FRESNO
Public Bank Fresno was founded in 2025 by the California Public Banking Alliance in partnership with Fresno-based organizations The Academy of Financial Education and Self-Help Enterprises. Its mission is to use public banking to put local funds, investment, and credit under community control, supporting small businesses, affordable housing, and public services in communities of color that have faced generations of disinvestment.
Campaign Updates:
On September 25, 2025, we co-hosted Fresnoâs first public banking conversation with the community, alongside EPIC (End Poverty in California) and local partners: The Academy of Financial Education, Central Valley Urban Institute, Central Valley Immigrant Integration Collaborative (CVIIC), and Education & Leadership Foundation (ELF).
Held at Fresno City College, the session brought together dozens of community members, renters, small business owners, and advocates for a great conversation about unfair banking practices and what a city-run public bank could look like in Fresno. People shared stories, priorities, and ideas for how local dollars could better serve local needs, from funding affordable housing and small businesses to creating a bank with democratic, accountable governance rooted in community priorities.
Read the coverage in Fresnoland: A city-owned bank? Fresno enters the chat on public banking
The California Public Banking Alliance presented a Public Banking 101 workshop for the Fresno City Council to explain how public banks work and their benefits for the city.
Public banking flyer | Spanish version
CalAccount flyer | Spanish version
Press:
Fresno Bee: How a public bank would allow Fresno to finance our own needs
Fresnoland: A city-owned bank? Fresno enters the chat on public banking
CONTACTS
For questions, inquiries, or to explore partnerships and join Public Bank Fresno, please contact Samuel Molina, CEO and founder of The Academy of Financial Education: samuel@taofe.org.