Blog

MAF Awarded $45 Million To Support Immigrant Families During COVID-19 Crisis. It’s Still Not Enough – Congress Must Act.

MAF Awarded $45 Million To Support Immigrant Families During COVID-19 Crisis. It’s Not Enough. Congress Needs to Ensure that All Immigrants Have Access to Relief.

Safe, trusted “Financial Empowerment Windows” for the Mexican Community are a light in these hard times

Read about MAF’s partnership with Citi Community Relations and how we’ve provided trusted, culturally-relevant financial education within the Ventanillas de Asesoría Financiera.

Four Years of Possibility: The Legacy of Sustained Organizing

Organizing in Georgia made its victory possible. The victory makes a horizon of progressive policies possible. Two are top priority.

5 Keys To Relevant, Intentional Campaigns

Here's what we've learned are the 5 keys to running a successful campaign for a diverse electorate.

SB 1157 Becomes Law: California’s First-in-the-Nation Rent Reporting Bill

SB1157 offers a credit-building lifeline to low-income tenants living in subsidized housing, allowing them to report their rent payments to major credit bureaus so they

Francisco’s Story: Strength in the Time of COVID-19

Read about Francisco's inspiring journey and its many challenges – including migration, financial barriers, fatherhood, and COVID-19.

Growing Lending Circles Communities With 7 New Partners

We’re welcoming 7 incredible nonprofits to our Lending Circles Network!

Taryn’s Story: Finding Transformation in the Uncertainty

Meet MAF’s college fund grant recipient Taryn Williams and learn about her incredible journey finding inspiration and hope in unlikely moments.

MyMAF: Mobile Insights During the COVID-19 Crisis

Activity skyrocketed in the MyMAF app in the early months of COVID, as users searched for resources around credit and savings.

Insights from Census Outreach Campaign

Immigrants, like other marginalized communities, are labeled as "hard-to-count" by the US Census Bureau. Immigrants, we found, were in fact the easiest-to-count.

Xiucoatl Mejia: Connecting Communities…From A Distance

Xiucoatl’s story illustrates the incontestable reality that art—in all of its forms—is essential to enabling people to connect with each other through empathy, shared space,

Mobilizing Communities Into Action

We're mounting thoughtful and relevant tools, resources, and campaigns that place people at the forefront of change and mobilizes them towards civic action.

Prioritizing Education in a Pandemic

The pandemic has exacerbated a number inequities within this country, including access to higher education. Even in the absence of a pandemic, so many students

We Lean on Each Other in Times of Crisis

If I had to distill the essence of MAF's Rapid Response work into one word it would be: partnerships.

Making Our Lives Count In The #2020Census

The marginalized communities and hard-working immigrant families that we serve every day at MAF will receive, at best, pennies for each dollar needed because they

Helping Those With the Least Weather the Crisis

We are in the midst of a generation-defining crisis. The coronavirus is laying bare the interconnectedness of modern life, rapidly spreading and jeopardizing the health

Pushing Back: USCIS Proposed Fee Hikes

On November 14, 2019, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) published a proposal to dramatically raise the costs of filing fees. The proposed fee schedule

Podcast: Design for Social Change

Design is an integral part of the MAF Lab’s R&D process and today, we give you in an inside peek into how design meets direct

Navigating the Financial System with an ITIN

“Impossible” is not a word in Regina’s vocabulary. Her savviness and tenacity stood out to us within minutes of meeting her one Monday afternoon. She

New MyMAF Financial Education on Self-Employment

MAF’s clients often turn to creative strategy to manage their financial lives; faced with barriers to accessing formal income opportunities, our clients innovate. One such

SB 455 Updates: CA Financial Empowerment Fund

MAF is sponsoring SB 455, also known as the California Financial Empowerment Fund, which would create a $4 million fund to support nonprofits delivering effective

We saw it coming.

