Affording Health Care: Tax Credits in the Affordable Care Act Benefitting Your Small Business

Over the past decade, small businesses have seen their health insurance premiums rise by 133%. On average, the small group market pays 18% more than large groups for the same insurance coverage. The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA) was signed into law by President Obama in 2010 and includes ways to help these small firms offer health insurance to their employees. One of the ways is by giving qualifying small firms tax credits for a percentage of the money they spend on insuring their employees.

How to Ensure the Health Benefit Exchange Reaches all Californians

The signing of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA) in March 2010 provides states with the opportunity to bring health insurance to millions who have been ineligible for or unable to afford it in the past.1 In California alone, an estimated 4.7 million uninsured and underinsured residents, many from communities of color, are expected to gain access to health insurance through the ACA’s provisions.2 One of the most important of these is the creation of the Health Benefit Exchange (Exchange).

Greenlining Institute California Ballot Reform Panel Survey, Daniel Byrd, Ph.D

This longitudinal survey was conducted to get a better sense of how Californians view the ballot initiative process. In wave one of our survey (conducted in June 2011) respondents were asked about their attitudes towards the ballot initiative process in California. Respondents will be re-interviewed in December of this year to learn more about what type of initiative reforms they would support.

The Economic Crisis Facing Seniors of Color

This report summarizes the economic crisis facing seniors of color, particularly in California. It is increasingly difficult for older Americans – traditionally among the most economically vulnerable populations in our society – to live with dignity and economic well-being.

California's Cap-And-Trade: Will It Protect The Polluters Or Our Communities?

Cap-and-trade is a market-based mechanism used to reduce GHG emissions. It would reduce emissions by placing a cap on how much a polluter can emit. If the polluter emits an amount above the cap, it is responsible for purchasing allowances from the state to pay for this pollution.

Corporate America Untaxed

“Tax issues associated with the transfer of intangibles outside the United States have been a high risk compliance concern for us and have seen a significant increase in recent years. Taxpayers, especially in the high technology and pharmaceutical industries, are shifting profits offshore.”

Mark Everson, IRS Commissioner, June 13, 2006

100 Largest Corporations

Electric Vehicles Report

Less than 10 years after all of General Motors’ EV1s were recalled and destroyed, electric vehicles are back, and being looked to as a major part of the solution to climate change,air pollution, and America’s dependence on oil. But serious questions remain about how large an impact electric vehicles will have, and whether those benefits will reach all communities.

Questions and Answers Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB)-English Version

What is the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau?

CFPB is a new U.S. government agency whose job is to protect Americans in their dealings with services like mortgages, credit cards, payday lenders and many others. The idea is to make sure that when you sign up for a loan, credit card, etc., you know what you’re signing, with no tricks or traps. CFPB will also go after financial firms that break the law.

Preguntas y Respuestas Buro de Protección Financiera al Consumidor (CFPB, por sus cifras en ingles)-Spanish Version

¿Qué es el Buro de Protección Financiera al Consumidor?

CFPB es una nueva agencia gubernamental la cual su trabajo es proteger a los estadounidenses en sus tratos con servicios como la hipoteca, tarjetas de crédito, prestamistas y muchos otros. La idea es asegurar que cuando usted se registre para un préstamo, tarjeta de crédito, etc., usted sepa lo que está firmando, sin trucos o trampas. El CFPB también ira tras firmas financieras que rompan la ley.

The Role of Diversity In The Path Toward Financial Recovery

This is the Greenlining Institute’s sixth consecutive study of diversity of the boards of directors in major banks and financial institutions. The context for our most recent reports, especially since 2008 and continuing to this day, has been one of uncertainty for financial institutions, the American public, and the overall economy.

2010 Greenlining Annual Report

Communities of color are vital to the future success and sustainability of California and the nation. It is no longer good enough to just be at the table. We need to develop the menu.

Supplier Diversity Report Card 2011

Always on the cutting edge, California and the companies that operate within it have had a long tradition of recognizing that diversity is an integral part of good business. Perhaps nowhere is this culture more apparent than in the groundbreaking supplier diversity efforts taken on by its utilities and telecoms.

