Community First Fund was founded by Black and Latino community visionaries with a dream to provide much-needed capital to low-income entrepreneurs and community organizations serving the poor in South Central Pennsylvania. These leaders created community development loan institutions (CDFI) – some of the first to form across the country – to address the opportunity gap and make capital accessible to all residents. To date, Community First Fund has provided $487 million in loans and investments across central and eastern Pennsylvania, 71% of which has gone to businesses owned by people of color.

Over the last decade, there has been a notable increase in Black, Hispanic, Latino, and Asian residents in Pennsylvania, presenting an opportunity to rebuild a racially equitable local economy. Learn how Truist Foundation’s $2.25 million grant to Community First Fund’s Economic Justice Fund, which provides capital to Black and Latino entrepreneurs across Eastern and Central Pennsylvania, is helping small business owners—like Mamie Sardnee, owner of Woodland Produce in Philadelphia—grow their businesses and achieve their dreams.

To learn more about the transformative power of access to capital, read the full story here.

About Truist Foundation

Truist Foundation is committed to Truist Financial Corporation's (NYSE: TFC) purpose to inspire and build better lives and communities. Established in 2020, Truist Foundation makes strategic investments in nonprofit organizations to help ensure the communities it serves have more opportunities for a better quality of life. Truist Foundation's grants and activities focus on building career pathways to economic mobility and strengthening small businesses. Learn more at truist.com/foundation.

Truist

Truist

Truist Financial Corporation is a purpose-driven financial services company committed to inspiring and building better lives and communities. Truist has leading market share in many high-growth markets in the country. The company offers a wide range of services including retail, small business and commercial banking; asset management; capital markets; commercial real estate; corporate and institutional banking; insurance; mortgage; payments; specialized lending; and wealth management. Headquartered in Charlotte, North Carolina, Truist is a top 10 U.S. commercial bank. Truist Bank, Member FDIC. Learn more at Truist.com.

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