Ever since that dreadful day Trump descended down the escalator to announce his candidacy, we all knew deep down that it was the start of

Introducing MAF’s newest program: LLC Loan Program

Meet the community where they are. At MAF, this is one of our core values. We’re constantly searching for ways to build new programs that

Energy Watch Chronicles: How A Small Business Owner Sweetened His Customers’ Experience By Brightening Up His Shop

Whether you’re a San Francisco Bay Area native, or have only visited the city a handful of times, you may have explored the famed “North

Testifying Before the Joint Economic Committee

On April 30, 2019, I testified before the U.S. Congress Joint Economic Committee’s hearing on “Expanding Opportunity by Strengthening Families, Communities, and Civil Society.” This

MAF Staff Spotlight: Doris Vasquez

Meet Doris Vasquez, MAF’s Client Success Manager. Though she’d never admit it herself, Doris embodies what it means to be a community leader. As MAF’s

My MAF Journey: Bridging Tech and Financial Inclusion

In celebration of the MAF Lab having hit its one-year mark, we want to recognize the role and work of our Tech Advisory Council in

MAFista Spotlight: Samhita Collur

Samhita Collur has held many roles during her nearly three years at MAF. Officially, she’s been a Partner Success Manager and Communications Manager, but she’s

2019 MAF Summit: And the award goes to…

At Mission Asset Fund (MAF), we never pass up an opportunity to celebrate our inspiring and all-around incredible community members. At this year’s MAF Summit,

Catalyzing Change: Antonio’s Story

Catalyst Miami is a member of MAF’s national Lending Circles network based in Florida’s Miami-Dade County. Through its diverse programs and services, Catalyst Miami is

A Galaxy of Her Own: Connie’s Mixcoatl

When you’re strolling down 24th Street in San Francisco’s Mission District, you can’t help but stop in your tracks as you are greeted by a

‘Échale ganas, mijo’/’Give it your all, son’: PART TWO

What does ‘Transcend. Evolve. Take Flight.” mean to you? Read part one. ‘Ni de aqui, ni de alla’/’Not from here, nor from there’ I maintained

MAF Sponsors SB 455: CA Financial Empowerment Fund

In the U.S. there is a wide array of financial products and services to help consumers build their financial lives. In addition to banks, there

‘Échale ganas, mijo’/’Give it your all, son’: PART ONE

What does ‘Transcend. Evolve. Take Flight.” mean to you? Life’s about a dream I’ve always considered myself a dreamer — long before the term was

MAF Lab Spotlight: Shruti Dev

Meet Shruti Dev, MAF’s first Technical Project Manager in the MAF Lab. Shruti came to MAF from the for-profit sector with a background as a

Boni: A Story of Self-Sufficiency

Today, Boni speaks about his life in the U.S. with a humble confidence. In the five years that Boni has lived in the country, he

MAF’s 12 Data Points of Christmas

Watch MAF's 12 Data Points of Christmas, a video featuring insights from the last decade

Rosa’s Story: An Advocate’s Journey

“My name is Rosa, and I received a check from you within only days of my request. You understand that this issue is incredibly time

Public Charge Statement Release: A Barrier to Upward Mobility for Immigrant Families

MAF recently submitted the below statement against the proposed public charge rule. We would like to encourage you all to also make your voice heard

Introducing MAF’s new mobile app: MyMAF

MAF is excited to announce the launch of its new mobile app, MyMAF. MyMAF is a virtual financial coach designed to help low-income and immigrant

Public Charge: An Attack on All Immigrants

A few weeks ago the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announced a proposed rule that will change how the government looks at immigrants who have

What Resistance Looks Like: MAF’s DACA Campaign, a Year Later

The Trump administration blatantly targeted immigrants by rescinding the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program on September 5, 2017. Shocked and angered by his

Why We’re Excited for the 2018 MAF Summit

At this year’s Summit, we’re bringing together thought leaders from a variety of sectors – nonprofit, finance, tech, and social sector. We can’t wait for

Join the Rabble!

Ten years ago, we started a movement in San Francisco, leading thousands of low-income and immigrants families throughout the country to become financially visible, active,

We will keep fighting

My soul hurts to hear babies crying inconsolably for their parents, begging for help. I think about these little ones each time I look at

In Their Own Words: The Hopes of Dreamers

Being responsive is one of the major goals of our organization and our R&D team. After a successful DACA renewal fee assistance program, we surveyed

Deportation, Stress, and Fear

Over the past couple months, we’ve heard many of our clients pour out their fears and concerns over their future. The threat of deportation looms

Here to help: reacting to the latest DACA court order

A third federal judge has issued a new DACA ruling. While the first two injunctions re-opened the program for the foreseeable future, this order is the

Work and Bills: The Financial Concerns of DACA Recipients

To hundreds of thousands of DACA recipients and their families, a DACA permit represents hope. Hope for jobs, for family security, for a future worth

Introducing MAF’s Self-Employment Webinar Series

In this new political context, when our community told us that maintaining financial security was their top concern, we decided to invest in promoting self-employment.