Expanding Sustainable Homeownership for Communities of Color in the Wake of the Foreclosure Crisis

Because households of color hold a disproportionate share of their net worth in home equity (at 61%), the disparate loss of home equity as a result of the foreclosure crisis is exacerbating the racial wealth gap. Today, almost half of all foreclosures in California have involved Latino families, and 21.6% of African American borrowers are at imminent risk of foreclosure. Analysts predict that the indirect wealth loss nationally from the foreclosures will reach $193 billion for African American and $180 billion for Latino communities by 2012. Greenlining estimates that more than half of African American, Latino, and some sub-groups of Asian/Pacific Islander “homeowners” in California are currently underwater.1 These figures tell us that the foreclosure wave in 2011 and 2012 will have an even bigger disproportionate impact on communities of color.

The Role Of Race In The Health Care Debate

The health care debate in America is heating up again due to efforts by some in Congress to repeal or defund the health care reform law, the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act ( Boehner et. al., 2011). One factor that is not often discussed within the health care debate is the influence of race on people’s attitudes towards the law. Last August, U.S. Rep. David Scott (D-Ga.), pointing to numerous racially charged threats his office had received, argued that racism was one of the issues driving the health care debate (Capelouto, 2009).

The State Of The Majority

With newly-elected Gov. Brown set to deliver the State of the State Address, the Greenlining Institute emphasizes the issues that matter most to the constituency that voted him into office. The State of the Majority report outlines important challenges facing voters of color in California. Well over 50% of California’s populace is already people of color and by 2040, 70% of the state’s population will be non-white. We urge all of California’s state leaders, especially Gov. Brown, to be responsive to the issues most important to California’s growing majority. These are issues that must be addressed in order to achieve a more sustainable California that can continue to offer the California Dream.

The State of the Majority

In California, the state’s diverse communities stand more politically visible than ever, propelling Jerry Brown into the governor’s office. 80% of African Americans voted in favor of Jerry Brown, as did 65% of Latinos, and 56% of Asian/Pacific Islanders. Despite being massively outspent by Republican challenger Meg Whitman (by a margin of 10 to 1), voters of color lifted Jerry Brown into the governor’s office.

California’s New Majority

California became a majority minority state in 2000, when for the first time just over half of the state's population was nonwhite. Recent projections from the California Department of Finance show that in 2040 people of color will represent nearly 70% of the state's population.

2010 Election Wrap Up

Voters of color played a critical role in deciding key races this November, both in California and across the U.S. But the influence of big money is a growing problem, and California's initiative process looks increasingly broken. Greenlining looks at where we go from here.

The Greenlining Institute Academy Impact Report

To date, the Greenlining Leadership Academy has trained and nurtured over 700 high school, college, and graduate students. But the success of the Academy is not in its numbers alone. The Greenlining Institute is excited to share the results of our first comprehensive evaluation of our Leadership Academy.

Good Enough For Subprime, But Not Good Enough For Prime?

The homeownership gap for communities of color is widening as a result of widespread foreclosures and a dramatic drop in prime lending to Latinos and African Americans. Greenlining’s analysis of 2008 HMDA (Home Mortgage Disclosure Act) data reveals that there has been a reduction in the number of prime loans going to Latinos and African Americans, and a disproportionate increase in high cost lending going to these communities.

REGULATORS SHOULD LOOK LIKE AMERICA

Among its most important features is a little known provision, Section 342, which establishes an Office of Minority and Women Inclusion (OMWI) in each of the twelve Federal Reserve Banks and eight federal financial regulatory agencies ( the Federal Reserve Board, Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, Office of Comptroller of the Currency, Securities and Exchange Commission, Department of the Treasury, National Credit Union Administration, Federal Housing Finance Agency, and the new Consumer Financial Protection Bureau).

2009 Greenlining Institute Annual Report

“This isn’t about helping communities of color for the sake of helping communities of color. This is about helping communities of color succeed for the sake of the United States.”
- Orson Aguilar, Executive Director

Unpacking Asian American Diversity

Closing Data Gaps: Shifting the Perspective on AA/NHPI University of California Medical Student Representation, is an excellent resource for those interested in disaggregation of data and the health and healthcare challenges facing Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander communities.

Greenlining CRA Fed Hearing

The Greenlining Institute thanks the Federal Reserve, the FDIC, the OCC, and the OTS for this timely review of the Community Reinvestment Act (CRA). Thank you for inviting Greenlining to address this panel on such an important issue.

NBC Universal and Comcast's Poor Record of Diversity

NBC-Universal and Comcast have a poor record on diversity: Summary prepared by the office of Congresswoman Maxine Waters (D-Los Angeles).

