Financial Innovations Roundtable

Call it “action-discussion.” No, it’s not an oxymoron. It’s the type of work done by the Financial Innovations Roundtable, a “think-do tank” housed at the Carsey Institute at the University of New Hampshire. The Financial Innovations Roundtable brings together nearly 100 leaders from conventional financial institutions such as banks, mortgage companies, insurance companies, and investment firms as well as leaders from public agencies, community development financial institutions (CDFIs), foundations, pension funds, religious institutions, and universities. These participants collaborate on increasing the flow of capital and access to financial services in low-income communities.

The group convenes annually to address broad policy issues in the practice of community economic development. Members identify the challenges inherent in community development and create cross-sector partnerships to develop practical solutions. Over the course of the year, these partnerships engage in various initiatives and research, working to remove the barriers between conventional and nontraditional lenders, investors, and markets, and to create products and services that offer low-income communities greater access to capital and financial services. This publication presents several innovations that roundtable participants have created or are currently developing.