There is not a single county across the U.S. with adequate enough affordable housing for its residents. More than half of all renters (nearly 40 million people) pay more than 30% of their income on housing expenses, and more than a quarter spend more than 50% of their income on housing.
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Many communities across the U.S. suffer from depressed markets and stagnant growth, especially in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic and resulting lockdowns. As a result, little capital is channeled towards much needed infrastructure and development. This leaves behind a trail of vacant or underutilized buildings which attract instability and crime, perpetuating a cycle of poverty.
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Now more than ever, it is clear that quality education and childcare contributes to the economic and social success of students and their families, and is thus an essential component of any healthy community. By investing in organizations, projects, and funds that work to improve access to affordable, quality education for low-income students, we support the tremendous potential of the students in these communities.
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Earth’s natural resources are being depleted at alarming rates, largely due to increasing populations and consumption. Alongside this, pollution and effects of climate change further burden our environment and society. Those who are most vulnerable to these issues are poorer populations, particularly in developing countries. Addressing this challenge will require global cooperation, across the private and public sectors, in addition to trillions of dollars in public and private investment.
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Access to quality, affordable healthcare is a universally acknowledged human right. A lack of access prevents individuals from being healthy, productive members of society and stymies community development. Many countries lack the physical infrastructure necessary for adequate health services delivery and have less than one physician available for every 1,000 individuals. Because of this, healthcare continues to be a top concern globally, especially in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic.
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Around three billion people across the world have little or no access to formal financial services, yet financial services are one of the most powerful tools for reducing poverty and enabling economic growth. Microfinance seeks to provide individuals and businesses with access to useful and affordable financial products and services, often offering products that extend beyond microcredit. Supporting micro-entrepreneurs and small businesses, those that form the foundation of economies around the world, is now more important than ever. While many micro-enterprises are hurting as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic and related lockdowns, these same businesses will ultimately form the basis of a strong economic and social recovery.
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Due to rapid industrialization and population growth, global energy consumption has drastically increased. This has led to an increased demand in energy production, particularly of popular resources including oil, coal, and gas. These energy sources however have been proven to have negative impacts on the environment and society’s overall health, and their excess consumption has been a major contribution to climate change.
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Small and medium-sized business are the backbone of every economy. Here in the U.S., small businesses employ over 50% of our nation's workforce and have contributed more than 65% of new jobs over the past 15 years. Despite this, small businesses often lack access to traditional financial products and services, especially in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic. This gap has further widened due to large scale bank consolidation and the decline of community banks (a traditional source of small business lending). Without access to capital, small businesses struggle to grow and communities miss out on the economic benefits they provide.
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Around 70% of the world’s poor live in rural areas, where they are heavily dependent on agriculture for income, employment, and survival. Such agricultural communities face many challenges, including limited viable financial options and unpredictable weather changes. Today, climate change is contributing to crop depletion, degradation of land, and clean water limitations, all which pose serious challenges to keeping up with agricultural demand and sustaining rural livelihoods. These problems are compounded when large corporations exploit agriculture labor and unfair trade policies are put in place, which results in an unequal distribution of capital to agriculture-based communities.
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