Unlock your success with custom loans and financial wellness
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Explore opportunities to fuel your startup success with a loan tailored just for you. Learn key strategies for better money management with our Financial Wellness course in Craig. We also celebrate Holly Adams on the grand opening of Muskeg Munchkins in Juneau and highlight the Youth Stewards in Kake as they kick off their season with skill-building workshops. Plus, Marc Wheeler shares insights from the national Finance Forum to enhance Spruce Root's impact.
Also in this newsletter:
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Fuel your startup success with a loan tailored for you!
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Spruce Root’s Fast Start Loan can make your entrepreneurial dreams come true with loan amounts up to $50,000 with a personalized and expedited application process.
Starting or expanding a business in Southeast Alaska comes with unique challenges. Access to funding should not be one of them.
At Spruce Root, we understand entrepreneurs' hurdles, especially regarding securing financing.
That’s why we’re excited to share the Fast Start Loan, a tailored financial solution designed to help you swiftly and efficiently turn your business dreams into reality.
What sets the Fast Start apart:
- Up to $50,000 in funding: Capital to make your vision a reality.
- Support for non-traditional borrowers: Ideal for those who might not qualify for traditional debt financing.
- Zero collateral required: We believe in your potential, not your assets.
- Expedited application: Spend less time on credit approvals and more time growing your business.
Don't let funding hold you back. Learn more and start your journey today at www.spruceroot.org/faststart
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For additional loan products, including those over $50,000, please email grow@spruceroot.org.
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Take control of your financial future with our Financial Wellness workshop in Craig
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Join Spruce Root in person at the Craig Public Library during the month of October on Monday nights 5:30-7:30 p.m. to dive into money management strategies.
In partnership with Tongass Federal Credit Union, all participants who complete Spruce Root’s Financial Wellness workshop can apply for a $500 credit builder card without using their funds as collateral.
Use the secured card for six months to make regular purchases and on-time payments. After six months, the $500 is returned to Spruce Root, and you will be eligible for other credit products. By making consistent, on-time payments, you can see a positive impact on your credit score.
This course is in-person and open to anyone present on Prince of Wales Island. A virtual version will not be offered at this time. We especially encourage participants who are Indigenous, Black, and other people of color.
Registration closes 11:59 p.m. AKST Tuesday, October 1, 2024.
Learn more and register at www.spruceroot.org/financialwellness.
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Spruce Root and CDFI Fund staff visited several businesses supported by Spruce Root’s services, including Holly Adams and her new store Muskeg Munchkins, which carries items for babies and young children. (Photo by Abbey Janes)
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Congratulations to Holly Adams on her grand opening of Muskeg Munchkins
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Holly Adams, a 2024 Path to Prosperity Business Competition winner, recently celebrated her business’s grand opening.
Muskeg Munchkins Baby Boutique is located in Mendenhall Mall in Juneau. Holly has assembled a cute collection of goods for that special young child in your life.
Her shop features local, Alaskan, and Indigenous suppliers and unique items from all over the world. Find her on Instagram here.
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Kake Alaskan Youth Stewards implement hard skills in the field while identifying crab carapace. (Photo by Michael Mausbach)
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Youth Stewards in Kake kick off season with comprehensive skill-building workshops
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In June, Michael Mausbach, program manager and regional catalyst for workforce development, led two days of work readiness, soft skills and financial wellness programming in Kake for the Kake Alaska Youth Stewards crew and provided an orientation-style kick-off to their first week of the season.
Before Michael's session, university and federal partners trained crew members on field sampling, surveying and reporting. Michael's session addressed the importance of soft skills, expanding on interpersonal and cross-cultural communication and conflict resolution areas. Day 2 focused on financial wellness as an extension of resource management, where Michael led participants through exercises that explored wellness dimensions, building a savings plan, and budgeting.
Ultimately, each participant left with a personal, professional and financial goal and completed interpersonal assessments, shaping their 2024 growth plan for the season.
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Marc Wheeler gathers insights from Small Business Finance Forum
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Also in June, Small Business Program Manager Marc Wheeler attended the Opportunity Finance Network’s Small Business Finance Forum, where he attended several training sessions, including an orientation of the Community Development Financial Institution (CDFI) industry, how to incorporate racial equity impact assessments in lending practices, how to incorporate metrics into programs and opportunities and challenges with climate financing.
Two of his key takeaways are that Spruce Root is very unique in the CDFI world and we are doing lots of creative programming, and there is a lot to be learned from others in the industry as we continue working to reduce barriers in lending and serve our target market better.
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Spruce Root is hiring a Deputy Director
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Spruce Root is seeking a Deputy Director to lead the operationalization of Spruce Root’s overall strategy and to ensure effective programming, efficient operations, and well-being across the organization.
As a core member of the Spruce Root leadership team, the Deputy Director will manage a diverse team of Program Directors to offer support and ensure the quality of our programs.
The ideal candidate is a strategic systems thinker skilled at developing processes for effectively managing work in a collaborative environment.
This role will be responsible for supporting a team of highly capable individuals and ensuring functional team coordination and strategic alignment to amplify our mission.
Deadline to Apply: August 25, 2024
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Thank you to all our partners, supporters, donors and communities for continuing to share in our vision for the region!
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Spruce Root is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit Community Development Financial Institution (CDFI). Our services for small businesses include coaching, training and lending for startup enterprises, working capital, business expansion, leasehold improvements and other business capital needs. We are a driver of a regenerative economy across Southeast Alaska so communities can forge futures grounded in this uniquely Indigenous place.
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