By David Billet

He is a kind of Society for th’ Prevention of Croolty to Money. If he finds a man misusin’ his money, he takes it away fr’m him an’ adopts it.
—MR. DOOLEY

Charity is said to be a virtue without compare, and yet we all know that it arouses suspicion-about the giver’s display of his generosity, the recipient’s dependency, some essential inequity that the gift only reinforces. Perhaps for this reason, Maimonides argued that the highest level of charity was not charity at all but rather helping the needy find the means by which to earn their own living. (more…)

Patricia Marroquin–HispanicBusiness.com

A new report states it in black and white: Color is lacking on the boards of directors of the 46 largest independent foundations in the United States.

The Greenlining Institute has found that although a quarter of all board directors of the 46 foundations are African-American, Hispanic or Asian-American, 28 percent of the foundations examined do not have a single person of color on their boards. (more…)

NYtimes.com
By MATT RICHTEL

John Cobb, 59, a former commercial fisherman who is disabled with cirrhosis of the liver and emphysema, lives in a studio apartment in Greensboro, N.C., on a fixed monthly income of $674. He has been hoping to receive more government assistance, and in February, he did. (more…)

The number during the four months that ended March 31 are more than double the amount required in the period under an agreement between the bank and states including California.

L.A. Times
By E. Scott Reckard

Bank of America Corp. says it offered to modify more than 100,000 home loans in a four-month period, more than double the number required under its settlement of accusations of predatory lending that California and other states brought against Countrywide Financial Corp. (more…)

Leadership Academy
Meet the 2009 class of Summer Associates!
The leaders of the tomorrow are here today!  Greenlining proudly welcomes the Summer Associates class of 2009.  Read bios here.

Green Assets
Greenlining Holds Convening on Creating Opportunities for Communities of Color in the New Green Economy
At issue were strategies for leverage existing climate change legislation and sponsoring new legislation to ensure that the next wave of progress does not pass our communities by.  Read agenda and presentation materials here.

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American Banker  |  Wednesday, May 27, 2009

By Orson Aguilar and J. Alfred Smith Jr.

A major transformation in banking is revolutionizing America’s approach to financial literacy.

Some financial institutions, to their credit, such as Citigroup, have expended hundreds of millions of dollars each over the last generation in promoting traditional approaches to financial literacy. (more…)

The Chronicle of Philanthropy
By Ian Wilhelm

Foundations are failing to recruit diverse board leadership, with Hispanics being the most under represented compared to their growing number in
American society, according to a new report. (more…)

Rep. Barney Frank, chairman of the House Financial Services Committee, is urging banks that have received federal bailout money to continue to support charities and lend to moderate- and low-income neighborhoods. (more…)

Contacts:

Greenlining Signs on to Constitutional Convention Summit in Sacramento on February 24th

Berkeley, CA – The Greenlining Institute, a statewide multi-ethnic public policy organization, has long urged improvement to the state’s budget process.  Structural problems like the two-thirds rule, Proposition 13, and the consistent misuse of our initiative system has led to partisan bickering and pushed our state to the brink year after year.

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