Most resources in the ORD are available to CDFA members only. CDFA members should login with their CDFA Account at the top of the page to access the full set of resources. Non-members are encouraged to
SSBCI FAQs, Updated February 21, 2024
On February 21, 2024, the U.S. Department of the Treasury published updated FAQs for the State Small Business Credit Initiative (SSBCI). The update provides an answer to the question: "How does Treasury identify CDFI Investment Areas for purposes of...
Bridging the Regenerative Agriculture Financing Gap
This issue brief produced by the Yale Center for Business and the Environment examines the varying definitions of regenerative agriculture and details the three types of factors that make financing regenerative agriculture difficult: outdated...
USDA Equity Action Plan - 2023 Update
A groundbreaking report from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Equity Commission features more than 60 recommendations designed to make policies affecting farming and rural America more fair. A few key recommendations include...
2024 RI Food System Factbook
The Rhode Island Food Policy Council has released a first-of-its-kind resource providing a data-driven assessment of the status of Rhode Island's food system, incorporating the best available research and data, and presenting information on the...
SSBCI SEDI Reporting ClarificationMembers only Login
On February 16, 2024, the U.S. Department of the Treasury clarified the State Small Business Credit Initiative's (SSBCI) socially and economically disadvantaged individual-owned (SEDI-owned) business reporting certifications. Treasury stated that...
SSBCI TA Approvals as of November 21, 2023Members only Login
The U.S. Department of the Treasury announced the approval of 20 additional state awards under the State Small Business Credit Initiative (SSBCI) Technical Assistance Grant Program, totaling more than $50.8 million. These awards will be used to...
Best Practices for Equitable Lending
The 2023 Caren S. Franzini Fellowship class prepared a white paper summarizing their recent research exploring challenges that small businesses face when accessing capital. This paper presents findings on best practices, strategies, and initiatives...
2023 Small Business Capital: A Place-Based Approach
Accelerator for America and the International Economic Development Council present the first segment in a two-part series exploring the needs and opportunities to drive more equitable entrepreneurship and small business growth in communities across...
2023 Rural Development Finance Toolkit
The purpose of this toolkit is to provide an overview of the tools in the development finance toolbox -- such as bonds, tax increment finance, tax credits, and revolving loan funds -- and how they can direct
and attract capital to rural businesses...
Indigenizing Catalytic Capital
Sovereignty and Indigenous definitions of wealth make up the core values on which Natives have built their economic and financial power. Yet, there is still the issue of economic invisibility for Native Peoples, and one of the ways to combat this is...
Territorial and Farmers Financing MechanismsMembers only Login
Forest and farm producer organizations (FFPOs) from Africa, Asia, and the Americas met with potential donors and allies in Washington D.C. to discuss advantages and opportunities to invest in and strengthen the capacities of indigenous, community,...