CCA History
Eastern University professor emeritus and former spiritual advisor to President Bill Clinton, Anthony Campolo, PhD, sent a group of Eastern alumni and professors, led by James Kerkula and Stephen Akintoye, to assist a former Philadelphia Eagle player to develop People for People Credit Union and Charter School in North Philadelphia.
People for People, Inc’s board member and Principal of Briscoe & Associates law firm, Attorney Jack C. Briscoe, offers to formalize the group's work by incorporating/legalizing Community Capital Advisors (CCA) as a CDFI & technical assistance entity to assist other grassroots groups in the Philadelphia region.
Community Capital Advisors is incorporated as technical assistance nonprofit in Pennsylvania.
CCA leader is asked to testify about charitable giving by the U.S. House of Representatives' Subcommittee on Empowerment.
CCA leaders spearheaded the formation of the Independence Apparel project—a high profile welfare-to-work partnership between the City of Philadelphia, People for People, and Mother’s Work. The project was primarily sponsored by the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services.
Mother’s Work was renamed Destiny Maternity, a national apparel manufacturing company.
CCA secured the 501 (c) 3 public charity designation from the U.S. Internal Revenue Service (IRS). The designation enabled CCA to expand technical assistance to other grassroots groups in the 11-county Philadelphia region.
CCA built important partnerships with major institutions in the banking and CDFI industries, including with PNC Bank, Beneficial Bank, Wachovia Bank, the Pennsylvania Credit Union Association, the National Federation of Community Development Credit Union, the National Credit Union Administration, and the Community Development Venture Capital Alliance, among others.
CCA spearheads the formation of Sharon Baptist Church’s New Life Credit Union in West Philadelphia, Multicultural Community Family Services in Delaware County, the Compassion Capital Investment Fund in Southwest Philadelphia, Immanuel Lutheran Church’s & All for All Agency’s children program in Delaware County, and the Wilmington, DE-based New Direction Church’s Learning Center, among others.
CCA expands technical assistance services to more than 30 grassroots organizations in the CDFI, STEM education and social-impact services.
CCA invested more than $300,000 in Liberia to form the Monrovia Group and Ducor Trading companies, aimed at creating employment among the local populations in the aftermath of the tiny West African nation’s 14-year civil conflict.
CCA provided capital assistance to Sotiamon Christian School to expand Pre-K through 6 primary education to kids in the greater Monrovia school district.
CCA extends technical assistance to the African immigrant populations in the Philadelphia region; and helped secure more than $5M from public-private sources to fund infrastructure for small enterprises, childcare and church facilities in the 5-county Philadelphia region. Funders included Beneficial (WSFS), PNC, Wachovia (Wells Fargo) banks and the PA Depart of Community & Economic Development. The funding benefited cross-sector organizations, including Redeem Christian Church, Christ Apostolic Church, and Mosel International Market, among others.
CCA provided technical assistance to various groups in Delaware County, including the formation of the Bright Beginning Pre-K STEM learning center, After School activities, and summer camp program in the William Penn School District.
CCA revised its mission to expand its services to support women & girls, Bluewater Bible College & the U.S. Virgin Islands, as well as West African region.
CCA entered long-term partnership with the Connecticut-based Earth Forward Group (EFG) on the Liberia Institute for Girls - Todee (LIG) project in West Africa and the 6721-23 Musgrave Street rehabilitation project in Philadelphia.
CCA’s project partner, EFG secured funding from the U.S. embassy in Liberia on behalf of CCA to support an Environmental & Science Learning Lab as a subset of the LIG project.
EFG secured partnership with the U.S.-based Project Learning Tree (PLT) and Liberia-based Kakata Rural Teacher Training Institute (KRTTI) to administer the Learning Lab — with 250+ students from villages across Pleemu Clan, Todee District attending the lab. CCA and the U.S. Embassy in Liberia sponsored the initial phase of the learning lab.
The Kakata Rural Teachers Training Institute’s (KRTTI’s) Dean Sorna Sherif, Liberia Rubber planters Association leader Wilhemina Mulbah, and a diverse Liberia-based education & socioeconomic development practitioners are spearheading the formation of an in-country LIG Board of Directors.
In 2022, CCA committed $350,000 to launch the organization’s 6721-23 Musgrave Street rehabilitation project in East Mt. Airy, Philadelphia - with the renovation of the primary 2-story stone building as kickoff (Phase-1). This initial phase was completed in 2023 with additional funding from the Philadelphia Foundation and Citizens bank. In 2024, CCA secured a $250,000 reimbursable grant from the PA Department of Community & Economic Development to augment a $720,000 budget to rebuild the partially demolished smaller structure at the rear of the stone building. This phase (Phase-2) of the project is scheduled for completion by December 2026.
As authorized by the organization’s board of directors, Phase-3 of the project (2025 - 2028) would restore CCA to its 1990s CDFI & technical assistance roots, subject to business plan review and PA Department of Banking & other regulatory approval. We aim to raise about $2 million in 2026-2028 for initial capitalization of the recalibrated CDFI - followed by administrative & physical CDFI infrastructure protocols, and a U.S. Treasury Department CDFI fund certification.
Fortunately, CCA brings decades of proven success in organizing and practicing within the CDFI space.
