Wall Street Without Walls: Orientation to the Capital Markets

In a time of increasing anxiety for community-based development organizations (CBDOs) regarding funding from foundations, financial institutions and government agencies, Wall Street Without Walls has been created to provide CBDOs with the tools and training needed to reliably and consistently connect with the capital markets and decrease their reliance on concessionary rate and philanthropic funding sources.

Wall Street Without Walls (WSWW) has been funded by the Fannie Mae Foundation to help prepare CDFIs and CDCs access the capital markets. This free session will feature both practitioners and investment bankers discussing how deals can be brought to the capital markets for new sources of mission capital. This Orientation to the Capital Markets is also a special pre-conference training session for the National Community Capital Association's annual meeting, which is scheduled for November 3-6, 2004, in Chicago.

About the Conference

This session is designed primarily for senior level staff from CDFIs and CDCs with assets over $3 million and an interest in learning more about how to leverage assets with structured financings using capital market tools. CDFIs and CDCs with assets under $3 million are also invited to participate. WSWW will also present various pilot innovations including a "capital exchange" program, a "financial guarantee" capacity, and the "dead asset" concept - all designed to help bring new sources of finance to CDFIs and CDCs.

The goals of WSWW are designed to remove the obstacles to the capital markets by:

Educating CBDO staff on capital markets basics;
Training senior level CBDO staff on applying and custom tailoring the capital markets model to their process of originating, servicing, tracking, packaging, structuring, and placing assets with institutional investors;
Introducing the community development industry to key capital market players and products; and
Creating a national network of capital market experts knowledgeable enough in the details of community development finance to provide appropriate technical assistance to CBDOs on specific deals.

The November 3, 2004, meeting at the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago is designed to help CBDOs to reliably and consistently access the capital markets. The agenda will touch on the following topics:

Current thinking and models for the changing context of CBDO finance
New ideas for structured finance of community development assets
The Chicago area's model of CRA bankers' working collaborative
Alternatives for financing small business loans
Affordable housing finance for non-conforming single family and multifamily
Introduction to pro bono WSWW follow-up technical assistance and training

The faculty for the November 3 meeting include: Greg Stanton, Co-Director, Wall Street Without Walls; Charles Tansey, Sr. Advisor Neighborhood Reinvestment Corporation; Wayne Marsden, Sr. Advisor, Wall Street Without Walls; Michael Swack, Dean, School of Community Economic Development; John Nelson, Co-Director, Wall Street Without Walls; and national and regional CBDO executives and investment bankers presenting case studies.

CRA Bankers Luncheon Panel
12:30 to 1:30 p.m.

Community reinvestment officers at commercial banks play a crucial role in these development finance activities. WSWW plans a lunchtime panel featuring banking representatives from the Chicago area. The panel will engage in an informal dialogue related to their individual and collective role in advancing community economic development in the region. The collaborative framework of their work serving the community development needs of the region would be highlighted along with examples of financings of CBDO projects.

The panel will last one hour over the lunch period. Approximately 100 individuals are expected to attend, largely senior staff from CBDOs with assets in excess of $3 million who might benefit from leveraging their assets through a capital markets access strategy.

Conference Date and Location

Wednesday, November 3, 2004
9:00 a.m. - 3:30 p.m.
Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago
230 S. LaSalle Street
Chicago, Illinois

Registration

Space is limited. Registration will close on October 15, 2004, or sooner if capacity is reached. Applications from the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago's 7th District will be accepted on a priority basis. Other CDFIs and CDCs from around the country are invited to apply.

For additional information call John Nelson, Wall Street Without Walls offsite link at 703-648-9544, Daphne Smith at National Community Capital Association at 215-923-4754, or Harry Pestine, Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago at 312-322-5877.