PFE Blog

Celebrate the vibrant culture, exciting events, delicious food, friendly people and cherished traditions of Michigan with People First Economy. Black History Month is a fantastic opportunity to highlight the diversity within the black economy. Join…

At its core, what we eat nourishes our bodies and provides energy to sustain our daily routines. But have you ever stopped to think about how the food economy – the systems that allow a…

Know Your Lender: Northern Initiatives Where do they work: All 83 counties in Michigan What they are: A CDFI! Huh? Northern Initiatives is a Community Development Financial Institution (CDFI) that focuses on providing loans when…

Raise your hand if you love Spring! The smell of dirt and thunderstorms. Sitting outside on the first 60-degree day. Leaving the puffy coat at home. It’s a time of emergence and renewed energy. Sunny…

Move Your Money relaunched during Financial Literacy Month! Throughout April, financial institutions, nonprofits and human service agencies all ramp up their support so that individuals, communities and businesses alike may evaluate and seek to improve…

If you've been following the Local First program for a while, you know we're all about creating opportunities to support local and amplify our membership base. It's these businesses that keep our money close to…

Fall and winter are busy times for all of us. And after a year of working to build back better from the ongoing pandemic, the 2021 Holiday Season is no exception. Add to that the…

Food naturally brings people together. Whether it’s making a meal, supporting a farmer, sharing a recipe, or celebrating a special occasion: food is communal. (more…)

Local banks and credit unions are part of a toolkit of sustainable solutions that drive change in our place-based economies. To dig deeper, Local First connected with Lake Michigan Credit Union earlier this month in…

The People First Economy Podcast is here to bring you insight into how we, our businesses, and our partners are all working towards building and participating in a People First Economy! You’ll hear stories, ideas,…