DACA’s multiplier effect

In “DACA=Better jobs, stable families,” we explored the impact that DACA has on job opportunities and family security. With a work permit and the ability

DACA = better jobs, stable families

$460 billion. That’s the estimated value that DACA recipients add to our GDP. In addition to the well-known economic impacts to our country, there is

MAF Lab: R&D for social good

It goes back to the earliest days at MAF, when Lending Circles was not yet a program available across the nation and when the conversation

DACA: 44 States & 70 Countries

In September 2017, MAF launched the nation’s largest DACA fee assistance program serving 7,600 Dreamers across the country. In a series of blog posts, we’ll

#HereToStay: Announcing MAF’s new immigration loan programs

Mission Asset Fund is excited to launch new zero-interest, credit-building loans available throughout California to cover the USCIS filing fees for U.S. Citizenship ($725), DACA

How MAF launched the largest DACA renewal campaign in 3 days

The Trump Administration ended DACA on September 5, 2017, igniting a wave of anguish and fear in communities throughout the country. Since 2012, hundreds of

DACA: The stories behind the checks

After September 5, 2017, MAF quickly mobilized to provide financial assistance to DACA recipients across the nation. Our campaign was inspired by our belief that

Pilar’s Story: An ode to Prince and homeownership

Pilar celebrates her one-year homeownership anniversary this year. Her home is a beautiful, cozy, and peaceful place in South Minneapolis. She recalls the warm and

Nora’s Journey: A story of strength

Today, Nora speaks excitedly about the prospect of buying a home. She shares the number of rooms she’d like to have, her ideal neighborhoods, and

Press Release: 5,000+ DACA renewal scholarships now available

Media Contact: (888) 274-4808 x206 [email protected] $2,500,000+ Fund to Help Dreamers Renew DACA by October 5 San Francisco, CA – September 22, 2017 – Mission Asset

Press Release: 2,000 Dreamers to receive DACA renewal scholarships

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Media Contact: (888) 274-4808 x206 [email protected] $1,000,000 Fund Announced to Help Dreamers Renew DACA by October 5 San Francisco, CA – September

Meet the Adelante Advisory Council

This group of passionate MAF advocates is fundraising and friendraising for justice At the end of 2016, an exciting group formed at MAF: the Adelante

Champion Spotlight: Meet Gaby Zamudio

She’s a bilingual UI developer and ping pong pro who’s passionate about using tech for good. Meet Gaby Zamudio, a bilingual developer specializing in UI

Claudia’s dreams: health, credit & a new bakery

When Claudia’s husband was offered a job in the United States, she encouraged him to take it and insisted that the entire family—the two of

Preparing yourself for financial emergencies

How you can prevent an immigration-related emergency from becoming a financial one Detention and deportation can have a huge impact on a family’s finances. What

FinTech pros and consumer advocates

Meet MAF’s four passionate new members of the Board of Directors: Alex, Cara, Lissa, and Sagar MAF is thrilled to welcome four new members to

With ❤️, From: Mom, Charu, Mama, 엄마, Hajurmuma

From a thriving chocobanana business to a spicy pinch of kimchi that literally means “I love you.” At MAF, we’re always looking for an excuse

Champion spotlight: meet Jessica Leggett

She’s a MAF donor and Board Member who brings passion and creativity to everything she does. Follow our Champion Spotlight series, where we introduce you

Wealth inequality and new Americans

The racial wealth gap is real, and it’s growing. But where do immigrants fit into this analysis? This post first appeared on the Aspen Institute’s

Citizenship for New Yorkers

The $725 application fee is keeping one million New Yorkers from becoming citizens. Building a wall, the Muslim and refugee ban, sanctuary cities, an uncertain

Ventanilla: A Window of Opportunity

Mission Asset Fund (MAF) and the Mexican Consulates of San Francisco and San Jose have joined forces to support the economic empowerment of Mexican nationals

