Pennsylvania Stories and Data

Pennsylvania Stories

Armful of Flowers: How a Backyard Dream Bloomed
Federal cuts could affect Bridgeway Capital. What will that mean in Erie?
New Kensington CDC
Cottage Seven Academy

Pennsylvania Fact Sheet

We are a CDFI focused on small business lending. We are giving people who deserve a shot at the American dream – but can’t get it because big banks don’t do small business loans or character loans anymore. Small businesses are important sources of jobs, income and innovation.

-Mark Masterson, Neighborhood Community Development Fund, Pittsburgh, PA

Our CDFI is housed in a non-profit dedicated to cultivating entrepreneurial leadership within underserved communities to increase their economic mobility. CDFIs are crucial to this work and bridging the gap to help entrepreneurs access funding before being able to approach a traditional lender for a myriad of reasons such as lack of credit history, being underbanked or never banking, lacking access to financial literacy resources and education around borrowing process. Being able to combine training resources with microlending support enables our org to further serve these populations in a way that best meets their needs and creates economic growth and jobs within our local communities.

-Ariana Garcia, ASSETS PA, Lancaster, PA

CDFIs are the oil in the engine of our economy. They support small businesses with patient flexible capital, when they need it the most; when they are starting out. Without support for these institutions, small businesses will be blocked by high fees, high interest rates, demand payments, and other predatory behavior that impedes and tanks their efforts to grow the US economy.

-Rebecca Davidson-Wagner, Invest PGH Inc., Pittsburgh, PA

Map of Pennsylvania CDFI Branches and Stories