On September 25, 2025, we co-hosted Fresno’s first public banking conversation with the community, alongside EPIC (End Poverty in California), CA Public Banking Alliance, 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.
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