Lending Circles at the Brown Boi Project

Building Credit & Confidence in LGBTQ Communities of Color Carla’s first experience with a lending circle came long before she began working with Brown Boi

Winners of the 2016 Super-Partner Awards

These fabulous #LCHeroes took home prizes at the Lending Circles Summit When MAF was founded in the Mission District of San Francisco in 2007, the

LC Summit 16: Top 16 Moments

16 reasons why you can’t miss the next Lending Circles Summit Call me biased, but here are 16 reasons why the LC Summit was not only beautiful

Words from the Wise #LCSummit16

A Financial Coach, a scholar, and a philanthropist on what Lending Circles mean to them One of our favorite parts of the Lending Circles Summit

On Food & Family: Isabel’s Story

Isabel joined a Lending Circle to help grow her business. This summer, her restaurant “El Buen Comer” opened in Bernal Heights. Isabel is a MAF

Taking Financial Learning Beyond the Classroom

Lending Circles round out the Game Theory Academy Experience Jasmine and Pasha’s friendship began during childhood, when the two girls were elementary school classmates. Eventually

José Quiñonez named a 2016 MacArthur Fellow

The visionary Lending Circles program brings low-income communities out of the shadows. Today, the MacArthur Foundation announced this year’s class of MacArthur Fellows. Among the

Sonia: A Future Chicago Homeowner

Building Credit and Community through Lending Circles at The Resurrection Project Sonia arrived in Chicago from Puerto Rico one year ago with hopes to turn over

The Freedom to Move: My DACA Journey

How DACA gave me the opportunity to help others & make my parents’ sacrifices count. Before Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) was announced in

6 Reasons You Won’t Want to Miss the Lending Circles Summit 2016

Members of our Partner Advisory Council share why they’re excited to converge on SF for #LCSummit2016 This October 26-28, MAF will host the first ever

Building Better: 2015 Annual Report

Take a look back on what you helped build in 2015 – and get a sneak peak at what’s next! MAF’s 2015 Annual Report Building Better

It’s who you ask that matters

A conversation with a founding member paints a picture of what a new member-driven council will contribute to the Lending Circles program. It’s about keeping

Strengthening the Voice of our Lending Circles Partner Network

MAF’s first Partner Advisory Council will provide an exciting opportunity to harness the insights of our partner network From our early years serving families in

Innovations: Making the Invisible Visible

CEO Jose Quinonez gives a behind-the-scenes look into MAF’s origin story in MIT Press’s “Innovations” journal. The following excerpt was originally published in “Innovations: Technology,

Passionate Leaders & Product Experts: Meet Our New Board Members

Introducing MAF’s new board members: Dave Krimm, Salvador Torres & Stephan Waldstrom Earlier this year, MAF had the pleasure of welcoming three new members to

The Power of Community: Expanding Opportunities for AAPI Immigrants

A community of nonprofits is building the financial capability of Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) immigrants across the country. When you bring together families,

Waiting on SCOTUS, UCLA Looks to Lending Circles for Deferred Action

MAF’s collaboration with UCLA’s Undocumented Student Center will bring Lending Circles for Deferred Action to more Los Angeles communities. A current Supreme Court case could

Celebrating the Many Moms of Our Community

This Mother’s Day, we’re celebrating all the “MAF Moms” working hard to create better lives for their families through Lending Circles. This Sunday is a

Honored with the Bullard Award by Princeton’s Wilson School

On April 9, the Students & Alumni of Color at Princeton’s Woodrow Wilson School honored me with the Edward P. Bullard Award. I was deeply

Policy Must Uplift People’s Strengths, Not Criticize Their Character

A recent article from sociologist Philip N. Cohen underscores the importance of policies that respect the dignity & strengths of the families we serve. Last

Law School & Tamales: DACA Opens Doors for Kimberly

With the help of Lending Circles for DACA, Kimberly is finishing her degree and prepping her law school applications — all while helping her mom

Lending Circles Coming to More Los Angeles Communities

MAF is inviting Los Angeles nonprofit organizations to apply to become Lending Circles social loan providers. Mission Asset Fund (MAF) today announces the Build a

Respect, Meet, Build: A Model for Financial Inclusion

Financial inclusion is about respecting people for who they are, meeting them where they are, and building on what’s good in their lives. Last week

Southwest Solutions & JPMorgan Bring Lending Circles to Detroit

Southwest Solutions, JPMorgan Chase & MAF launch peer Lending Circles to boost credit scores of Detroit residents. Southwest Solutions, JPMorgan Chase & Co. and Mission

An Important Question for Every Relationship: “What’s Your Credit Score?”

