Oct. 8, 2025 8:00 am
Community Development Financial Institutions: Bridging the Wealth Gap
Community Development Financial Institutions (CDFIs)’s impact go beyond loans and capital access. They invest directly in young people through education and wealth-building. These mission-driven organizations, initially known for supporting small businesses and underinvested communities, are now bridging the gap between financial systems and young people who have historically been excluded from them. CDFIs approach financial […]
purpose
Jul. 1, 2021 8:31 am
This is what individuals who invest in CDFIs want you to know
"If you are an investor, you can be an impact investor. CDFIs are the ultimate double bottom line investment – earn a return on your principal and see the impact amplified many times over," says ImpactPHL guest columnist Pam Porter.
method
Feb. 25, 2021 1:34 pm
Money for less. Respect for free
As the devastation from COVID becomes fully realized, there will be a massive wave of nonperforming loan exposure. Lenders know this is coming, but what they may not fully grasp is that they have the ability to avoid it, says guest columnist Michele Corson.
funding
Jan. 31, 2020 3:14 pm
The urgent case for investing small and local
"Investing in local businesses is inherently impact investing," says George Cook, the co-founder and CEO of Honeycomb Credit.
purpose
Sep. 19, 2019 2:53 pm
Reinvestment Fund’s HFFI supports food access across the nation
“The context for why there are food access gaps is really different between rural Alaska and the west side of Chicago, but HFFI is a very flexible tool.” says program director Molly Hartman.
results
Apr. 18, 2016 8:49 am
This 20-year-old industry has a branding problem
Community development financial institutions need to attract a new generation of investors. A new Opportunity Finance Network report suggests they adopt fintech or the impact investor brand.
results
Jul. 10, 2015 12:17 pm
How OFN is using partnerships to champion community development
What do Starbucks, Google, Banana Republic, Goldman Sachs and Sam’s Club have in common, besides being large, multi-national corporations? They have all partnered with Opportunity Finance Network (OFN), a Philadelphia-based, national membership network for community development financial institutions (CDFIs). CDFIs are the real workhorses of community development. They are private entities that serve and invest […]