The CDFI Fund recently announced the Calendar Year (CY) 2023 New Markets Tax Credit (NMTC) allocations and awarded $5B in allocations to 104 Community Development Entities (CDEs). Through the NMTC program, the CDFI Fund provides tax credit authority to CDEs, which serve as financial intermediaries to place investments into businesses that meet NMTC program requirements in low-income communities.

Fund CI reviewed data on the past three funding rounds to better understand the geographic distribution of allocations as well as identify trends in successful applicants.

Fund CI entered this research with the observation that both the CDFI industry and the technologies that support them are changing. CDFIs continue to evolve new products and approaches to meeting their missions. But, in an ever-changing environment, how can CDFIs identify the best platform, or platforms, to meet their needs? To tackle this question, Fund CI conducted interviews with 15 technology providers to learn more about their platforms.

Fund CI has updated its Accountability Report based on the final CDFI Certification guidelines.

This research brief explores one of the core criteria for certification: accountability. Overall, we found that at the time of the survey, CDFIs were only prepared for one of the six criteria related to certification.

Fund CI reviews the first three funding rounds of the CDFI Fund’s Small Dollar Loan Program based on geographic distribution, awardee distribution, and strategy.

Accountability: Leveraging Advisory Boards and Preparing for Changes. This research brief explores one of the core criteria for certification: accountability.

Emerging CDFIs had a unique experience with the delayed release of the certification and the long closure of the application window. Fund CI spoke with an emerging CDFI to understand how they were effected.

Fund CI reflects on five years of research on the CDFI Industry.

In 2018, FUND Community Institute (FUND CI) designed a research project examining the role of women in the CDFI industry. The goal of the research was to assess the roles women are playing in the industry, determine if they feel they have the resources necessary to succeed, and learn what changes they have noticed in the industry. In addition to collecting data and presenting findings on these issues, the intent was also to document women’s experiences.

In 2019, Fund CI conducted research to identify the best practices of CDFIs that are recognized as being ahead of the curve in fostering diversity, equity, and inclusion both internally and externally.

Fund CI analyzes credit scores as an outcome measure on the effectiveness of small dollar loans.

Fund CI completed an industry survey to understand how prepared organizations are for leadership changes, particularly as a generation of CDFI founders begin to retire.