From finding your next great relationship to paying for a special night out, having good credit is important. This blog was originally published on CFED’s

Time to Reflect & Refresh: Announcing My Sabbatical

Jose Quiñonez, CEO of MAF, announces a three-month sabbatical, sponsored by O2 Initiatives. I’m taking a sabbatical! Thanks to a generous grant from O2 Initiatives,

Hierarchy of Financial Needs: An Introduction

MAF’s Hierarchy of Financial Needs provides a framework for evaluating every person’s economic well-being. Eight years into our mission to build a fair financial marketplace

What It’s Worth: MAF Featured in New Book

Read CEO Jose Quinonez’s essay “Latinos in the Financial Shadows” in a new book on economic well-being. Earlier this year I was invited to contribute

$1.5M Chase Grant Takes MAF to Next Level

JPMorgan Chase invests $1.5 million in MAF to expand Lending Circles further, faster. I’m thrilled to announce that JPMorgan Chase recently awarded MAF a $1.5

Sandra: An Artist-Entrepreneur Brings Her Vision to Life

Sandra’s journey — and her dreams — represent the strength of the Mission community. Sandra’s creative style is all her own, but her story speaks

Introducing Chris, MAF’s Product Manager

Chris is on a mission to put data and technology in the service of social change. As you may have noticed over the years, we’ve

Meet Kelsea, Our New Development Manager

Kelsea comes to MAF with a passion for breaking down barriers to mainstream financial services. No stranger to new places, Kelsea McDonough has lived all

Welcome Elena to the Partner Success Team

Elena’s passion for empowering communities and budding entrepreneurs makes MAF a natural fit. Elena Fairley is a brand new MAFista, but her connection to MAF

Behind the Credit Curtains in Houston

A trip to Texas to talk about credit invisibles and how Lending Circles can help Until recently, my time spent in Texas was limited to

NCLR Presents MAF with the 2015 Family Strengthening Award

This recognition from NCLR helps us pave the way toward a fair financial marketplace for hardworking families KANSAS CITY, Mo.—At the National Affiliate Luncheon held

New Lending Circles Program in DC Area

Lending Circles to Debut in Washington, D.C. to Help Individuals and Entrepreneurs Build Credit Latino Economic Development Center and Northern Virginia Family Service launch peer-to-peer

Passing up opportunities: my life before citizenship

My journey from DREAMer to U.S. citizen with Lending Circles for Citizenship People usually celebrate their first anniversary with paper, but I like to do

Diana gets tails wagging with a small business loan

For Diana, dogs are so much more than little balls of love and fluff Growing up in Mexico, Diana’s mother treated dogs like they were

Dejando pasar oportunidades: mi vida antes de la ciudadanía

Mi camino de Soñadora a Ciudadana, y el ahora aprovechar todas las oportunidades gracias a Lending Circles para Ciudadanía Las personas generalmente celebran su primer

Diana consigue buenos resultados en San Francisco con un pequeño Lending Circles por negocios

Paseador de perros consigue un pequeño préstamo de negocios en San Francisco que le da un impulso a su historial crediticio y a su negocio

Lesson Earned #4: (MAF) Metamorphosis

The best part about working for a small organization is the mobility that such a structure enables. When you walk through MAF’s offices, you’ll notice

Bringing together a Better Bay Area

MAF is bringing together the 10 best ideas for a more financially empowered Bay Area. MAF is excited to announce the Better Bay Area initiative

Keeping Lending Circles hot with Chhaya

Check out how Chhaya CDC is using Lending Circles to support their economic development curriculum. The temperature crept down to -1 degrees on the streets

Lesson Earned #3: Think Small

With such a heavy focus on bringing organizations to scale, we’ve forgotten the power community holds. Growing up, Mia Hamm posters plastered my walls –

