May 2023 Stories and Data

Built to Scale: Designing a Business with Scale in Mind

Wheaton,
Maryland

Latino Economic Development Center

St. John Manor

Bakersfield,
California

Clearinghouse CDFI

Catonsville CO-OP brings together food, community, and local businesses

Catonsville,
Maryland

Baltimore Community Lending

A Grand Opening Like No Other

Sunnyvale,
California

Housing Trust of Silicon Valley

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Testimonials

I represent Northwest Access Fund, a CDFI serving Washington, Oregon, and Idaho. NWAF offers people with disabilities customized loans, financial coaching, and other resources to promote access to assistive technology, independence, financial resilience, and life opportunities. We are helping people with disabilities and seniors who lack the ability to secure financing to afford crucial assistive technologies and modifications – hearing aids, dentures, wheelchairs, adaptive vehicles, and home modifications. We could not to this vital work without the investment from the CDFI Fund.

-Emerson Sekins, Northwest Access Fund, Seattle, WA

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.

-Marcia Erickson, GROW South Dakota, Sisseton, SD

Thanks to the Bank Enterprise Award Fund, United is able to issue responsible credit and financial services to underserved customers… BEA is critical for offsetting the cost of running a small‑dollar loan program.

-Robert Jones, United Bank of Alabama, Atmore, AL