2010 Greenlining Suplier Diversity

The California Public Utilities Commissionʹs (CPUC) Supplier Diversity Program has developed into one of the most critical institutions for economic development and job creation in diverse communities across California. [1] The CPUCʹs leadership has transformed the way the stateʹs largest utility and telecom companies contract with businesses owned by women, people of color, and disabled veterans.    In turn, these diverse business enterprises (DBEs) are building wealth and employing people in their communities.

College Costs and California's Future

California has disinvested from its public university – once the beacon of the Golden State – and college costs have skyrocketed.  As a result, we may be losing a generation of students who have simply determined that they cannot afford to attend college.  The long-range impact of this generational shift on society, its workforce, and its economy should give pause to every person concerned about California’s future.

Greenlining Opposes Prop 16 Letter to Peter Darbee May 4, 2010

Until now the Greenlining Institute has stayed neutral in the debateon Proposition 16. However, we have conveyed that our position was neither static nor silent. To the contrary, we have communicated to numerous stakeholders in the Proposition 16 debate that Greenlining had many questions that we needed help answenng.

Issue Brief: Debit Card Overdraft Fees

Bank overdraft fees take an enormous toll on American consumers, especially those with low balances or those new to banking. Over 50 million Americans overdrew their checking account at least once over a 12 month period, paying a total of $23.7 billion in overdraft fees in 2009. Over half of those consumers incurred five or more overdraft or non-sufficient funds NSF) fees in the course of a year.

Financial Institutions May Soon be Required to Report Business Loans by Race, Ethnicity and Gender

Regulation B is a Federal Reserve regulation that prevents bankers from collecting race and ethnicity data from potential borrowers.  Passed during the Civil Rights Era, the logic of the regulation was to prevent discrimination based on race.  However, by not collecting race and ethnic data from borrowers, the general public has no way of knowing whether banks are making loans to people of color.  This piece reflects Greenlining's position that Regulation B should be repealed.

Did The Community Reinvestment Act (CRA) Cause the $700 Billion Dollar Bailout and the Failure of Global Financial Institutions?

The Community Reinvestment Act has done much to increase assets in lower-income communities, yet the right wing media has blamed it for being a cause of the current financial crisis.  Their arguments simply do not add up.

Greening Our Neighborhood - Putting Americans to Work

Energy-Efficiency or 'Cash for Caulkers' says President Obama, is the most effective way to help Americans, and our report concurs -Block by Block - Community by Community - saving $$$ while boosting our local economies.

The State of Solar - California's New Landscape of Opportunity

With billions of dollars heading to California for solar manufacturing and installations through the American Recovery Reinvestment Act, Greenlining looks at equity and opportunity.  Will Solar Shine for all Californians?

Greenlining Remarks to PG&E Shutting Off Power

Why You Should Care about the Citizens Redistricting Commission

Top Ten Questions about the Citizens Redistricting Commission

Fact Sheet on the Citizens Redistricting Commission

Annual Report on Diversity on Bank Boards of Directors

Annual report examines diversity on the boards of the largest financial institutions in the United States. Findings indicate that the top banks vary widely in their commitment to diversity at the top leadership level. Citibank and Wells Fargo have the most diverse boards, while JP Morgan and State Street have the least diverse boards.

Greenlining's Orson Aguilar Addresses Latino Caucus Green Jobs Summit

Greenlining Executive Director Orson Aguilar emphasized in his remarks that the green economy is not just about jobs, but also an opportunity for Latino and other communities color to generate wealth.  In order to protect our communities from future boom-bust cycles, communities of color, including Latino communities, need a broad economic stimulus designed to address our diverse economic needs.  Our stimulus must cover the full spectrum, from entry-level, unskilled jobs to business ownership and growth opportunities in cutting-edge market sectors. 

Diversity on Foundation Boards of Directors

Among the largest 46 foundations in the nation, 1 out of 4 are people of color, yet most have no people of color on their boards at all.  Specifically, 8.0% of board members in the top foundations in the nation are Latino, 12.5% are African American, and 4.5% are Asian American.  However, 28.3% of the top 46 foundations have no people of color on their boards at all; 56.5% have no Latinos, 37.8% have no African Americans, and 69.6% have no Asian Americans.

