Community Development Financial Institutions (CDFIs)

Founded in 1984, Boston Community Capital (BCC) is one of the most innovative and successful community development financial institutions in the nation.  To date, it has lent more than $1 billion and leveraged $6 billion in additional investment. Its investments are credited with preventing more than 800 foreclosure-related evictions, renovating 2 million square feet of real estate, building or preserving nearly 20,000 units of affordable housing, and creating 4,440 living-wage jobs.  BCC is also one of the largest solar providers to affordable housing in the country—its financing has helped to generate 26.5 million kilowatts of solar capacity, saving customers millions in energy costs.

Part of a family of companies that work together to serve the needs of low and moderate income residents of the DC metro area, City First Bank is a nationally chartered community development bank with assets of $214 million, deposits of $171 million, and loans of $152 million, 80 percent of which are made to businesses in low-income communities.  Since its establishment in 1998, the bank has financed more than 5,371 units of affordable housing and helped create or retain over 4,368 jobs. Read more about City First Bank...

Minneapolis-based Community Reinvestment Fund works to raise capital on behalf of community development lenders through the secondary market for loans. Started in 1989, the group has injected hundreds of millions of dollars into low-income and economically disadvantaged communities across the country to help stimulate job creation and economic development, provide affordable housing, and construct community facilities.  Its work is credited with creating or retaining 73,000 jobs, developing 19,000 units of affordable housing, and directly benefiting 1.7 million people.

With a focus on creating economic opportunity, promoting social equity, and ensuring environmental well-being, Ecotrust accomplishments include co-founding the world's first environmental bank with now more than $300 million assets and receiving $50 million in New Markets Tax Credits to start the world's first ecosystem investment fund.  Since its founding in 1991, Ecotrust has helped create more than $300 million in capital for the people, communities and businesses of the West Coast, including Alaska. Read more about Ecotrust...

IFF, formerly known as the Illinois Facilities Fund, provides loans and real estate consulting to nonprofits based in the Midwest, with a particular focus on those that serve low-income communities and special needs populations. It is the largest nonprofit CDFI in the Midwest and one of only a few nationally to earn the CDFI Asssesement and Rating System (CARS) AAA+1 rating. Established in 1988, IFF now has assets of more than $498 million.  In 2015, its loan program made 117 loans totaling over $95.5 million—resulting in the creation or maintenance of 3,713 jobs.

Founded in 1985, the Lakota Fund has promoted economic revitalization on the Pine Ridge Reservation community. The fund has financed the construction of affordable housing, made micro-enterprise and small business loans supporting the employment of over 500 people and has developed an Individual Development Account matched-savings program. Read more about Lakota Fund...

Founded in 1989, Montana CDC serves, despite its “CDC” name, more as a Community Development Financial Institution (CDFI), with a focus on small business lending in five counties of western Montana. It also operates a Native American Fund (which makes micro loans to Native American-led businesses) and a Child Care Loan fund that helps childcare businesses expand facilities and improve programs. Between July 2004 and February 2005 alone, it disbursed over $500,000 in loan financing. Read more about Montana Community Development Corporation...

New Hampshire Community Loan Fund was the first statewide community development loan fund in the country. The Community Loan Fund is nationally recognized for its ROC-NH manufactured housing loan program, which has enabled mobile home residents to purchase mobile home parks and run them as cooperatives. Read more about New Hampshire Community Loan Fund...

Northcountry Cooperative Development Fund is a member-owned and governed community development loan fund and federally certified Community Development Financial Institution (CDFI). Structured as a cooperative assoication, NCDF is owned by more than 150 cooperatives in 30 states and finances producer, worker, consumer, and housing cooperatives through the US (except in New England – see Cooperative Fund of New England). Read more about Northcountry Cooperative Development Fund...

Chartered in 2000 and open since 2001, People's Community Partnership is a community development credit union that is open to anyone who lives, works, worships or volunteers in the West Oakland flatlands. It is also the first banking institution to operate in West Oakland since the 1960s, providing area residents with an alternative to expensive check-cashing services and payday loans. Members can open an account with as little as a $25 and a one-time $5 fee. It has grown to have more than 2500 members with assets of more than $4.5 million. Read more about People's Community Partnership Federal Credit Union...

Founded in Durham, Self-Help has grown into a CDFI comprising an advocacy group, a loan fund, and two credit unions serving over 145,000 members across North Carolina, California, Florida, and the greater Chicago region.  Since its establishment in 1980, Self-Help has made 146,000 loans to families, individuals, and organizations, and has provided $7.1 billion in financing to projects credited with creating or maintaining 45,000 jobs.

Founded in 1985, TRF is an umbrella group that oversees a host of community development loan and venture funds that invest in the Mid-Atlantic region. As of 2007, TRF has managed over $700 million in capital. To date, TRF financing has helped create or preserve over 16,000 housing units, 420 businesses, 22,000 charter school slots, 35,000 jobs and 1.53 million MWh of clean energy, or enough power to run 150,000 homes for a year. Read more about The Reinvestment Fund...