Community Development Financial Institutions
Page 2

CDFIs could be community development banks, community development credit unions, community development venture capital funds, microenterprise development loan funds, or community development corporations.

In order to validate its existence and function properly, CDFIs need to be certified by the Community Development Financial Institutions Fund, and through these, the CDFIs will then be provided with funds and finances through several programs and initiatives.

CDFIs can provide financial assistance to challenged communities such as small business and underserved populations. The overall mission of the CDFI fund is to provide the American people with accessible, nonetheless affordable, credit, capital, and financial services.

Initially, the CDFI Fund was created for the sole purpose of economic rehabilitation and community development through investing and providing financial assistance to community development financial institutions (CDFIs).

Since its creation in the year 1994, the Community Development Financial Institutions Fund has already administered over $1.4 billion to various community developments and financial institutions.

If you wish to read more about the CDFI Fund, you can visit the its official website at http://www.cdfifund.gov.

Community Development Financial Institutions
  Back to Page 1

About The Author Iola Bonggay is an editor of TopGovernmentGrants.com one the the most comprehensive Websites offering information on government grants and federal government programs. She also maintains Websites providing resources on artist grants and children grants.

Additional Resources

category - Small Business Grants

Community Development Credit Unions
A Community Development Credit Union, more commonly known as a CDCU, is a credit financial institution which owned and controlled by its members in an effort to sustain the ability of being able to provide a wide array of financial services.

---

Minority Business Enterprise Centers for Minority-Owned Businesses
The The Minority Business Development Agency has recently constituted the Minority Business Enterprise Centers (MBEC) Program wherein it aims to support minority-owned businesses by providing them with electronic and one-on-one business development services for a reasonably nominal fee.

---

Program for Investment in Micro-Entrepreneurs Technical Assistance
The Program for Investment in Micro-Entrepreneurs Technical Assistance Program is designed to decrease the number of disadvantaged micro-entrepreneurs by helping them enhance their management capabilities, by way of providing them with technical assistance and training in the areas concerning activities that are associated with starting, expanding and growing their businesses.

---

Common Bean Productivity Research for Global Food Security Competitive Grants Program
In keeping with this mission, the National Institute of Food and Agriculture has recently established the Common Bean Productivity Research for Global Food Security Competitive Grants Program in an attempt to develop approaches and methods that can efficiently address the various challenges facing common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris) production among small holder producers in food insecure countries.

---