CASE Credit Union Wins Diversity Lending Award
Michigan SBA picks Lansing credit union as Community Diversity Lender of the Year.
The U.S. Small Business Administration’s Michigan office has awarded CASE Credit Union the state’s Community Diversity Lender of the Year award.
The SBA’s Michigan District Office announced Dec. 14 it had picked Lansing-based CASE ($366.1 million in assets, 45,412 members) in recognition of its help providing loans diverse small businesses in underserved markets needed to start and grow.
CASE President/CEO Jeffery Benson said the award reflects the credit union’s commitment to the Greater Lansing community.
“The importance of diversity in small businesses cannot be overstated,” Benson said. “They are catalysts for positive change and growth in their communities. CASE is committed to diversity in lending and supporting an inclusive thriving business community.”
Robert S. Whitaker, CASE’s business services manager, said the credit union is committed to diversity and empowering underserved communities of business owners. CASE is among the nation’s 1,163 Community Development Financial Institutions, a certification of the U.S. Treasury Department for credit unions, banks and others serving economically distressed communities. It achieved certification in 2014.
“Empowering minority, veteran and women-owned businesses through smart, safe business banking is our responsibility. It supports our community’s needs and helps sustain the local economy,” Whitaker said.
Among its efforts, CASE helped to launch a micro-grants program Oct. 15 designed to help female minority business owners who have a viable plan for a new business, but lack the funding to get started. Its partners are the Michigan Credit Union League and Transformation GEMS, a Lansing non-profit and startup accelerator space.
The Michigan Credit Union Foundation and CASE each provided $6,000 for the grant pool with the goal of awarding 20 grants of up to $1,000 by year’s end.