Cindy Rawlings

How did you first hear about LEND?

I first heard of LEND about ten years ago through my work in community development at Wintrust. Back then, I had a broad understanding of the organization’s purpose and work but I truly deep-dived into LEND about two years ago when I spoke with Michael Miro. Our conversation helped me better understand how LEND operates in the community, supports small businesses, and learn about the loan portfolio and funding triggers.

What inspired you to join the board?

I have true admiration and respect for entrepreneurs. I’ve worked to support women’s entrepreneurship for many years through organizations such as NAWBO and WBDC so I understand the difference that a healthy entrepreneurial environment makes to a local economy. This translates into a passion to help this cadre succeed because that first leg-up is critical. I didn’t know immediately after speaking with Mike that I would join the board, but after giving careful thought to the challenges LEND was facing, I believed that my time could add value. I came to believe that a student-led organization could create the impact they envisioned.

You’ve known LEND for a while now - how have you seen the organization grow?

In recent years, I’ve seen LEND take a hard look at student roles to find more efficient ways to deliver services. The organization has developed very good relationships with local networks and the city. The brand has built a cache that we did not have five years ago: we are known and respected as an organization that delivers. In a nutshell, we are becoming more defined and professional.

How would you describe the role of the board and your own role as part of it?

The Board provides a lot of one-on-one mentoring and guidance both to the President as well as the student teams to ensure they can effectively deliver on the mission. We want to create a pathway for younger students, where they visualize roles they can confidently step into while trusting that experienced people will help them learn along the way.

Another critical role is to provide oversight of the credit and lending process; this is where a lot of my time is invested. As treasurer, I work with the Finance Vice President on a regular basis to discuss and monitor LEND’s financials. We recently migrated to Quick Books so I like staying in touch with how that is going, tackling challenges, putting in place reporting, and then helping think about the loan portfolio’s health.

What makes LEND unique?

There are other micro-lenders who provide access to capital so theoretically there are other avenues that our clients can pursue. What LEND brings to the table is a hyperlocal focus to micro-lending. We are Evanston-focused and NU-based so we are truly invested in the successful development of the Evanston small business community. The students bring a unique combination of skills and energy to help business owners get work done - whether this is social media, marketing or accounting. There is a lot we can do to support them beyond just providing a loan and that makes us unique.

What is your vision for LEND – where do you see the organization five years from now?

My vision and hope for the organization is that we continue to build a network of supporters through alumni and other local funders who are passionate about local businesses. I want to see financial stability for the organization where we always have a healthy loan fund to continue our work. I would like to see us funding growth, and working alongside businesses to support their needs. In the long run, as the organizations we work with stabilize and have needs beyond what we can provide, I hope that LEND can stay engaged with them. I hope we continue to have active relationships as trusted advisors and valued partners. That would be the real success story for LEND.