When Passion Ignites a Path

After an eye-opening experience at a cleaning service company, Reina Aguilera left to start up her own business. As a young child in her home

Partner Spotlight: Henry of CLUES

An active member of the CLUES community, Henry has become an avid believer in the power of Lending Circles. A firm believer in experiencing a

Doing More with Partners

MAF is partnering with the Mexican Consulate to offer Mexican DREAMers an Exciting Opportunity. MAF is thrilled to announce a new partnership with the Mexican

Looking Ahead in 2015

We’re deepening our commitment to Deferred Action applicants and business owners with new programs. It’s a new year and we’ve got a number of new

Building a Better Bay Area

Find out how you can be part of something big Lending Circles, selected as a top 10 finalist in the Google Impact Challenge, has given

Rosa: The Long Road to Citizenship

Obtaining U.S. Citizenship brings about a new phase in Rosa Romero’s life. After a lifelong career as a teacher in El Salvador, Rosa decided to

MAF Says Goodbye to Founding Board Members

After years of guidance, MAF would like to say thank you to the three founding board members who will be leaving in 2015. As we

Lending Circles for Deferred Action Expands in LA

Bringing financial support to immigrants seeking Deferred Action With President Obama’s recent announcement on Deferred Action, the need to focus our attention on the financial

Fremont Family Resource Center Delivers a Recipe for Success

What is the secret to our partner Fremont Family Resource Center’s success? Find out here! Fremont Family Resource Center (FFRC) provides wrap-around financial services that

Welcome Alyssa: MAF’s Partner Manager

Alyssa’s passion for microfinance and community connections brought her to the MAF team. Alyssa’s steadied approach to discovering a place at MAF speaks to her

Give Credit where it matters

This December, support the credit-builders in your community. Here at MAF, we’re lucky to have the chance to watch incredible people use our products to

Blanca: Building her Beauty Salon Business Dream

Blanca’s come a long way from her days braiding her sister’s hair. Blanca’s childhood wasn’t always happy. Growing up in Mexico, her family was not

Lesson Earned #2: Get Rid of the Door

Why community based solutions are more than just a nice thought. When I was working in a startup incubator space last summer, I had the

From Partner Extraordinaire to Board Member

Follow Aqui’s journey with MAF and how she became our newest board member. Expanding community with a new board member I am thrilled to announce

A Warm Reception for Lending Circles in Minnesota

Thanks to our partner CLUES and a tight network of community nonprofits, we find lots of opportunity for credit-building in the Twin Cities Journeying to

Meet Karla Henriquez: MAF’s Program Coordinator

Find out how Karla Henriquez, MAF’s brand new programs coordinator, injects her fun-loving and warm personality into everything she does. Unlike many MAF staff members,

Diving Deep into Member Culture

In an effort to better understand our member culture, the staff decided to take time to learn about the upcoming holiday, El Dia de los

Financial Pride through Lending Circles

Find out how MAF & the San Francisco LGBT center have allied themselves to help all families gain financial stability to thrive. The San Francisco

A Time to Celebrate MAF 2.0

A community comes together to mark the next phase in Lending Circles Last Monday, October 20th we opened our doors to over 150 members of the

Javier: Striking Gold by Building Credit

An entrepreneur finds the secret to lifting up his business Javier began his entrepreneurial career in the United States with a carpet business. Now, as

Meet Jennifer Tse: MAF’s Curious Finance Associate

As MAF’s Finance Associate, Jennifer asks the important questions. Jennifer is one of the most inquisitive people I know. Though she works on the Finance

MAF Presents at Dreamforce

A conversation with MAF’s Product and Research Manager, Jeremy Jacob, offers a behind the scenes look at Dreamforce 2014 MAF has had a very long

Meet Isis Fleming: MAF’s problem-solving master

As MAF’s “People, Fun and Culture” Manager, Isis helps MAF run like a well-oiled machine. Isis has a calm and steadied presence about her that

A New Mindset: The John R May Leadership Award

An award recipient reflects on the meaning of success This week, the San Francisco Foundation presented MAF with the 2014 John R May Community Leadership

Lesson Earned #1: MAF Moves Pretty Fast

Join me as I strive to earn 11 lessons through my contributions to MAF Check in each month to get a better picture of life

Product and Research Fellow joins MAF

Aparna brings a love of people and numbers to MAF’s research team My name is Aparna and I am the new Product & Research Fellow.

