Overview

CRA-NC - Who We Are
The Community Reinvestment Association of
North Carolina's mission is to promote and
protect community wealth. We advocate for
change in the lending practices of financial
institutions to promote wealth building fo
underserved communities and to end predatory
lending practices that strip wealth. Committed
to creative advocavc, CRA-NC uses research,
education, mobilization, media, litigation,
regulatory changes, legislative advocacy and
stockholder actions to initiate change.

OUR HISTORY - How We Got Here
Formed in 1986 as a project of North Carolina
Legal Services, CRA-NC has played a key role in
shaping the attitudes and policies of North
Carolina's banks toward CRA and community
development. Through challenges of bank
mergers, CRA-NC has secured agreements
totaling more than $40 billion in mortgages, small
business lending and community development
investments for low wealth communities. These
agreements have led to countless partnerships
between banks and nonprofits.

Our success in creating access to
wealth-building credit was being undone by
predatory mortgage lending. To end this
destructive practice, CRA-NC has played a
leadership role in fighting abusive corporate
practices and promoting legislative and
regulatory solutions at the state and national
level. With the publication of our book "Payday
Lending, Too Much Month at the End of the
Paycheck" in 2001, CRA-NC again provided
leadership in a five-year campaign to oppose
this high-cost, short-term credit that erodes
families financial stability. We are glad to
celebrate the end of payday lending for North
Carolina.

CRA-NC has a long-standing tradition of
advocacy for social justice. We are well known
for our creative theatrical approach to
community mobilization and protesting in the
usually hum-drum financial world. We have
waged several memorable campaigns over the
years which have each produced positive
impact both in North Carolina and across the
United States.