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. CDFI certification statutes require that CDFIs must maintain accountability to residents of its Target Market(s), either through governing boards or advisory boards. These advisory bodies can be an important part of maintaining certification and many CDFIs also leverage their advisory boards to support the capacity of the organization. FUND CI’s research finds that many CDFI’s advisory boards are under prepared for certification changes and likely can further leverage the expertise and knowledge of their assembled advisory boards. Overall, we find that CDFIs were consistently prepared on only one of the six accountability criteria we considered.
Read the full updated report here.