People of Color Hardest Hit by the Foreclosure Crisis

This issue brief presents data from government and nonprofit sources that demonstrates that Blacks and Latinos were unfairly steered to the subprime loan market, and are more likely to have higher foreclosure and loan delinquency rates.

Race Still Matters: Making the Case for a Racial Lens in Measuring Poverty

Whites outnumber people of color among the poor in the United States, yet poverty disproportionally affects people of color. This brief presents data and arguments explaining why public policy should continue to focus on race—and not just income—when taking on poverty.

Digital Inequality

“The same places that are characterized by economic poverty also tend to suffer from information poverty; a pattern has developed in which inequalities in physical and electronic spaces mutually reinforce one another.” – Lisa Servon, Dean of the New School for Management and Urban Policy and Senior Research Fellow at the Center for Work Life Policy

Health Care Reform National Survey Results

A survey conducted by the Lombardo Consulting Group shows that Americans are losing confidence in the health reform process and that "side deals" between Washington decision makers and the pharmaceutical industry have compromised efforts to enact real reform.

Advocate's Guide to CRA

Find out what the Community Reinvestment Act (CRA) is, and how it can provide communities with the power to demand that financial services corporations be held accountable to all communities.

HMDA FY2007 Full Report

FISCAL YEAR 2007 UPDATE.  The credit crunch has hit communities of color hardest, particularly lower-income communities of color.  The mortgage industry as a whole originated 39.3% less loans to Latinos this fiscal year, and 34.1% less loans to African Americans.  The most dramatic decrease has been among lower-income African American borrowers, who received 72.4% less loans this year than last year.  These changes, combined with the disproportionate loss of wealth in communities of color due to foreclosures, are likely to widen the homeownership gap even further.

Annual Report on Mortgage Lending to Communities of Color in California
Issue Brief

HMDA FY2007 Issue Brief

FISCAL YEAR 2007 UPDATE.  The credit crunch has hit communities of color hardest, particularly lower-income communities of color.  The mortgage industry as a whole originated 39.3% less loans to Latinos this fiscal year, and 34.1% less loans to African Americans.  The most dramatic decrease has been among lower-income African American borrowers, who received 72.4% less loans this year than last year.  These changes, combined with the disproportionate loss of wealth in communities of color due to foreclosures, are likely to widen the homeownership gap even further.

Annual Report on Mortgage Lending to Communities of Color in California
Full Report

Greenlining 2009 Supplier Diversity Report

Every year, the Greenlining Institute studies and releases a report on supplier diversity of the state's largest utilities and telecom companies.  The report aims to highlight the successes and failures of these companies and to present recommendations on how diversity can continue to strengthen these industries. Greenlining's 2009 Supplier Diversity Report focuses on the opportunities presented to California's diverse communities by reforming energy policies and closing the digital divide.

Foundation Board Diversity Report 2009

This report presents data on the diversity of the boards of directors of the 46 largest independent foundations in the United States.

We found that a while quarter of all board directors in the sample were African American, Latino, or Asian American, 28% of the sample did not have people of color on their boards at all.  Among people of color, Latinos are the most underrepresented on foundation boards, with only 8% of all board members of the sample foundations identifying as Latino.

We also found that diversity of the board of directors of the foundations has a generally positive correlation to their giving to organizations led by people of color.  Comparing this sample with the sample of the top 25 foundations and their giving to organizations led by people of color in our previous reports, we found that the top ten foundations with the most diverse boards of directors (among those 25) gave 47.1% of all grants given by that sample to organizations led by POC.  In contrast, foundations with no people of color on their boards gave 10.4% of their grants to such organizations, once the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, an outlier in the dataset, is removed.

Beyond the Stimulus: Opportunities & Challenges in Reforming our National Healthcare System

Even in the face of economic and financial turmoil, President Obama is lifting health care reform to a top national priority. While the nation’s policy makers are largely concerned with bailouts and stimulating the economy, average workers are increasingly and justifiably worried about their job security and access to health care. More people in this country are losing their jobs every day, adding to the ranks of U.S. families for whom health care coverage and access are difficult and sometimes impossible.

The Opportunity of Our Generation: AB32 and Economic Empowerment

This memorandum provides a short summary of Assembly Bill 32, The Global Warming Solutions Act of 2006.  It also explains Greenlining’s approach to bridging the ongoing environmental and civil rights movements to generate wealth among low-income and communities of color. 

