CDFIs fill a vital need in Michigan by supporting community and economic development in under-served areas. Continuing to fund CDFIs will allow them to provide financial support for communities that would otherwise be left behind.
CDFIs fill a vital need in Michigan by supporting community and economic development in under-served areas. Continuing to fund CDFIs will allow them to provide financial support for communities that would otherwise be left behind.
We ask for your support because CDFIs are a reliable and thoroughly vetted resource to urban, suburban, and rural communities across the country, ensuring businesses and homebuyers have access to capital that helps alleviate generational poverty.
Native CDFIs are a critical/integral part of the financing infrastructure in Native communities and they make the most important investments and achieve the most impressive impacts in Native communities. They are directly responsible for enhancing financial literacy/capability, for creating access to capital, for increasing homeownership and building homes, and for providing technical and financial support for entrepreneurs and businesses. Even when traditional banks operate in or near Native communities, they often lack the understanding of the Native culture and complexities of providing financial services in Indian Country. Native CDFIs have emerged to help address the credit and capital challenges and provide Native communities and residents with an alternative to mainstream banks. Our Native CDFI, Four Directions Development Corporation has been a tremendous asset to the Native communities in Maine. We started out with $250,000 in capital in 2002 and over the past twenty + years, Four Directions has lent out over $25 million in capital to first-time homebuyers, new and emerging entrepreneurs and businesses, for tribal community development such as tribal wellness centers, family housing, elder housing and community facilities and infrastructure. Native CDFIs are a fundamental aspect of tribal development, a critical strategic financing partner for building a robust and sustainable economy in Indian communities nationwide.