CDFIs provide opportunity for those who would otherwise not have access.
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.
CDFIs provide opportunity for those who would otherwise not have access.
Our organization serves entrepreneurs and small businesses in Southeast Missouri. Located in the 8th Congressional District, the poorest district in the state, our customers rely on our program and the funding available through programs like the CDFI to get started and stay open. While not a CDFI yet we have plans to apply for TA and move forward for certification this year.
As a Native CDFI, funding from the CDFI Fund provides Native communities with access to capital that would otherwise be unavailable. Due to the complexities of tribal lands, traditional banks do not offer the same financial opportunities. Native CDFIs, supported by the CDFI Fund, are bridging this gap by providing equitable access to capital in ways that were previously unheard of.
I’m a contract CFO for multiple smaller CDFIs around the US who are supporting those in our communities that are starting small businesses, trying to get financing to buy a vehicle to get to a job or earn a living in the gig economy, and small developers bringing affordable housing onto the market. No one else is making this financing available. I work to see thriving communities here in the US that make our local economies vibrant and healthy. The CDFI Fund makes that possible.