Medicare Part D

The study was lead by the National Senior Citizens Law Center, The Greenlining
Institute, the National Health Law Program, the Asian & Pacific Islander American
Health Forum and the Health Consumer Center of Los Angeles. The National Senior
Citizens Law Center was the primary author of this report.

AB 624 Fact Sheet

Brief overview of what AB624 would have done, why it is necessary, and how it would have worked.

AB 624 Bill Summary

Summary of each point in the bill.

AB 624 Community Response

Greenlining's efforts to bring transparency to foundations have been met with widespread criticism, particularly from the conservative news media.  This document presents some of our answers to some of the questions and allegations raised by the media and others.

AB 624 Quotes

Greenlining believes that greater transparency and accountabilty from foundations regarding their diversity practices will greatly improve their impact in serving lower-income and minority communities.  Read exerpts of the opinions of others who agree.

AB 624 Background

The Greenlining Institute proposed “sunshine” legislation that would require large foundations operating in California to gather and disclose pertinent diversity data.  This legislation does not require foundations to invest in minority communities, and it does not create racial quotas for grant-making and employment.  This legislation is a simple attempt to get foundations to disclose key data related to diversity on an annual basis.  Find out why we decided to sponsor the legislation.

Community Action Plan on Philanthropy

Addressing the Needs of Diverse and Grassroots Nonprofit Organizations in California

The Community Action Plan on Philanthropy is Greenlining’s first attempt to summarize the feedback we received from 300 community leaders in multiple convenings held across California on issues related to philanthropic support for minority nonprofits.

This report contains five sections.   The first section, entitled Guiding Principles, describes the common feedback we received from community leaders regarding the framework that should exist when considering issues related to equity in philanthropy.  The second section describes the Capacity Building needs of nonprofits.  The third section discusses issues related to Core Operating Support and the need for constant investments and partnerships in minority-led organizations.   The fourth section describes the Capacity Building Needs of Foundations and the necessary changes that must occur in the foundation world to achieve greater effectiveness in reaching diverse communities.  The final section includes a summary of specific Recommendations for foundations to consider.

Nonprofit Minority Leadership and the Capacity of Minority-Led and Other Grassroots Community-Based Organizations

In December 2008, a group of nine wealthy California foundations, under the umbrella of the “Foundation Coalition”, announced new plans to invest in minority-led nonprofit organizations.  This coalition was formed in response to Greenlining-led legislation that would have required foundations to simply disclose diversity data on an annual basis.  Overall, the new grant making programs announced by the nine foundations will total $30 million over the next two to three years.  Greenlining’s reaction to the announcement is mixed.  While we are pleased to see foundations finally working together to address a critical issue for communities of color, we were disappointed that the agreement was limited to “capacity building” and did not take into account larger issues around equity and diversity.  Most notably, there are no commitments to long-term operating support for minority-led nonprofits, which we believe is central to the empowerment of communities of color.  Stay tuned for more reaction to the announcement in the coming weeks.

Philanthropic Investment in the Sunshine State

This report analyzes the grants made by the ten largest Florida-based foundations, and details the percent of their grants and grant dollars they gave to minority-led organizations.  The report demonstrates that the top foundations gave an average of 5.48% of their grant dollars to African American- Latino- and Asian-American-led nonprofit organizations.  The top foundation in terms of minority giving was the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation, which gave 16.1% of its grants to minorities, closely followed by the Wallace H. Couler Foundation, which gave 14.3% of its grants to minorities.  This study was commissioned by the Florida Minority Reinvestment Coalition.

Annual Report on Lending to Minority-Owned Small Businesses

FISCAL YEAR 2008 UPDATE.  This report card provides data for the best and the worst banks of 2008 in Small Business Administration (SBA) lending to minority-owned small businesses.  The number of SBA loans has decreased by 30.3% nationally, including a 39.3% decline in California, due chiefly to the contraction in available credit across the economy.  However, the SBA’s inability to maintain the competitiveness of its loan products compared to proprietary bank loans may have also contributed to the decline in SBA lending.  Nonetheless, the SBA shows promise for improvement under the Obama Administration.

