News Release

Orange County SBDC Receives $150,000 Small Business Technical Assistance Grant from MUFG Union Bank Foundation

(Santa Ana, CA)—The Rancho Santiago Community College District Foundation/Orange County Small Business Development Center (SBDC) has received a $150,000 grant from MUFG Union Bank Foundation. The grant will provide $50,000 per year over three years. This grant will help the Orange County SBDC expand its one-on-one consulting services assisting entrepreneurs and existing small businesses to increase their revenue, create jobs, gain access to capital, and spur economic growth in low- to moderate-income (LMI) and multicultural communities.

“Minorities make up a significant portion of the Orange County SBDC client base, as well as many business owners from underserved communities including low-and-moderate-income populations. The objective is to expose all participating small business owners to valuable information and access to expert business coaches to help them prosper,” said Leila Mozaffari, director, Orange County SBDC. “Our clients will benefit from one-to-one expert business consulting and educational services, business loan and micro-loan packaging services and matching them to appropriate micro-lenders and/or financial institutions. Thanks to the MUFG Union Bank Foundation, this effort will contribute to local economic development.”

Thanks to this grant, 240 additional qualifying local entrepreneurs and small businesses will have access to the services of the Orange County SBDC, a one-stop source for technical assistance. At least 1,200 hours of consultation services from advisors and industry experts in one-on-one sessions will be provided.

“We are pleased to support the Small Business Development Center at Rancho Santiago Community College District with this grant through our Advancing Communities Forward Program,” said MUFG Union Bank Director and Chief Operating Officer of the MUFG Union Bank Foundation Kathy Patoff. “Small businesses are a key driver in our local economies and it is vital that entrepreneurs and small business owners have access to resources that can help them grow a business or start a new one.”

The MUFG Union Bank Foundation, a nonprofit public benefit corporation, serves as an agent for charitable contributions made by the bank. Since its creation in 1953, the Foundation has supported the bank’s commitment to help meet the needs of the communities that it serves. Its mission is to make philanthropic investments that expand access to economic opportunity in low- and moderate-income communities specifically in the areas of affordable housing, community economic development, education, human services, and the environment. To learn more visit www.unionbank.com/community.

For more information on how the Orange County SBDC is helping foster new and existing business growth, visit www.ocsbdc.org.

About the Orange County Small Business Development Center
The Orange County Small Business Development Center (SBDC), an economic development program of Rancho Santiago Community College District, is partially supported by the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA), and the California State University, Fullerton. The Orange County SBDC is a one-stop source for starting a business, obtaining a business loan, growing a business both domestically and internationally, and expansion strategies.

About Rancho Santiago Community College District
Santa Ana College and Santiago Canyon College are public community colleges of the Rancho Santiago Community College District, which serves the residents of Anaheim Hills, Orange, Santa Ana, Villa Park, and portions of Anaheim, Costa Mesa, Irvine, Fountain Valley, Garden Grove, and Tustin.. Both colleges provide education for academic transfer and careers, courses for personal and professional development, and customized training for business and industry.

About the Rancho Santiago Community College District Foundation
The mission of the Rancho Santiago Community College District Foundation is to enhance the economic development of our region and to generate revenue to supplement the resources of the district and its two colleges, Santa Ana College and Santiago Canyon College.

About MUFG Union Bank, N.A.
MUFG Union Bank, N.A., is a full-service bank with offices across the United States. We provide a wide spectrum of corporate, commercial and retail banking and wealth management solutions to meet the needs of customers. We also offer an extensive portfolio of value-added solutions for customers, including investment banking, personal and corporate trust, global custody, transaction banking, capital markets, and other services. With assets of $116.9 billion, as of September 30, 2016, MUFG Union Bank has strong capital reserves, credit ratings and capital ratios relative to peer banks. MUFG Union Bank is a proud member of the Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group (NYSE: MTU), one of the world’s largest financial organizations with total assets of approximately ¥293.7 trillion (JPY) or $2.9 trillion (USD)¹, as of September 30, 2016. The corporate headquarters (principal executive office) for MUFG Americas Holdings Corporation, which is the financial holding company and MUFG Union Bank, is in New York City. The main banking office of MUFG Union Bank is in San Francisco, California.

1 Exchange rate of 1 USD=¥101.12 (JPY) as of September 30, 2016

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Contact: Judy Iannaccone

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