MAF welcomes new Marketing Fellow

Meet Tori, who’s passionate about social enterprises and making an impact! I’m so excited to be joining MAF’s team as the marketing fellow this fall.

Being an Advocate for Prosperity

Lessons learned from the 2014 Assets Learning Conference When I came to MAF last year as New Sector fellow, I knew very little about domestic

MAF wins prestigious Community Leadership Award

The San Francisco Foundation reveals the winners of the 2014 Community Leadership Awards This week, The San Francisco Foundation announced the winners of the 2014 Community

SB 896: A Special Policy Briefing

Join MAF’s CEO, Jose Quinonez, in a discussion on the historic passing of California’s SB 896 Mission Asset Fund warmly invites you to our SB

Donor Spotlight on Robby Pinkard

Robby is passionate about energy and sustainability. Find out why he was inspired to be a MAF donor. Introducing our Donor Spotlight series, where we

SPUR of the moment

MAF explores the connection between urban planning and financial access. It’s mid afternoon on an exceptionally warm summer day in San Francisco as people begin

Leonor Brings Sunshine to the Community

Find out how Leonor used Lending Circles to launch a business to promote good health in her community For as long as Leonor Garcia can

SB 896 passes! CA becomes first state to recognize credit-building

It took just 13 months to build the future of nonprofit credit building In June of 2013, we started laying the groundwork for a piece of legislation

New Latthivongskorn: From dreams to medical school

New is a passionate public health advocate and the first undocumented student to enter UCSF Medical School It was near the end of high school

SB896: One signature away from history

After months of movement through the California Senate SB 896 has officially been sent to the Governor for final approval. Mission Asset Fund is thrilled

Forming a community with Lending Circles

When you join a Lending Circle, you aren’t just getting a simple loan. It was a chilly July evening in the MAF office in San

Welcome Ximena, Financial Services Manager

She brings her passion for business and community to the MAF team! Ximena Arias joined MAF as a Financial Services Manager in May 2014. With

Claudia: Becoming a U.S. Citizen

From Mexico to San Francisco, this stylist followed her dream and is a proud new U.S. Citizen There was a buzz of excitement in the

Little Plates, Big Heart

Find out how MAF’s microloans can turn little plates into big business In the middle of La Cocina’s large kitchen in the Mission District, a

Delivering Lending Circles to The Mile High City

Find out what connects a lunchbox, social loans, and Denver, Colorado. As I carried my Dad’s tiffin (A small metal Indian style lunch) box through

Microloan Spotlight: Elvia Buendia, Cupcake Boss

Elvia loved desserts, so she followed her heart and opened her own cupcake shop! Elvia Buendia grew up in a small town on the outskirts

Welcome Carmen Chan, DREAMSF Fellow!

Carmen, a Dreamer from Venezuela, shares her story and dream to help undocumented youth. Carmen Chan recently joined the MAF team as an Outreach Fellow through

Shifting the focus on finance: Interview with Sarah Peet

An insight into how Sarah Peet captures the essence of social lending and the people of Mission Asset Fund. Sarah Peet is a passionate photographer

Love and Money

Yale Sociology Professor Fred Wherry explains how money can complicate love. What makes life worth living also makes it harder to navigate: Love. We love

Google Challenged

A look back on our incredible Google Challenge experience “You guys are not going to believe it!” Tara Robinson, MAF’s Chief Development Officer, said with a

Let’s Buddy Up: Joining the Lending Circle network

MAF collaborates with CABO to expand Lending Circles in Los Angeles When the Assets & Opportunities Network convened in December, Andrew Chang and I had

MAF’s Emerging in LA

MAF is setting the stage for the future of Social Lending I recently started working at MAF and before I got in the door, Daniela,

Screwing in the light bulb with GoogleServe

How many Google employees does it take to screw in a light bulb? We don’t know. But we do know how many Google employees it

Training our partners for success

We travel to LA to form MAOF’s first Lending Circle Watching a group of people form their first Lending Circle is an inspiring experience, especially

Lending Circles son bienvenidos a Miami!

