PROJECTCommunity Development Financial Institutions

Community development financial institutions (CDFIs) are private financial organizations driven by a mission to bring mainstream finance and economic inclusion to underserved communities. While CDFIs come in many forms—they can be for-profits, nonprofits, credit unions, banks, loan funds, or venture capital funds—they are all certified by the Treasury Department’s CDFI Fund to help communities grow equitably by offering affordable and sustainable financial services, as well as affordable credit and investment capital.

Our research on CDFIs includes mapping the distribution of CDFI services across the country, identifying metrics to measure CDFI activities’ effectiveness, and convening CDFI leaders to discuss state and local policy opportunities to expand CDFI impact.

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For related content, see our work on capital flows, the New Markets Tax Credit, and Opportunity Zones.

Research Areas Neighborhoods, cities, and metros Community and economic development
Tags Community development finance and CDFIs