We cannot abandon Community Development Financial Institutions (CDFIs), who do measurable, positive work in our communities.
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.
We cannot abandon Community Development Financial Institutions (CDFIs), who do measurable, positive work in our communities.
I am a Board Member of a Native American CDFI that serves Wabanaki Tribes and tribal members in Maine. It’s been quite concerning of the number of threats to our services by the Trump Administration. My hope is that these threats are no longer a hinderance to our daily services particularly the issue of federal funding freeze.
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.
Small businesses are the backbone of Main Streets across America, creating jobs, driving economic growth, and keeping communities strong. Yet, many small business owners-especially in rural areas and underserved markets- struggle to access the financing they need to start and grow. Traditional banks often overlook smaller-dollar loans, but CDFIs step in to fill that gap, providing the sub-$100K loans that small businesses rely on for working capital, equipment, and expansion. At LoanWell, we work with CDFIs to help them originate and deploy more small business loans efficiently, ensuring that capital reaches the local entrepreneurs who keep storefronts open, job opportunities growing, and communities thriving. More than 90% of CDFI small business loans are under $100K, making them one of the few reliable sources of funding for businesses that are too small for traditional banks but too big to rely on personal savings alone. The CDFI Fund is critical to making this lending possible, ensuring that CDFIs have the resources to meet the demand for responsible, small-dollar financing.