Issue Brief| Press Release

2008 Bank Board Diversity Report

Financial Institutions May Soon be Required to Report Business Loans by Race, Ethnicity and Gender

2008 Greenlining Institute Supplier Diversity Report Card

To put these inspirational words into practice, twenty years ago this month, on April 27, 1988, the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC), under the direction of executive director Steve Larson adopted General Order 156. To ensure that the goals of these forward thinking Public Utilities Code sections and General Order are met, the Greenlining Institute (Greenlining) issues an annual report on supplier diversityt California’s six largest publicly regulated utilities and telecommunications companies.

GREENLINING'S 2008 MAJOR LAW FIRM DIVERSITY REPORT CARD

The report card demonstrates that none of the fifteen largest law firms doing business in California have achieved their goal of attracting and retaining Latinos or African Americans, and few have done as well as they had hoped for Asian Americans.

Full Report

Second Annual Report on Diversity in the Legal Profession

The report card demonstrates that none of the fifteen largest law firms doing business in California have achieved their goal of attracting and retaining Latinos or African Americans, and few have done as well as they had hoped for Asian Americans.

Executive Summary Report

REPRESENTING THE NEW MAJORITY Part III

A Status Report on the Diversity of the University of California Medical Student Body. This is the third and final report in the Representing the New Majority series, which examines diversity at the University of California’s five medical school campuses.  In it, we examine how effectively the University of California medical schools are recruiting, retaining, and preparing a physician workforce that represents the diverse populations of California.  This report shows trends in the diversity of the University of California medical student body in relation to demographic changes, and uncovers evidence that indicate that the future of increasing diversity in at UC medical schools pipeline programs lies in strengthening health workforce pipeline programs, and increasing institutional outreach to underserved communities.  The report also summarizes the broad literature that makes the case for a diverse health workforce.

Press Release

Are you ready to pay Edison $1000 more for electricity?

Don't let edison rob you of this and that! Fight back!

This is an intro that contains multiple paragraphs.

It's not meant to get broken up when seen as a blurb...

Pipeline Program Updated

This is the latest-amended full text of AB624

This is the latest-amended full text of AB624.

2008 Greenlining Institute Supplier Diversity Report Card

Funding the New Majority

Greenlining is pleased to announce the release of our latest report on grant giving to minority-led organizations entitled Funding the New Majority.  The report examines grant giving to minority-led organizations in 2005 by the 25 largest independent foundations and the 10 largest California foundations.  This year’s report reveals a small increase in the percentage of grants and dollars awarded to minority-led nonprofits.  These percentages, while still very low and not evenly distributed among foundations, are a promising sign.

San Joaquin Villas Health Impact Assesment

This is the executive summary to the health impact assessment conducted to evaluate the intersection between housing, nutrition, employment, and community health in the City of Firebaugh, in the Central Valley. The full report is also available online.

SAN JOAQUIN VILLAS Health Impact Report

Over 6.5 million people currently live in California’s Central Valley. It is projected that at least 11 million people will be living in the region by the year 2040. As the fastest growing region in state—with a growth rate twice that of the rest of California—it is imperative that development take advantage of the new opportunities for equitable change. The following report presents a new paradigm for affordable housing: one that treads the intersection between housing, employment, access to nutrition and health.

Is the SBA Losing it's Mission? Lending to Minorities: Not Fortune 1000 Corporations

FISCAL YEAR 2007 UPDATE.  The number of minority-owned businesses in the US is growing at two to three times the national average, yet the proportion of Small Business Association loans going to minority entrepreneurs has remained constant at about one-third of all loans.  In this report card , we rank the banks on their lending performance to minority-owned small businesses.  We also provide an update on the SBA under the Bush Administration, as well as recent problems that have undermined the agency's credibility and effectiveness.

Issue Brief  |  Press Release

SBA Fiscal Year 2007 Issue Brief

A Tenuous Future for Latino Homeownership in California

Greenlining annually produces two report cards ranking the top ten banks in California in terms of their prime-rate home loan lending performance to California’s Latino and African American homebuyers.  We do not count a bank’s subprime loan originations in our analysis.  Our results show that although Latinos represent 36% of California’s population, they received only 24% of prime-rate home loans.  African Americans, at 6% of the population, received only 3.66% of all prime-rate home loans originated in California in fiscal year 2006.  In contrast, non-Hispanic Whites, at 46% of the population, receive 66% of all home loans.  On average, California’s top ten banks lend to minorities at rates that fall below the average for California’s mortgage industry.  Greenlining recommends that the state’s largest banks take a more proactive stance toward lending to underserved populations in order to move towards closing the minority homeownership gap.

