In 2003 Merrill Lynch and The Greenlining Institute announced a $500 million initiative to expand small business lending and promote economic opportunities in Asian Pacific, Latino and African-American communities throughout California. The new program, the first of its kind by a Wall Street investment firm, represents a dramatic expansion of Merrill Lynch’s commitment to provide financial expertise and innovative approaches to help businesses in historically under-served markets in California.

The program, The California Partnership for Economic Achievement, builds on ground-breaking pilot programs in Southern California and the San Francisco Bay Area that have led to expanded lending opportunities in traditionally under-served communities. This initiative is part of a new, five-year outreach commitment and will bring to $830 million the total focused directly on these markets.