“Our mission and mandate to our community is to build economic and social equity for all,” said Frank Fernandez, President and CEO of the Community Foundation for Greater Atlanta. “Essential to that promise is providing access to banking and wealth building for Black families and businesses. Boosting the infrastructure of Black banks brings more equitable access to financial education, loans and asset building for Black communities. We wanted to support this initiative because at the end of the day, strengthening Black-owned banks ensures that those who have been hit the hardest by systemic racism will now have access to economic opportunity and upward mobility.”
The National Black Bank Foundation’s wholly-owned investment unit, the Black Bank Fund, is making a historic injection of tier 1 capital, expected to reach $250 million by 2025. That capital, in turn, will allow Black banks to make $2.5 billion in new loans to communities of color-critical investments to build wealth.
“We appreciate the support and partnership of the Community Foundation for Greater Atlanta as we launch this historic investment in the Black financial sector,” said General Counsel and Co-Founder of Black Bank Fund and National Black Bank Foundation, Ashley D. Bell. “Not only are they providing us with back-office support as we grow and scale, but the Community Foundation also is aligned in lock-step with our values and mission to support building wealth in Black communities.”
NBBF launched with the support of Big Four accounting firm KPMG and Dentons, the world’s largest law firm, to support America’s Black-owned banks in the form of technical, strategic, regulatory, and legal expertise to help modernize the Black banking sector and help it scale to meet the needs of underbanked people of color.
The NBBF works to ensure that Black-owned banks are at the center of every discussion around diversity, equity, and inclusion.
About the Community Foundation for Greater Atlanta
Since 1951, the Community Foundation for Greater Atlanta has been leading and inspiring philanthropy to increase the vitality of our region and the well-being of all residents. With 70 years serving the Atlanta region and a robust team of experts, the Community Foundation expands its philanthropic reach and impact by providing quality services to donors and bold, innovative community leadership committed to racial equity. The Community Foundation is a top-20 community foundation among 800 nationally, with approximately $1.2 billion in current assets, and is Georgia’s second-largest foundation. For more information, visit CFGreaterAtlanta.org or connect with the Foundation via Facebook, LinkedIn, and Twitter.
About the National Black Bank Foundation
The National Black Bank Foundation provides nonprofit support to Black-owned banks through legal, regulatory, strategic, and technical advice and assistance. With the support of Dentons, the world’s largest law firm, and Big Four accounting firm KPMG, it provides concierge services to philanthropic foundations, corporations, family offices, and private individuals who wish to support the mission of Black-owned banks through capital investment and depository transactions. Last year, the NBBF facilitated a historic $35 million transaction between the Atlanta Hawks and a syndicate of 11 Black-owned banks. Learn more at NBBFoundation.org
For press inquiries, contact Elyse Hammett at 404-376-5563 or ehammett@cfgreateratlanta.org