How it Works

  • Visibly
    Indivisible

    This country needs Jobs

    We hear it in the news every day. More and more people we know are being impacted. Unemployment is a problem that cannot be solved overnight - but we have to start somewhere. We are calling it the Create Jobs for USA program. It's a project that we can all be part of, that can help get this country back up on its feet. A project that states: We are indivisible.

    The Whole Story

  • 7.6%

    of the U.S. labor force is unemployed*

    But that number doesn't tell the whole story.

    It is a number that represents friends, family, and perhaps yourself. It is a number that increases to 9.2% within the Hispanic community, and 13.3% within the African-American community. And a number that doesn't take into consideration the people that have stopped looking for work. It is a number that affects every one of us, but it is a number that can be lowered—a number that we can rally against to make America the place that we all know it is and can be.

    * US Bureau of Labor Statistics - March, 2013

  • Small Businesses create jobs

    It's a fact.

    Small businesses are the backbone of America. They employ over half of all private-sector workers*. And have created more than 65% of our new jobs in the past 15 years*. If they are strong and growing, so are we. The problem is, today more than one in three small businesses say they can't get adequate financing to fuel their enterprises†. And that financing squeeze is stifling their potential for growth. But together we can change that.

    * US Small Business Administration | † in sentence 5 from p.8, National Small Business Association report, July 2011

    All of us

  • Who can help?

    All of us.

    Starbucks joined with Opportunity Finance Network® to launch Create Jobs for USA. OFN is a network of community lending institutions set up to provide financing to the community businesses that need our help. They are already helping in communities across the USA. And we all can help by supporting them. For every $3,000 donated through this network, one job is created or maintained.


    * Source:  Opportunity Finance Network

    $5 is worth $35

  • $35

    This wristband is worth $35.

    Wow. $35. That seems like a lot for a wristband. It is. But you get it for making a donation of just $5. And all of that $5 goes directly to the Opportunity Finance Network®, who will grant the funds to community lending institutions all across our country. The best part is that your $5 on a balance sheet can provide $30 of additional financing to support community businesses. So that's how it's worth $35. And when you wear it you are stating that you have done your part, a big part, to help get this country back up on its feet.

    We're stronger

  • We're stronger

    And once we are back up, we can say that we all had a part in fixing our country.

    In the process, we will make it stronger than it was before. Because our investment in these communities will continue to not only create new jobs, but sustain the ones that are there. That's pretty cool. Nice work America, getting ourselves back to work again and again. We're excited about this project and hope you are too. Join us at Create Jobs for USA and together, we can all be part of something great.

    Donate Now

There's more to this story

What is it?

What is Create Jobs for USA?

 

In 2011, Starbucks teamed up with Opportunity Finance Network® (OFN) to help create and retain jobs. The Create Jobs for USA Fund provides capital grants to select Community Development Financial Institutions (CDFIs). The CDFIs use these grants to provide loans to underserved community businesses, which include small businesses, microenterprises, nonprofit organizations, commercial real estate, and affordable housing. The goal of Create Jobs for USA is to bring people and communities together to make an impact through job creation across America.

The Create Jobs for USA Fund was initially seeded with a $5 million contribution from the Starbucks Foundation. Since its beginning, Create Jobs for USA Fund has raised $15 million, supported $105 million in financing to community business, and created and retained 5,000 jobs. The Fund is supported through donations from individual Americans as well as corporations and other institutions such as Citi Community Development, the Citi Foundation, Google Offers, Banana Republic, and more.

People can support the initiative by making a donation to the Create Jobs for USA Fund. For donations of $5 or more, donors can receive an American-made “Indivisible” wristband. Donations are accepted online at createjobsforUSA.org.
 
Have questions about the program? Contact us.

How it Works

How does Create Jobs for USA work?

To recognize support for the program, donors who contribute $5 or more will receive a red, white, and blue wristband with the message “Indivisible.” Donations are accepted online at createjobsforUSA.org. Donations will go to the Create Jobs for USA Fund at OFN and will be awarded to select community development financial institutions (CDFIs) to help finance community businesses that help create and retain local jobs.

Why OFN?

What is OFN? 


Opportunity Finance Network® is a national network of community lending institutions that invest in opportunities to benefit low-income, low-wealth and other disadvantaged communities in the U.S. OFN’s network of more than 200 Community Development Financial Institutions (CDFIs) finances community businesses that often find it challenging to secure financing from conventional financing institutions. Combining innovation and determination, these hand-selected CDFIs are performance-oriented, responsible, and affordable lenders that spark job growth in the areas where it is needed most.

How to Join

How can my CDFI join Opportunity Finance Network®?

CDFIs are welcome to apply for OFN Membership at www.opportunityfinance.net. By joining Opportunity Finance Network®, you will be joining the premier CDFI membership organization. OFN is leading the way to job creation and retention in communities across the U.S. Learn more about Membership benefits and the application process.

How do you Apply?

How can my business apply for a loan?

OFN’s Find a CDFI locator can help you find a CDFI that serves your community. CDFIs provide flexible, affordable, market-driven products to community businesses that are unable to access conventional financing. Each CDFI has a unique focus in terms of their mission and impact – find one near you to learn more.

Get more Involved

What else can I do to help?

We know that the Create Jobs for USA program won’t solve the problem by itself but we hope it can help create conversation, inspire ideas, and empower us all to take action in our communities. Do you have ideas on how communities can come together to help the current job crisis? Do you have a story of inspiration or hope that might help a neighbor get back on their feet? Share your idea or story on our Create Jobs for USA Facebook page. We want to bring together a community of people who are excited to help one another and get involved. You can also follow us on Twitter for inspiring updates on Create Jobs for USA success stories, news about related programs, and information about CDFIs. And don't forget to sign up for email updates. We want to keep this discussion going strong until this crisis is over and Americans are back to work again.

Questions

Have any Questions?

For questions about your donation, the Create Jobs for USA program, the Opportunity Finance Network®, or to place an order for more than 200 wristbands, please call us at 1-215-923-4754 or e-mail us at info@opportunityfinance.net