Thank you to our partners at Inclusive and CDBA for sharing data on CDFI Bank and CDFI Credit Union branch locations. In addition, about 100 of our CDFI Stories come from OFN’s story database.
As an emerging CDFI serving the state of MN with small dollar consumer lending, this funding is essential to us to help combat predatory lending that strips wealth from low-income communities and allows us to provide stabilizing capital to communities to stay housed, employed, and (re)build credit to reach their asset building goals (e.g. car and home ownership) for the future.
The Community Development Financial Institutions Fund (CDFI Fund) plays a vital role in building a strong economy! CDFIs are one of the country’s most effective examples of public-private partnership. They attract private capital to help families buy homes, schools and health centers expand, small businesses grow, and communities thrive – especially in places traditional investors don’t reach on their own. CDFIs are important partners in deploying tax credit programs, such as New Markets Tax Credits, which incentivize investments while reducing taxpayer burden. Some of America’s greatest achievements – from the moon landing (and even modern space exploration) to the birth of Silicon Valley – happened because government had the vision to catalyze private innovation and investment. CDFIs operate in that same spirit. Every day we see how smart, targeted investments unlock opportunity and drive prosperity that benefits everyone. CDFIs are effective because they fuel American ingenuity in the places it exists, which is everywhere!
CDFIs provide a critical service to low-income entrepreneurs who are generally excluded from traditional financing to receive business training services and access to affordable capital to help them start their own microenterprises and thus improve their family’s and community’s economic stability.
CDFI funds play a crucial role in supporting small businesses and individuals aspiring to become homeowners throughout South Dakota. These funds provide much-needed financial resources to communities, offering opportunities for growth and stability where traditional financial institutions may not reach. By supporting small businesses, CDFI funds foster economic development and job creation, helping to strengthen local economies. Additionally, they enable homebuyers to achieve their dreams of homeownership, promoting long-term community stability and wealth-building. Without the critical assistance from CDFI funds, many entrepreneurs and potential homeowners in South Dakota would face significant barriers to success.