The Council of Development Finance Agencies is excited to announce a new initiative exploring the market demand and feasibility of a national loan guarantee program with a focus on serving communities of color affected by COVID-19. The study is made possible by a grant from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.

CDFA and InFACT are working together to facilitate new food systems investments in Ohio. This approach will focus on using development finance tools – such as tax-exempt bonds, tax credits, and revolving loan funds – to meet infrastructure, agriculture, and small business needs in support of regional food systems innovation.

The CDFA COVID-19 Resource Center was launched in early 2020 with hundreds of resources for communities wanting to better understand the development finance resources available to combat the pandemic. Recorded policy discussions, an interactive map, and a regular newsletter are also included in the resource center.

CDFA is grateful to the many new organizations that became members this year. Your support helps us to deliver quality and timely development finance programming and information. Thank you for your continued support!

CDFA has received a second round of funding from the W.K. Kellogg Foundation to define the food system as an asset class. Our research will continue to advance opportunities and leverage existing capital financing streams that scale local and regional food systems.

Senators Gary Peters (D-MI), Debbie Stabenow (D-MI), Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), and Maggie Hassan (D-NH) introduced S. 3551 to reauthorize the State Small Business Credit Initiative.

On June 22, the House of Representatives introduced H.R. 2, the Moving Forward Act. CDFA led the charge advocating for bond financing provisions in this package, sending coalition letters to hundreds of Congressional offices. H.R. 2 includes a significant bond provisions title, including CDFA's main legislative priority, the Modernizing Agriculture and Manufacturing Bonds Act.

The sixth and final publication of the CDFA Food Finance White Paper Series was recently posted. Advancing Local Food Systems Through Development Finance looks at three key strategies for a comprehensive approach to restoring America's local food systems.

CDFA Summer School and CDFA Virtual National Summit were brought to you by the hard work of our many sponsors! We'd like to give an extra special thank you to all of our sponsors. Your contributions make our work possible.

CDFA welcomed seven new graduates to the prestigious Development Finance Certified Professional (DFCP) Program. Congratulations to Steve Bamford, Rex Draughn, Darren Harper, Pearl-Jean Mabe, Tiffany McClelland, James Metz, and Justin Powell.

CDFA's first publication of the CDFA Charter Schools Financing Initiative series was funded with support from the National Alliance for Public Charter Schools. This paper demonstrates how charter schools can access development finance tools and provides real-world examples of how these tools have been successfully implemented.

Darnell Moses joined the CDFA team this year, working within all facets of CDFA. His extensive experience in the development finance industry enhances CDFA's research and technical assistance work, our efforts to advocate for the development finance community, and he plays a key role in further developing CDFA's knowledge and network.

In January, CDFA completed significant upgrades to the Federal Financing Clearinghouse, the only online resource cataloguing the development finance programs offered by the federal government. The FFC is available to CDFA members and includes information about 200+ federal financing programs available to both public and private sector users.

Four young leaders in the development finance industry were selected for the 2020 class of the Caren S. Franzini Fellowship. Join CDFA in congratulating Angela Bolden, Local Initiative Support Corporation; Alessandra Desiderio, Colorado Lending Source; Tiffany McClelland, Lorain Port Authority; and Megan Sullivan, Vermont Economic Progress Council.

Created in partnership with CDFA, the Franklin County Food Business Portal is an online tool providing entrepreneurs and business owners with the information needed to plan, launch, and grow a food business in Franklin County, Ohio.

Congrats to Lulu the pig for winning the #myCDFAcoworker contest during the 2020 CDFA Virtual National Summit! Meet all of our beloved development finance experts by following the hashtag on Twitter.

This year saw the addition of two new courses to the CDFA Training Institute: Intro Infrastructure Finance Course and Advanced Revolving Loan Fund Course.

The CDFA Brownfields Technical Assistance Program released four new Roadmap to Redevelopment reports in 2020, with financing strategies for Tuscaloosa, Alabama; Anchorage, Alaska; Ramsey, Minnesota; and Mt. Vernon, Washington. All 35 reports can be viewed on the CDFA website to inspire communities facing brownfields redevelopment financing challenges.

In a year marked by social distancing and virtual convenings, CDFA worked to assemble the most influential discussion on development finance tools and programs. They are all catalogued on our website for CDFA members, and many are available to the public. Below is a snapshot of the many different types of webinars we hosted.

Thousands of people attended the CDFA // BNY Mellon Development Finance Webcast Series this year. Topics included small business recovery, infrastructure finance, investing in childcare facilities, historic preservation, financing rural healthcare, social impact bonds, TIF, and more. Webcasts are recorded and available to view on the CDFA website.

The CDFA Federal Financing Webinar Series developed a new approach this year to focus on CARES Act funding and programming administered through federal agencies. Discussions focused on efforts being implemented by EDA, USDA, EPA, SBA, HUD, Treasury, Transportation, and more. Stay tuned for a new series coming in 2021.

CDFA hosted five webinars this year on financing food systems, with featured discussions about financing resources for entrepreneurs, neighborhood revitalization, disaster recovery, and the landscape of local programs. Webinars are recorded and available to view on the CDFA website.

CDFA is proud to partner once again with PFM to host a six-part webinar series on current events and latest trends in the capital markets. This year's webinars offered in-depth, market-driven discussions about bond financing along with insights about mitigating risk, regulatory matters, strategies for investing bond proceeds, monitoring ongoing and continuing disclosure, and predictions for the future of the capital markets.

CDFA and Bricker & Eckler LLP continued our popular PACE Webinar Series, with high level discussions on issues impacting the clean energy sector including education, PACE transactions, program design, new construction PACE, complex transactions, and other key topics. Webinars are recorded and available to view on the CDFA website.

CDFA partnered with the Alliance for Rural Impact to host a webinar series focused on financing solutions for rural America. This webinar series covered development finance solutions that communities can implement to mitigate the impacts of COVID-19 as well as the tools and resources being developed to rebuild. Webinars are recorded and available to view on the CDFA website.

CDFA partnered with Frost Brown Todd and its affiliate FBT Project Finance Advisors on the new CDFA Intro Infrastructure Finance WebCourse and the CDFA Finance Toolbox video series. This collaboration will focus on financial challenges and opportunities facing communities working to develop or upgrade energy, water, broadband, disaster recovery, transportation, and other services, and provide expert analyses to inform the development finance industry.