Together, we will get through this. With that belief firmly in mind, OFN began its 2020 COVID-19 Staying Connected Webinar Series for member CDFIs on March 26. Starting with “COVID-19 First Response 101,” OFN launched the series as an opportunity for member CDFIs to help each other navigate these trying and uncertain times. 

Presented by Donna Fabiani, EVP of Knowledge Sharing at OFN; Beth Lipson, Chief Financial Officer at OFN; Andrea Longton, SVP of Financial Services at OFN; and Sara Razavi, CEO at Working Solutions and OFN board member, this first webinar provided a high-level overview of the elements CDFIs should consider in the first weeks of the crisis, including staff, clients, operations, financial position, and funding.

Since then, OFN has hosted seven webinars, all featuring leaders of OFN member CDFIs sharing their responses to the pandemic and economic aftershocks. Webinars have included:

• Emergency Portfolio Management Part I: Buying Time with Loan Payment Deferments
  Tuesday, March 31

  Moderator: Donna Fabiani, OFN
  Presenters: Ashley Pinkard, Self-Help; Dave Kahley, The Progress Fund; and Galen Gondolfi, Justine PETERSEN
   

• COVID-19 Response: Financial Management
  Wednesday, April 1

  Presenters: Beth Lipson, OFN; Joshua Brackett, ACE; Michael Swack, New Hampshire Community Loan Fund board member and Carsey School of Public Policy; and Christina Travers, LIIF
   

• Emergency Loan Products
  Wednesday, April 8

  Presenters: Donna Fabiani, OFN; Andy Posner, Capital Good Fund; Janie Barrera, LiftFund; and Felicia Lyles, Hope Enterprise Corporation
   

• Business Continuity: The Importance of Redundancy
  Tuesday, April 14

  Moderator: Donna Fabiani, OFN
  Presenters: Adina Abramowitz, Consulting for Change; Yanki Tshering, Business Center for New Americans; and Dan Betancourt, Community First Fund
   

• Recovery Responses for Small Business Lenders
  Monday, April 20

  Moderator: Donna Fabiani, OFN
  Presenters: Betsy Biemann, CEI; Dave Glaser, MoFi; and Ruben Alonso III, AltCap
   

• Rural and Small CDFIs−Successfully Working Remotely
  Wednesday, April 22

  Moderator: Tina Poole Johnson, OFN
  Presenters: Vickie Oldman, Seven Sisters Community Development Group, LLC; Norma Edwards, Fahe; and Tawney Brunsch, Lakota Funds
   

• Recovery Responses for Single Family Mortgage Lenders
  Tuesday, April 28

  Moderator: Shakeyda (Keys) Daniels, OFN
  Presenters: Joan Carty, Housing Development Fund; Michael Loftin, Homewise; and Nick Mitchell-Bennett, CDCB

Next Webinar: 

• Cash Management for Lending & Operations in Uncertain Times
  Thursday, April 30 

  Moderator: Luis Espinosa, Investment Officer, Business Development, OFN
  Presenters: Eric Hangen, I Squared Community Development Consulting; Carla Mannings and Larita Mimms, Partners for the Common Good

Stay tuned over the next few weeks for more OFN member Staying Connected webinars! If you're not an OFN member, check out our CDFI Connect online community for additional opportunities to engage in learning and peer exchange.