What are CDFIs?

Main Street Launch’s Intern – Impact Evaluation & Marketing Linda Ho offers information about CDFIs. This article was originally posted on January 10, 2018.   WHAT IS CDFI? Community Development Financial Institutions (CDFIs) provide access to financial services for local residents and businesses, sharing a common goal of expanding economic opportunity in low income communities.…

CDFIs: Types of CDFIs

CDFI Coalition is the lead organization in the United States promoting the work of community development financial institutions (CDFIs). The Coalition represents CDFIs working throughout the country and coordinates industry-wide initiatives to increase the availability of financial services to low-income communities. CDFI Coalition created a great chart to describe the different CDFIs, helping potential borrowers…

Advocacy for and with CDFIs

Community Development Financial Institutions (CDFIs) are mission-driven financial institutions that serve communities and individuals who have not yet had access to traditional financial services, like bank loans. Our organizations typically are focused on serving our clients, so we rely on the work of other organizations to do larger advocacy work that will benefit our clients…

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Main Street Launch receives $2.2 million from Bank of America in support of veteran entrepreneurs

Of the veteran-owned companies served by Veteran Launch, 54% have been new businesses; despite the fact most traditional lenders will not consider funding startups. New businesses help keep neighborhoods thriving, and Main Street Launch is uniquely suited to support these businesses as they work to achieve their goals. Singer said, “Veterans have a strong entrepreneurial spirit, and we are thrilled to support these small business owners in starting and growing their businesses.” To learn more about the veteran-owned companies Main Street Launch supports, please visit: veteranlaunch.org/client-spotlights.

CDFIs: Concessionary Loans

Community Development Financial Institutions (CDFIs) may have the flexibility to create new loan products to better serve their communities. Concessionary loan capital is one such type of new loan product.   Concessionary loans are loans that offer more generous terms than market rate loans. These terms may be lower interest rates, a longer pay-back period,…

Impacts of CDFIs

This post is part of our series about Community Development Financial Institutions (CDFIs). Check out our other posts What are CDFIs? and Finding your local CDFI. Community Development Financial Institutions do work that support a variety of important impacts in our communities. Some CDFIs focus on investing in affordable housing, others on investing in community…