Opportunity Finance Network

The 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act is now law. Among 50+ provisions: a HOME reauthorization, a 7-year PRICE Program reauthorization, and a PWI cap increase to unlock billions in new capital for CDFIs financing housing nationwide. What it means for CDFIs: ofn.org/blog/congress-…

Since 1982, Community Ventures has created 1,219+ homeowners and deployed $22.4M+ across Kentucky. One is Hunter Puckett, a single dad of four that the conventional market couldn't finance. Capital Magnet Fund resources closed the gap. Public capital, private investment, lasting stability. ofn.org/impact-stories…

At OFN, we talk every day about the power of community investment. Last week, during our annual staff retreat, we had the chance to live it. Staff spent the first day engaged in conversation, strategic planning, and team-building, where the power of CDFIs in their local communities was put on display. On the second day of the retreat, OFN staff rolled up their sleeves and gave back to two incredible Washington, DC organizations doing vital work: Thrive DC, which provides meals, shelter, and support services to individuals experiencing homelessness, and Dreaming Out Loud, which builds a more equitable food system by connecting underserved DC communities to fresh, locally grown food. From prepping and serving meals in the kitchen to weeding rows, harvesting vegetables, and getting hands in the soil—our team showed up with energy, heart, and a lot of good humor. This is why we do what we do. CDFIs and the organizations they support are building stronger, healthier, more vibrant communities every single day. Volunteering alongside neighbors in need is a reminder that mission isn’t just something we talk about—it’s something we live. Thank you to the teams at Thrive DC and Dreaming Out Loud for welcoming us, putting us to work, and inspiring us. We left energized and grateful. #OFN #CommunityDevelopment #CDFI #GivingBack #ThriveAlways #DreamingOutLoud #OpportunityFinanceNetwork #MissionDriven #StaffRetreat

The OFN & Native CDFI Network Joint 2026 Midwest Regional Meeting is FREE and open for registration! Join us on July 15 for peer discussions, policy updates, and networking at the Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis. Space is limited. Register by July 9. web.cvent.com/event/6d9c501b… #CDFIs #OFN #CommunityFinance

What are the biggest trends shaping CDFIs right now? Join us 6/30 at 3 p.m. ET for a webinar on OFN's latest CDFI Research Updates—sector trends, capitalization, and how mission-driven lenders are responding to the current environment. Register: ofn-org.zoom.us/webinar/regist…

After six months of research, testing, and refinement—and a final pitch in Austin at OFN's Small Business Finance Forum—Northern Initiatives took home the top honor for their innovative approach to expanding capital access for CDFIs and the small businesses they serve. We're proud to support solutions that help CDFIs do more for their communities.

New from OFN Research: Member loan fund capital grew 45% from 2020 to 2024—but disparities remain based on members’ size, borrowers served, and geographic footprint. Plus: learn how recent rate increases and term adjustments have impacted member CDFIs. Read the full update. ofn.org/cdfi-research-… #CDFIs #CDFIResearch

Four years. $100M deployed. 1,350+ Veteran and Military-Spouse entrepreneurs funded. 7,500 jobs supported. The Veteran Loan Fund, a coalition of CDFIs including many OFN members, is proof that capital, coaching, and local expertise is a model that works. #SBFF13

New data shows that companies with fewer than 50 employees added 67,000 jobs to the U.S. economy in May. Small businesses are driving growth, and they need capital that reaches them. In 2024, OFN members funded 222,944 of them, creating or retaining 393,970 jobs. This week at #SBFF13, we’re focusing on expanding that reach. ofn.org/blog/register-…

Thank you to @RepYoungKim for her continued leadership on the CDFI Fund. CDFIs are economic infrastructure, and the Fund continues to earn bipartisan support in Congress because the results speak for themselves. OFN was proud to help coordinate this visit.

Most businesses are small—99.9% of them, in fact. These businesses make a major impact, though. They employ 62.3 million people in the U.S. and account for 43.5% of the country's GDP. Our CDFI members know that supporting these entrepreneurs means providing flexible funding and business coaching, efforts we’ll discuss at our Small Business Finance Forum in June. Learn more and register here: ofn.org/blog/register-…

100+ CDFIs and mission-driven lenders. Northeast focus. One World Trade Center in New York. OFN's 2026 Northeast Regional Meeting brought the industry together to problem-solve, share innovations, and stay connected in a challenging year. Read the full recap: ofn.org/blog/ofn-north…

New research: OFN member loan funds followed sector-specific paths of growth, stabilization, and community impact from 2020–2024. Our CDFI Research Update has the data: ofn.org/cdfi-research-… #CDFI #CommunityDevelopment

When Cedar Falls Mobile Home Park came up for sale, the community knew they needed to save it. They turned to Genesis Community Loan Fund, a CDFI with expertise in housing infrastructure. See what happened: ofn.org/impact-stories…

Hampton Roads needs approximately 50,000 more affordable housing units. In the Daily Press, Jane Ferrara of @LISC_HQ lays out three steps: build the developer pipeline, rethink the vision, and align local leadership with capital. That's the work our network does every day. dailypress.com/2026/04/25/a-r…

New from @ClevelandFed: CDFIs deliver flexible underwriting, long-term capital, and technical assistance to underinvested markets excluded by traditional lenders. The Fed calls CDFIs “critical connectors in the financial ecosystem.” We call it Capital Plus. Read more here: clevelandfed.org/publications/c…

For 30 years, Mayflower Apartments has provided affordable housing to Nashville families. @Pathway_Lending, a local CDFI, is ensuring that housing infrastructure remains. Full story @WKRN: wkrn.com/news/local-new…

May is Affordable Housing Month. In 2024, OFN's member CDFIs financed 98,451 housing units—new construction where conventional capital stopped, preserved affordable rentals at risk of conversion to market-rate, and first-generation homebuyer mortgages. Housing is cost-of-living infrastructure. CDFIs build it. Read more: ofn.org/blog/cdfis-cri… #AffordableHousingMonth

Healthcare disparities are common in rural communities, and transportation is often the issue. Phoenix-based Beyond Transport Services is bridging that critical gap. The service is so necessary that the small business needed to grow—and it turned to a CDFI for support. Read more: ofn.org/impact-stories…

Williams Academy STL was already facing financial challenges due to rapid enrollment growth when the tornado hit. Thankfully, Justine PETERSEN stepped up with mission-driven financing—and Williams Academy became a beacon of the community. Learn more about the impact: ofn.org/impact-stories…