Issue Brief | African American Report

A Tenuous Future for African American Homeownership in California

Greenlining annually produces two report cards ranking the top ten banks in California in terms of their prime-rate home loan lending performance to California’s Latino and African American homebuyers.  We do not count a bank’s subprime loan originations in our analysis.  Our results show that although Latinos represent 36% of California’s population, they received only 24% of prime-rate home loans.  African Americans, at 6% of the population, received only 3.66% of all prime-rate home loans originated in California in fiscal year 2006.  In contrast, non-Hispanic Whites, at 46% of the population, receive 66% of all home loans.  On average, California’s top ten banks lend to minorities at rates that fall below the average for California’s mortgage industry.  Greenlining recommends that the state’s largest banks take a more proactive stance toward lending to underserved populations in order to move towards closing the minority homeownership gap.

Issue Brief | Latino Report

Is the SBA Losing it's Mission? Lending to Minorities: Not Fortune 1000 Corporations

FISCAL YEAR 2006 REPORT.  The number of minority-owned businesses in the US is growing at two to three times the national average, yet the proportion of Small Business Association loans going to minority entrepreneurs has remained constant at about one-third of all loans.  In this report card, we rank the banks on their lending performance to minority-owned small businesses.  We also provide an update on the SBA under the Bush Administration, as well as recent problems that have undermined the agency’s credibility and effectiveness.

Issue Brief  Press Release  Corrections

Wachovia SBA Corrections

Medicare Part D

Medicare I - Brief

Faculty Diversity Report

This report serves as the second installment of the Representing the New Majority series, which examines the racial and ethnic diversity of the five-campus University of California medical school system. The first report assessed the racial and ethnic diversity of administrative and management career staff members on the UC Davis, Irvine, Los Angeles, San Diego, and San Francisco medical school campuses. This report focuses on the racial and ethnic diversity of tenure-track faculty at each medical school campus. The final re p o rt will analyze the racial and ethnic diversity of the medical student body.

Behind Closed Doors Corporate Responsibility Gone Awry

According to Fortune Magazine, the pharmaceutical industry was the most profitable industry in America in 2001. What have the ten highest grossing pharmaceutical companies done with their enormous profits? Find out in Greenlining’s report, which compares the amount pharmaceutical companies pay their top executives and the amount pharmaceutical companies give back to the community. Greenlining’s report also documents how pharmaceutical companies artificially inflate the price for medicine by spending more on advertising than research.

Toward Fair Cures: Diversity Policies in Stem Cell Research

What if a cure existed for cancer, diabetes, heart disease, blindness, HIV/AIDS, and many other debilitating diseases and illnesses? Adapted into state law in the 2004, the California Stem Cell Research and Cures Act directs $3 billion of state monies toward stem cell research to make such cures a reality. Also, the investment into biotech is predicted to create up to 22,000 jobs on average a year. To facilitate active and informed participation, this brief raises important policy issues related to stem cell research such as: What stake do diverse communities have in California’s stem cell research program? What is the medical potential of stem cells? What policy examples can communities set to guarantee fairness in the future?

Economic Development and Stem Cell Research

What if a cure existed for cancer, diabetes, heart disease, blindness, HIV/AIDS, and many other debilitating diseases and illnesses? Adapted into state law in the 2004, the California Stem Cell Research and Cures Act directs $3 billion of state monies toward stem cell research to make such cures a reality. Also, the investment into biotech is predicted to create up to 22,000 jobs on average a year.To facilitate active and informed participation, this brief raises important policy issues related to stem cell research such as: Who will receive the $3 billion in the form of grants and jobs? How will the state reap the economic benefits promised by the California Stem Cell Research and Cures Act? How might the public and private industry create win-win situations to mutually profit from stem cell research?

Social Benefits and Private Investments

On April 20, 2007, The Greenlining Institute, the Bay Area Coalition
to Increase Diversity in the Health Workforce, Pacific Public Health
Training Center, UC Berkeley Center for Public Health Practice,
and the University of California Office of the President, California
Program on Access to Care co-sponsored Checking the
Pulse: An Initiative to Increase Diversity in California’s Health
Workforce in Los Angeles.

