The world of Community Development Financial Institutions (CDFIs) includes three groups of people:


The lenders, a new breed of grassroots bankers who are taking risks that traditional financial institutions won't take.

The borrowers, people who live in distressed and neglected communities who want the chance to share in America's booming economy.

The investors, individuals and groups who lend their own money to CDFIs so the CDFIs can, in turn, lend to people in need.

In this Web site, you will have a chance to meet these people, and learn how they work together toward the goals of helping poor families create wealth and building healthy communities.


CDFIs help poor families create wealth:
Wealth is the ownership of things that have permanent value. Wealth gives people something to build on——such as collateral to start a business——and something to fall back on in times of economic difficulty or illness. When predicting the future success of children, studies show that family wealth is more important than family income. Even if you make a lot of money, you don't have wealth if you spend it all on entertainment and consumer goods. Most Americans build wealth by buying a home or starting a business.

CDFIs help build healthy communities:
Individual wealth is only one measure of the health of a community. Availability of health care, recreational facilities, day care centers, and other social services are also important. Grassroots organizations that can deal effectively with government, banks, and other powerful institutions also contribute to a healthy community.
"We're not about helping people expand their hobbies into more pin money. We're about helping poor families create wealth. We want whole families and multiple groups of families to be supported by the businesses we help start."

Patty Grossman, Cascadia Revolving Fund