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NEW YORK, Feb. 23, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- JPMorgan Chase today announced initiatives to further support Minority Depository Institutions (MDIs) and diverse-led Community Development Financial Institutions (CDFIs), as part of the firm's recently announced $30 billion commitment to advancing racial equity.

MDIs and CDFIs provide vital financial services in communities that are often underserved. In order to provide this necessary funding to underrepresented communities, many MDIs and CDFIs need additional capital themselves.

These new initiatives are focused on strengthening minority-owned and diverse-led financial institutions by providing additional access to capital, connections to institutional investors, specialty support for Black-led commercial projects and mentorship and training opportunities. 

To support MDIs and CDFIs, today the firm is announcing:

1.  A New Money Market Share Class for Distribution by MDIs and Diverse-Led CDFIs

JPMorgan Chase has launched Empowering Change, a unique program supported by Google and in partnership with MDIs and diverse-led CDFIs to provide economic opportunity to underserved communities. The program is designed to allow MDIs and CDFIs to offer new investment products to their customers, boost their technological capabilities and develop new revenues through fund distribution.

Google is anchoring the program's launch with an intent to invest $500 million in the Empower money market share class that will be initially distributed by diverse-led MDIs The Harbor Bank of Maryland, Liberty Bank and Trust, M&F Bank and Unity National Bank. This initiative builds on Google's partnership with Opportunity Finance Network to support CDFIs, and multiple racial equity commitments made in 2020.

The Empowering Change program includes:

• A new Empower money market share class for distribution by MDIs and diverse-led CDFIs, offered across J.P. Morgan Asset Management's suite of money market funds,¹ allowing institutional clients to support MDIs and diverse-led CDFIs and create a positive social impact
• An annual donation of 12.5% of revenue received from the management fees on Empower share class assets to support community development
• Access to the depth and breadth of J.P. Morgan Asset Management's resources, including the Morgan Money digital investment platform, sales and marketing and client service support
• Training, education and marketing resources for partner firms led by JPMorgan Chase

The annual donation will be made for the life of the Empower share class to the Empower and Community Development Fund, a Donor-Advised Fund administered by the Chicago Community Trust that is committed to supporting community development to expand opportunities within underserved communities.

2.  $40 Million in Direct Equity Investments and Commitments to Leading MDIs

The firm has invested and committed the first $40 million of the $50 million equity pledge to Black and Latinx-led MDIs. The initial round of investments support minority-owned and Black-led MDIs including the holding companies for Louisiana-based Liberty Bank and Trust, North Carolina-based M&F Bank, New York-based Carver Federal Savings Bank and Los Angeles-based Broadway Federal Bank.  

By mid-year, JPMorgan Chase is expecting to increase its investments in MDIs to also include Latinx-led institutions. In total, the investments and commitments could generate access to as much as $500 million in community lending across the nation. The capital will help MDIs create wealth in communities, grow local businesses and could be used to:

• Supply more loans to consumers and businesses
• Expand operations and open branches to serve more communities
• Invest in new technology and digital capabilities to modernize platforms, drive efficiencies and deliver a better customer experience

In addition to the equity investments, these MDIs will also become J.P. Morgan clients and gain access to the firm's expertise, solutions and network.

This announcement builds on the firm's close relationships with Liberty Bank and Trust and The Harbor Bank of Maryland through the U.S. Department of the Treasury's Bank Mentor Protégé Program, an important part of a broader strategy to promote inclusion across financial institutions and extend access to banking services to all communities.

     3.  A Racial Equity Program to Support Vital Businesses and Nonprofits

Working with MDIs and diverse-led CDFIs, JPMorgan Chase is providing premium New Markets Tax Credit (NMTC) investment pricing for Black-owned, Black-led and Black-serving nonprofits and businesses and helping to direct NMTC financing to meaningful community projects, including grocery stores, shelters, healthcare clinics and small businesses. This Racial Equity program is part of the additional $100 million in NMTC financing annually dedicated to diverse organizations, as part of the firm's $30 billion commitment to advancing racial equity.

