See also Impact Investing
About CDFIs
Connecting CDFIs and SRI If you can wade through the wonky-ness, the reason for sustainable investors to explore directing funds to CDFIs is well explained here.
How to increase Socially Responsible Investment in CDFIs This one is a bit more accessible.
http://www.cdfifund.gov A branch of the US Treasury – The CDFI Fund was created for the purpose of promoting economic revitalization and community development through investment in and assistance to community development financial institutions (CDFIs). The CDFI Fund was established by the Riegle Community Development and Regulatory Improvement Act of 1994, as a bipartisan initiative.
Find a CDFI
List of CDFIs This is just what you would think it is…In Excel form and thus, sortable.
http://ofn.org/cdfi-coverage-map And this is a another listing, interactive and illustrated in map-form —where CDFIs are located, where they are providing financing and other services, which financing sectors they are serving, and how these change over time.
http://cdbanks.org/ourmembers Community Development Bankers Association – find a member
http://www.opportunityfinance.net/ A national network of CDFIs.
http://www.cdcu.coop/ A national federation of credit unions.
http://www.icba.org/golocal/ Independent Community Bankers of America site
http://www.mycreditunion.gov/Pages/mcu-map.aspx National Credit Union Association site, interactive credit union locator map
Research and analysis tools
http://www.aerisinsight.com/ Aeris provides data, analysis, and advisory services that support investment in community development financial institutions (CDFIs). Their proprietary CDFI ratings tool — CARS®, the CDFI Assessment and Ratings System — helps investors evaluate opportunities that meet their impact goals and risk parameters.
http://ofn.org/ Opportunity Finance Network – OFN is committed to helping CDFIs and their partners expand their coverage so that all communities have access to the types of affordable, responsible financial products and services they need.
http://www.ncif.org/ National Community Investment Fund, the largest investor in the mission-oriented banking industry. As investors, they gather valuable information and share it here. Their tool BankIMPACT Dashboard can be found here.
NCIF Tells the story of CDFIs Here is a paper from them giving a status report on CDFIs as of 2012.
Websites of specific CDFIs and other impact lenders
http://www.trfund.com/ The Reinvestment Fund
http://www.newjerseycommunitycapital.org/ New Jersey Community Capital
http://rsfsocialfinance.org/ RSF Social Finance
http://www.bostoncommunitycapital.org/ Boston Community Capital
http://www.pcgloanfund.org Partners for the Common Good
http://www.crfusa.com/ Community Reinvestment Fund
http://www.coloradoenterprisefund.org/ Colorado Enterprise Fund (CEF)
http://www.ceimaine.org/ This CDFI is based in Maine and focuses on rural communities.
http://www.oikocredit.coop/ Oikocredit is a worldwide cooperative and social investor, providing funding to the microfinance sector, fair trade organizations, cooperatives and small to medium enterprises.
http://www.craft3.org/ Craft3 is a nonprofit community development financial institution with a mission to strengthen economic, ecological and family resilience in Pacific Northwest communities. We do this by providing loans to entrepreneurs, nonprofits, individuals and others who don’t normally have access to financing. We then complement these financial resources with our expertise, networks and other advocacy for our clients.
http://www.enterprisecommunity.com/ For more than 30 years, Enterprise has introduced solutions through public-private partnerships with financial institutions, governments, community organizations and other partners that share our vision that one day, every person will have an affordable home in a vibrant community, filled with promise and the opportunity for a good life. Our mission is to create opportunity for low- and moderate-income people through affordable housing in diverse, thriving communities.