Greenlining and Sempra Utilities Six Year Leadership Agreement

The Green Solution for People of Color

A deep divide presently characterizes two key progressive movements: environmental groups and civil rights advocates. The rapidly-growing
“green industry” – or business that contributes to an equitable and ecologically sustainable economy – could change all this.

Historically, mainstream environmental organizations have ignored the unique issues facing low-income and minority communities. While
well-intentioned environmentalists might sometimes try to recruit low-income and minority communities to their cause, rarely do they reciprocate by acknowledging the daily issues faced by minority communities like housing, crime, poverty, and low educational attainment.

Investing in a Diverse Democracy: Foundation Giving to Minority-Led Nonprofits

This report analyzes grantmaking of the nation’s largest private foundations and California’s largest private and community foundations. It finds a tremendous disparity in giving among these foundations to minority-led nonprofits.

A Status Report on Career Staff Diversity at the University of California

It is economically imperative for the University of California to meaningfully address the vast minority populations that reside in the state. A diverse career staff provides a supportive environment for UC's diverse student population...

California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) a report

Each year the Greenlining Institute submits to the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) a report highlighting utility contracting to minority businesses. In 2006, the six largest public utilities contracted more than $1.5 billion to minority-owned businesses in 2006. This report card is an analysis of this contracting for minorities overall and to each individual minority group. The report also highlights contracting areas that require further attention and action on the part of the utilities and the CPUC.

Bank Board Diversity

Four of the eight largest banks have no Latinos on their boards. Eighty percent of the top twenty banks have only one African American on their boards. Only 1 out of 292 board members is an Asian American. Only one bank has an Asian American, African American, and a Latino on its board.

2006 Legislative Hearings on Philanthropy

Members of California’s Latino Legislative Caucus, Legislative Black Caucus, and Asian Pacific Islander Legislative Caucus held a historic joint hearing on April 24, 2006 to discuss diversity in grantmaking and governance in the philanthropic sector.

African American Homelending Report

Only 39 percent of African Americans in California live in a home that they own, compared to nearly 50 percent for African Americans in the rest of the nation. This report finds that the seven major lenders studied originated only 48 home loans to very low income African Americans in California.

Greenlining and Verizon Merger Agreement 2005

Greenlining and AT&T Merger Agreement 2005

Fairness in Philanthropy Part II: Perspectives from the Field

This study looks at why foundation funding for minority-led nonprofits is so low and how the diversity practices and policies of foundations affect giving priorities. Findings are based on interviews conducted with foundation leaders and nonprofit executives. Respondents identified several barriers to funding for minority-led nonprofits including: the inability to access foundations; the lack of trust between minority-led nonprofits and foundations; and inadequate resources on the part of many minority-led nonprofits to devote to relationship building with foundation staff.

Fairness in Philanthropy Part I: Foundation Giving to Minority-led Nonprofits

This study analyzes the giving of the nation’s largest foundations to determine how equitably foundation dollars are allocated across the sector. Greenlining’s findings show that the top fifty independent foundations and the top twenty-five community foundations awarded only 3 percent of total grant dollars to minority-led nonprofits in 2002. These levels are markedly inadequate and illustrate a vast disparity in philanthropic dollars being targeted to organizations that both lead and serve communities of color.

Combined Diversity Report Cards

Utility Companies Supplier Diversity Report Card

For fifteen years, Greenlining has submitted to the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) and the Legislature its annual supplier diversity report for major utilities. Our 2005 Report demonstrates that SBC is one of the leaders in the Industry on Supplier Diversity

The Price of Credit - Prime & Subprime Lending in California 2004

African American and Latino borrowers are three times more likely to receive a higher priced subprime loan when compared to white borrowers.

Greenlining's Annual Report Card on Supplier Diversity

For over 15 years, the Greenlining Institute has issued its Annual Report Card on Supplier Diversity relating to the largest utilities subject to California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) scrutiny. This year’s Report Card focuses on the only six major regulated utilities subject to CPUC scrutiny.

Associates Diversity Report Card

The rankings and grades in this section are based on a curve.  An “A” requires 5% of population parity or better.  A “B” requires a minimum of 3.5%.  A “C” requires a minimum of 2%.  A “D” requires a minimum of 1%.

Partner Diversity Report Card

The rankings and grades in this section are based on a curve.  An “A” requires 5% of population parity or better.  A “B” requires a minimum of 3.5%.  A “C” requires a minimum of 2%.  A “D” requires a minimum of over 1%.