The first $20 million investment, made in partnership with The Harbor Bank of Maryland, City First Bank and Partners for the Common Good, will provide critical funds to Community of Hope for the purchase, renovation and expansion of the Family Health and Birth Center. The facility—which will annually provide more than 5,800 patients with medical, dental and behavioral health services—is the only medical establishment with a labor and delivery unit serving the Northeast and Southeast quadrants of D.C. and helps nearly 400 women per year with prenatal care.

JPMorgan Chase is providing more than $300 million in additional financing to CDFIs over the next five years. The firm originated over $285 million of lending to CDFIs and their affiliates in 2020 and has also supported the development of food banks and shelters, healthcare centers, grocery stores and schools across the nation through the NMTC program. Six of these projects, totaling more than $60 million in financing, have specifically supported low-income communities as part of the NMTC Racial Equity Program.

Lasting Community Impact

JPMorgan Chase is using its expertise in business, policy, data and philanthropy to help create an inclusive recovery and provide economic opportunity to underserved populations, especially the Black and Latinx communities.

The firm is also using its resources to provide end-to-end support, including lending, equity, training, mentoring and networking, to Black and Latinx communities and businesses as part of its $30 billion commitment to advance racial equity, Advancing Black Pathways program and other initiatives.

To assist communities as they recover from the COVID-19 pandemic and the racial inequities it has highlighted, JPMorgan Chase continues to create greater economic opportunity in cities around the world through:

• AdvancingCities, a $500 million philanthropic investment to drive inclusive growth and create greater economic opportunity in cities around the world, including Detroit, Chicago, the Bay Area, Greater Washington Area (D.C.) and Greater Paris
• The JPMorgan Chase PolicyCenter, which develops and advances sustainable, evidence-based policy solutions to drive economic growth in collaboration with policy, business and community leaders
• The Entrepreneurs of Color Fund, a collaboration with Local Initiatives Support Corporation (LISC) and a network of CDFIs that provide Black, Latinx and other underserved entrepreneurs with access to capital and technical expertise
• New Skills at Work, a $350 million initiative to prepare people for the future of work by hiring employees with criminal backgrounds and supporting their reentry into the workforce

Comments on the Importance of Supporting Minority-Owned and Diverse-Led Financial Institutions

"MDIs and CDFIs play a very important role in driving positive change in our communities," said Doug Petno, CEO of Commercial Banking. "As they continue to strengthen their foundations and scale, these vital institutions will provide additional capital, resources and services to help more people and businesses in the communities that need it most." 

"The COVID-19 pandemic has only exacerbated the racial inequalities in the U.S., which puts a strain on families' economic mobility and impedes the continued growth of our economy," said Brian Lamb, Global Head of Diversity & Inclusion at JPMorgan Chase. "We know these crucial institutions create lasting change for Black and Latinx families and we hope our support will help uplift the people and businesses that are the backbone of our local economies."

"The Empowering Change program will create new economic opportunities for minority-owned and diverse-led financial institutions, enabling qualified firms to offer our money market funds, as well as gain access to advisory support, management training and talent development," said Paula Stibbe, Head of Global Liquidity, Client at J.P. Morgan Asset Management. "This will empower these firms to deliver ongoing positive change in their communities. At the same time, corporate investors can make their money matter by investing in the Empower share class, designed specifically to support their socio-economic goals."

"JPMorgan Chase was one of the first to step up to become a mentor bank in the Treasury Bank Mentor Protégé Program," said Lorraine Cole, Chief Diversity and Inclusion Officer for the U.S. Department of the Treasury. "Their expansion of mentoring and training support to diverse-led banks demonstrates the serious commitment they share with Treasury to sustain and build capacity among small and minority-owned banks. And, their newly announced financial products and equity investments directed specifically to MDIs and CDFIs can have deep impact into the communities they serve. As the Administration and nation confront the triple pandemics—to contain COVID-19, deliver economic relief, and advance racial justice—such strategies that strengthen the nation's financial network and banking services in every community are an important part of this broader imperative."

