Behind every thriving community is access to responsible, affordable capital. Community development financial institutions (CDFIs) help make that possible, pairing loans with resources and support to spark opportunity nationwide.
Though varied in size, geography, and focus, CDFIs share a mission: expanding access to safe, affordable financial products for individuals and communities historically overlooked by mainstream finance. From helping small businesses grow, to creating affordable housing, to supporting health centers, schools, and other community assets, CDFIs catalyze lasting impact where it’s needed most.
With more than 1,300 mission-driven financial institutions, the CDFI industry spans loan funds, credit unions, banks, and venture capital funds working in all 50 states and in rural, urban, and Native communities.
Together they form a national network dedicated to expanding opportunity—seeing potential where others see risk.
Over the past 22 years, CDFIs in OFN’s membership have provided more than $124 billion in financing in rural, urban, and Native communities nationwide. This investment has helped create, grow, or maintain more than…
3.4 million jobs
1 million businesses and microenterprises
2.9 million housing units
15,000 community facility projects
CDFIs finance the development and preservation of affordable housing for low- and moderate-income families. This lending can support predevelopment, acquisition, construction, renovation, and mortgage loans. Multifamily typically refers to rental housing, but it can also include for-sale homes as well as service-enriched or transitional housing. See how CDFIs are financing this work on the ground:
Since 2018, JO Companies has worked collaboratively with the City of St. Paul to develop high-quality, energy efficient and equitable development on the east side of the city.
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The Carnation Milk plant in Tupelo, Mississippi, has sat vacant since 1972. With the help of a $325,000 predevelopment loan…
Read MoreCDFIs expand access to affordable homeownership, often for first-time buyers and households historically excluded from traditional mortgage markets. They also provide home improvement loans that help families remain in place while maintaining the safety and quality of their homes. See how CDFIs are financing this work on the ground:
Like many Latino Community Credit Union (LCCU) families, the Rodriguez-Sanchez family has lived in the U.S. for many years. However, before joining LCCU in 2021, they remained unbanked.
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In 2022, the Fort Lauderdale Community Development Corporation (FLCDC) received a $1.65 million revolving line of credit from OFN member CDFI Florida Community Loan Fund.
Read MoreCDFIs expand access to affordable homeownership, often for first-time buyers and households historically excluded from traditional mortgage markets. They also provide home improvement loans that help families remain in place while maintaining the safety and quality of their homes. See how CDFIs are financing this work on the ground:
Indigenous Roots Cultural Art Center on the East Side of St. Paul, Minnesota, provides space and programming to promote and practice holistic well-being through Indigenous arts, culture, and tradition.
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Located in Brooklyn, NY, BMS Family Health and Wellness Centers (BMS) provides integrative, high quality healthcare and social services that enable neighborhood residents to achieve lifelong health and wellness.
Read MoreCDFIs provide entrepreneurs—especially those overlooked by traditional banks—with the capital they need to start, grow, and sustain their businesses. This lending fuels local economies and helps build lasting wealth. See how CDFIs are financing this work on the ground:
23rd Century CNC, LLC, is a full-service machine manufacturing shop, founded in 2019 in Kinsman, Ohio.
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For Executive Chef Maria Rumlin, food has always been more than a profession—it’s a calling. After facing challenges in the workforce due to past incarceration, Maria turned to her lifelong passion: cooking…
Read MoreCDFIs offer fair, responsible consumer products such as personal loans, credit-builder loans, and emergency financing. These loans help people avoid predatory alternatives, rebuild credit, or access essentials like transportation and assistive technologies. See how CDFIs are financing this work on the ground:
Founded in 2001 by local Hispanic business owners, the Fresno Area Hispanic Foundation (FAHF) develops strategies to support the growth of the community through technical assistance, outreach, advocacy, and access to capital.
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Darrell Molett was attending a community college in New Orleans when Katrina hit. Post-hurricane, without permanent housing, he struggled to hold down a job. Then, a friend encouraged him…
Read MoreCDFIs finance projects such as retail spaces, offices, manufacturing facilities, and mixed-use developments. These investments help revitalize neighborhoods, create jobs, and build community wealth. See how CDFIs are financing this work on the ground:
Built in 1972 as one of the first projects built after Cleveland’s Hough Riots, Martin Luther King Jr. Plaza was meant to serve as a beacon of progress for Black entrepreneurship and the rebuilding of the Hough community.
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Life has a way of changing perspectives, and for Jessica King, that change was profound and unexpected when she lost her mother, an avid horsewoman, at the age of 55.
Read MoreCDFIs provide very small businesses—often sole proprietors or startups—with accessible capital to launch or expand. For many entrepreneurs, this financing is otherwise out of reach from mainstream institutions. See how CDFIs are financing this work on the ground:
Like many business owners, Kelly Shaggy’s path to entrepreneurship wasn’t a linear one. During the pandemic, she decided to combine her teaching and digital media background to form her own business.
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Ayanna Makalani discovered Pilates during rehabilitation for knee surgery after years as a competitive gymnast and avid dancer. In 2015, a microloan from Working Solutions helped Ayanna launch her own studio, HEAL: Pilates…
Read MoreCDFIs provide farmers and food producers with capital for land, equipment, operations, and sustainability improvements. This lending helps preserve farmland, strengthen food systems, and support small-scale and historically underserved producers. See how CDFIs are financing this work on the ground:
Fourth-generation taro farmer and owner of Mokuwai Piko Poi, “Kahea” Kaaihili is dedicated to sustaining one of Hawaii’s most culturally significant crops.
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In the Philadelphia area, FarmerJawn owner Christa Barfield is “reintroducing agriculture into the lifestyles of urban people” with the goal of building healthy and sustainable communities.
Read MoreCDFIs provide financing for projects like solar installations, energy-efficient upgrades, and renewable infrastructure for homes, businesses, and community facilities. By supporting sustainable energy solutions, particularly in low-income communities, CDFIs help reduce costs for borrowers who can benefit most from savings, lower carbon footprints, and strengthen resilience in the face of extreme weather events. See how CDFIs are financing this work on the ground:
