About Us

Welcome to South L.A.

Welcome from the President & CEO

Dear Friends and Customers,

Welcome to our website! I hope that you will find this space to be an engaging, informative , and interactive resource to help you reach your goals and soar! Individuals and entrepreneurs who use RISE’s financial resources and business education services are able to THINK BIG. Our programs will fuel your energy, recharge your individual initiative, and position you for a successful financial future. We invite you to return time and time again as you build your dreams, one step at a time. And please, tell a friend!

With Best Regards,

Forescee Hogan-Rowles
President & CEO

Serving the Community Since 1993

RISE (Reach. Invest. Succeed. Earn.) Financial Pathways, formerly known as Community Financial Resource Center (CFRC) is a non-profit Community Development Financial Institution (CDFI) offering comprehensive and innovative ways to build wealth for historically underserved residents and small business owners in South L.A. and across L.A. County. The organization provides commercial lending opportunities- including micro loans, peer lending, and small business loans – along with business training, asset development programs, and banking programs. CFRC has served nearly 100,000 low income clients since its inception in 1992.  Its programs have resulted in nearly $14 million in economic activity and the retention and creation of thousands of jobs. The transformative power of CFRC’s services – combined with its clients’ enterprise and hard work – improves the financial standing of individuals, launches and sustains small businesses, and generates economic activity that strengthens entire neighborhoods.

History

RISE opened its doors to the community in March 1993 as Los Angeles’ first public private partnership.  It was designed as a collaborative effort of 34 local banks, the City of Los Angeles, and community leaders, to respond to the dismal community reinvestment activity in South Central Los Angeles. Following nearly two years of community hearings and planning, RISE was incorporated to meet the economic development challenges and capacity building needs of Los Angeles’ low-income neighborhoods.

To date, RISE and its service providers directly influenced economic development in Los Angeles County by assisting nearly100,000 residents and contributing over $14 million to the local economy through its fundraising, lending, and program development efforts. RISE’s economic impact is reflected in the 3,421 jobs created/retained through RISE programs, which results in approximately $119,735,000* invested back into the community.

*Figure based on the U.S. Housing & Urban Development’s formula – $35,000 investment/jobs created.

View our SoLA Economic Forecast for 2014!

Board of Directors

Treasurer Kim Bingham Executive VP & Chief Credit Officer Cathay Bank   Chairperson Michael A. Costa President & CEO Highridge Costa Housing Partners, LLC   1st Vice Chairperson Donovan Green Director, External Affairs AT&T   Secretary Dulany Hill CEO, CFO, Market Development Dumoney.com   Keith A. Drake VP, Principal Relationship Manager Wells Fargo Bank California Business Banking   Donovan Green Director, External Affairs AT&T   Tony Lee President Dickerson Employee Benefits

Forescee Hogan-Rowles President & CEO Community Financial Resource Center   Geoffrey J. Liu President & CEO Chinatrust Bank (U.S.A)   Byron Reed Senior Vice President Director of Community Development Wells Fargo   2nd Vice Chairperson Mark Smith Vice President, Private Banking Bank of the West   David Terrell Vice President, Region Manager SoCal Southwest, Arizona, Nevada US Bancorp Investments, Inc.   Nancy Huntington First Vice President Manufacturers Bank (Ex-Officio)