"Google is committed to helping create sustainable equity and economic opportunity for all," said Juan Rajlin, Vice President & Treasurer at Google. "We know that racial equality is directly linked to economic opportunity and are proud to partner on the Empowering Change program, which will help create new business opportunities for minority institutions."  

"This infusion of capital will allow us to scale up our efforts to support small businesses, increase our mortgage lending and help refinance predatory lending products, which will result in significant cash flow enhancements for our most challenged communities," said Liberty Bank President and CEO Alden J. McDonald Jr. "We appreciate the confidence JPMorgan Chase has placed in our ability to understand our customer base and offer financial services that build wealth in our communities."

"For nearly forty years, The Harbor Bank of Maryland has been committed to creating wealth in the African-American community by improving access to capital and financial services," said Joseph Haskins, Jr. Harbor Bank of Maryland Chairman and CEO. "Through our work with JPMorgan Chase and Google, we believe that there is a growing demonstration of the ability of trusted local partners and large, committed corporations to deliver innovative solutions, expand economic opportunity and better serve our communities, customers, and shareholders."

"Now more than ever, we are committed to building the strength and sustainability of minority-owned banks, particularly Black banks, and the communities they serve," said Robert James, Chairman of the National Bankers Association. "We welcome JPMorgan Chase as an Affiliate Member of the NBA and look forward to working closely with them as they expand their equity investments and revenue partnerships to more of our members and help them structure those investments in ways that maximize the overall impact in the chronically underserved communities of color served by our banks."

For more information visit www.jpmorganchase.com/impact/path-forward.

About JPMorgan Chase
JPMorgan Chase & Co. (NYSE: JPM) is a leading global financial services firm with assets of $3.4 trillion and operations worldwide. The Firm is a leader in investment banking, financial services for consumers and small businesses, commercial banking, financial transaction processing, and asset management. A component of the Dow Jones Industrial Average, JPMorgan Chase & Co. serves millions of customers in the United States and many of the world's most prominent corporate, institutional and government clients under its J.P. Morgan and Chase brands. Information about JPMorgan Chase & Co. is available at www.jpmorganchase.com.

About Broadway Federal Bank and City First Bank
Black-founded and led since 1947, Los Angeles-based Broadway Federal Bank, subsidiary of Broadway Financial Corporation (NASDAQ: BYFC), will merge with City First Bank in Washington, DC, also Black-led and founded in 1998,  to become the largest Black-led minority depository institution (MDI) in the United States in the spring of 2021. The newly combined bank will hold more $1 billion in assets under management and approximately $850 million in total depository institution assets as a commercial lender serving in tier one urban markets who have chronically lacked access to capital.  With expanded lending capacity, and support from long standing partners like JPMorgan Chase, the new bank will strengthen investments in low-to-moderate income communities that deliver critical community impact focused on affordable housing development, nonprofit community facility lending, new markets tax credit allocations, and small business financing. As well, they will continue attracting additional impact-oriented investors and depositors who see value in, and are aligned with our mission to close the racial wealth gap through the provision of capital. Once combined, Broadway and City First will operate from both Los Angeles and Washington, DC as an MDI, Community Development Financial Institution (CDFI) bank, Certified BCorp; and members of the Opportunity Finance Network (OFN) and Global Alliance of Banking on Values (GABV). www.cityfirstbroadwaymerger.com | www.broadwayfederalbank.com | www.cityfirstbank.com

About Carver Bancorp, Inc.
Carver Bancorp, Inc. (NASDAQ: CARV) is the holding company for Carver Federal Savings Bank, a federally chartered stock savings bank. Headquartered in Harlem, NY, Carver was founded in 1948 to serve African-American communities whose residents, businesses, and institutions had limited access to mainstream financial services. The U.S. Treasury Department has designated Carver as a Community Development Financial Institution (CDFI) because of its community-focused banking services and dedication to its local community's economic viability and revitalization. Carver is the largest African- and Caribbean-American managed Bank in the United States. The Bank recently expanded its online presence to include consumer checking and savings accounts across nine states, from Massachusetts to Virginia, and Washington, D.C. For further information, please visit the Company's website at www.carverbank.com. Be sure to connect with Carver on Facebook, LinkedIn, and Twitter.

