Champions Funding Stories and Data

Champions Funding Stories

The Story of Champions
Through its mission, Champion aims to focus and make an impact on communities by providing loan options to borrowers that aren't possible with traditional agency loan programs.
Commonwealth Dairy
In June 2013, Commonwealth Dairy completed a $12-million expansion of its $28.5-million plant to support a new product line. And on Monday, Thomas Moffitt, Commonwealth Dairy's president, returned from Casa Grande, Ariz., where it and its partner, Ehrmann AG, just opened a new facility. The state-of-the art yogurt manufacturing facility in Arizona was built by the same company that built Commonwealth's factory in Brattleboro, said Moffitt, but it's twice the size.
The Clarendon Hotel and Spa
The Clarendon Hotel project was initiated in late 2006. The site and surrounding area had a history of blight and crime before the current owner purchased the facility and began improvements. In addition, hotel space in the downtown and midtown areas are at a premium due to increased interest in the area and recent expansions and improvements of the Phoenix Convention Center. This project was also located in a housing hot zone. In the summer of 2013, the 106-room Clarendon Hotel underwent a facade improvement and also improved the rooftop patio area for larger group gatherings. The largest community impact for this project was derived from bringing an unused building back to its intended use as well as helping a small business owner. In addition, Clarendon created an additional 75 job and provided a host of benefits for their employees.
Mountain Park Heatlh Center – Jesse Owens Clinic
Mountain Park Health Center (MPHC) is a nonprofit Federally Qualified Health Center (FQHC), with a total of 9 clinic sites providing affordable primary care in the Phoenix, Tempe, Glendale and Goodyear Valley. For more than 40 years, MPHC has been delivering whole-patient care for the entire family, by serving over 120,000 patients in 2023, with an integrated healthcare model that includes primary medical, behavioral health, dental, and pharmacy services. Financing for the renovation and expansion of an existing 18,000 sq. ft. building, The Jesse Owens Clinic, to be expanded into a 30,000 sq. ft. state-of-the-art health care facility for low-income families in Phoenix, Arizona. Renovations include 36 easily accessible exam rooms and pharmacy vaccine rooms; collaborative workspaces for the entire medical care team; provider lounge with telehealth rooms; and capability for 1,000 patient visits a week.

Champions Funding Fact Sheet

Testimonials

At Prestamos, we support CDFIs because they are a lifeline for underserved communities, providing access to capital and technical assistance where traditional financial institutions often fall short. CDFI funding enables us to offer flexible, culturally competent lending and support services that help small businesses grow, create jobs, and build generational wealth. Without CDFIs, too many communities would be left behind in our economic recovery and growth. We are proud to be part of the solution that bridges this equity gap.

-Amber Cordoba, Prestamos CDFI, Phoenix, AZ

CDFIs drive local economic growth by financing small businesses, creating jobs, and expanding affordable housing. They support rural and tribal communities, fund critical services like childcare and health clinics, and have invested $298 billion in underserved areas since 2010.

-Yasmin Badri, MicroCare Community Development Solutions, Tucson, AZ

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!

-Annie Donovan, Raza Development Fund, Phoenix, AZ

Map of Champions Funding CDFI Branches and Stories