Find out how MAF is making waves in Miami! Jose, Daniela, and I set off to visit a promising new community to bring the Lending

Calling all Dreamers

Jesus Castro shares his own story and hopes it inspires others to apply for DACA. One of the things I find so empowering about our work

California DREAMing: DACA and the making of an American dream

MAF member, Ju Hong, talks about Mr. Hyphen and the American Dream. Ju Hong is a man of few limitations. He is a research assistant

Behind the design: interview with Digital Telepathy

Check out the design thinking behind the creation of our new website! Our new website has been a labor of love for us at MAF, but

MicroLoan Spotlight: Yeral Caldas, Feeding the heart

Yeral was born in Chimbote, a coastal city in Peru. He has two brothers and two sisters. His mother had her own business and his

Vote MAF for a better bay area

MAF is a finalist for the Google Bay Area Impact Challenge. We need your support to make the top 4! We are excited to announce

Leveling up with new social loan sites

Today we are thrilled to unveil a brand new website. But to us, it’s really more meaningful than just a new look. Welcome to our

Building momentum in Chicago

Senior Account Manager Daniel Lau shares his experience on bringing Lending Circles to Chicago I open an email from our CEO Jose: “Daniel, save March

The Credit Catch 22

There’s always a catch. With credit, there’s a Catch 22! It’s too easy for hardworking people to get stuck in this Credit Catch 22. For

Is a new logo like getting a new uniform?

When a new nonprofit is founded, it’s usually someone’s cousin or friend who gets the task of designing the new logo. They do the best

Shifting the focus on social lending

Jan Stürmann, a videographer based out of San Francisco, produced four awesome new videos highlighting MAF’s programs and how social lending really transforms people’s lives.

A dream no longer deferred

Edgar did something a few weeks ago that he had been dreaming of for the past two years. On a sunny day in San Francisco’s

Clearing the path for Lending Circles

Last month I joined Senator Lou Correa (D-Santa Ana) in Sacramento to introduce an important piece of legislation that will elevate the work of nonprofits who

Social loans enable affordable credit

How do social loans help people get a better deal? By giving them a chance to build on what they have. As a recent college

This is what 5 years of social lending looks like

Five years ago, we never could have imagined releasing this publication. When MAF first started it’s social lending program, Lending Circles, we had no idea

Itzel: A DREAMer making a difference

I think things are going to go great and we’re going to look back and say, yes, we made a difference Itzel always knew she

Jesus: young community builder

When immigration reform goes through, I want people to feel safe in a program like DACA. It’s here to help us. When Jesus was five

Bruno: Design dream team

Bruno and his wife came to Lending Circles to jump start their graphic design business. Bruno and his wife, Micaela came to the United States

Pablo: Aspiring Filmmaker

After participating in Lending Circles and Financial Education, Pablo figured out how to navigate the US financial system When Pablo moved to San Francisco 11

Helen: A Mom with a Dream

Helen came to Mission Asset Fund with a dream– to rent her own apartment Helen is a single mom who came to Mission Asset Fund

Luis and Zenaida: A family of chefs

An exhausting work schedule motivated Luis and Zenaida to envision a different future for themselves. Lending Circles helped them get there. Zenaida and Luis reacted

Veronica: A Visionary Restaurateur

Veronica reached her dream of owning a restaurant after participating in a Lending Circle. An immigrant from Mexico, Veronica came to Mission Asset Fund with

Aqui: Lending Circles with filipinos in L.A.

Aqui didn’t give up. She called Jose every few months to see if he was ready yet. Now her organization PWC offers MAF’s full suite

Alicia: Tamale trailblazer

Alicia went from door-to-door sales to owning her own tamale food cart, using Lending Circles to overcome her debt and lack of credit score. When

Christina: an entrepreneurial fashionista

Fashion truck owner overcomes struggle to build credit history and a business at the same time Christina Ruiz is the owner of TopShelf Boutique, San

Olivia: cooking from the heart

Small business owners Olivia and Javier started Eleganza Catering but needed Lending Circles to reduce medical debt & build their business Olivia Velazquez and her

Leticia: Rising up

There is a saying when one hand helps the other hand, and together they applaud much louder than one alone. Leticia immigrated to the Bay

Lending Circle Program Evaluation Released

At MAF, we’re all about understanding the impact of our work in the communities that use our products. Over the years, we have seen hundreds