About Harbor Bank of Maryland
Harbor Bank of Maryland was founded in 1982 and is a Maryland chartered commercial bank serving Maryland, Washington D.C. and Northern Virginia. As a designated CDFI, MDI, SBA 7(a) and USDA lender, Harbor Bank offers checking, savings, time deposits, credit cards, debit cards, commercial real estate, personal, home improvement, and other installment and term loans. The bank is also a member of local and national ATM networks.

About Liberty Bank
Liberty Bank and Trust is a designated MDI and CDFI, providing personal, business, mortgage, automobile, home equity and freedom fast loans to customers. Founded in 1972 in New Orleans, Liberty has since expanded into nine states and has maintained a dedication to community and business development. The bank's mission is to provide cost-effective delivery of high quality, innovative, customer driven financial products and services to diverse markets, with a focus on disadvantaged communities of color who have traditionally been underserved. Information about Liberty Bank and Trust Company at www.libertybank.net

About M&F
Founded in 1907 in North Carolina, M&F Bank is the second-oldest minority-owned bank in the United States. With $308.0 million in total assets, M&F Bank is the eighth-largest African American owned financial institution in the United States and the only bank in North Carolina to receive CDFI designation. The bank's mission is to promote personal and community development by providing capital to small- and medium-sized businesses in its local communities.

About Unity National Bank
Unity National Bank of Houston, N.A., originally founded in 1963 and later chartered in 1985, is the only African American owned banking institution in Texas.  Banks like Unity popped up across the nation during the 1960s civil rights movement.  Unity's leadership remains committed to the vision of providing banking services to historically underserved businesses and individuals and developing the bank into a dynamic banking franchise, serving a diverse customer base. In addition to its inner-city headquarters located in the heart of Third Ward Houston, Unity opened its first branch in Missouri City, Texas, Fort Bend County, in 1998. Unity intends to continue building a banking organization with multiple branch locations in the Greater Houston Metroplex to provide convenient and professional service to all of its customers. In March 2018, Unity opened an Atlanta, Georgia, branch allowing Unity's rich legacy to continue in a community well positioned to support and utilize a new minority bank.

Investors should carefully consider the investment objectives and risks as well as charges and expenses of a mutual fund investing. The summary and full prospectuses contain this and other information about the mutual fund and should be read carefully before investing. To obtain a prospectus for Mutual Funds: Contact JPMorgan Distribution Services, Inc. at 1-800-480-4111

Prime Money Market Fund: You could lose money by investing in the Fund. Because the share price of the Fund will fluctuate, when you sell your shares they may be worth more or less than what you originally paid for them. The Fund may impose a fee upon the sale of your shares or may temporarily suspend your ability to sell shares if the Fund's liquidity falls below required minimums because of market conditions or other factors. An investment in the Fund is not insured or guaranteed by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation or any other government agency. The Fund's sponsor has no legal obligation to provide financial support to the Fund, and you should not expect that the sponsor will provide financial support to the Fund at any time. Any gain resulting from the sale or exchange of Fund shares will be taxable as long-term or short-term gain, depending upon how long you have held your shares.

All Other Money Market Funds: You could lose money by investing in the Fund. Although the Fund seeks to preserve the value of your investment at $1.00 per share, it cannot guarantee it will do so. An investment in the Fund is not insured or guaranteed by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation or any other government agency. The Fund's sponsor has no legal obligation to provide financial support to the Fund, and you should not expect that the sponsor will provide financial support to the Fund at any time. Performance may reflect the waiver of a portion of the fund's fees and/or reimbursement of certain expenses. If fees had not been waived and certain expenses were not reimbursed the performance would have been lower.

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