The Center for Regional Economic Competitiveness and Smart Incentives have produced a series of reports for the State Economic Development Executives network over the past year providing guidance on critical issues and trade-offs to help state...

This policy paper from the U.S. Impact Investing Alliance outlines 12 specific policy recommendations and ideas with the potential to catalyze more impact investments to help address urgent social, economic, and environmental challenges.

CALED knows from its work supporting economic development throughout California that infrastructure financing is a challenge for many rural communities. CALED collaborated with CDFA to develop this guidebook to meet the need for a resource to help...

This study was published by the Lincoln Institute. The authors examine how to make property-tax incentives for business more effective. They find that governments should not approve every incentive request, target use of incentives, avoid incentive...

Building on earlier research by The Pew Charitable Trusts, this report identifies best practices for effectively evaluating tax incentives. Specifically, Pew recommends that states take three steps: make a plan, measure the impact, and inform policy...

This report, produced for the Alabama Department of Revenue, analyzes how states use a range of tax and non-tax incentives, both of which have proliferated in the high-stakes bidding war over increasingly-mobile jobs and capital investment.

This paper, produced by the Upjohn Institute, analyzes the intensified use of incentives as local governments compete for new plants and corporate relocations, and as private firms increasingly demand a deal. While incentives promise jobs and tax...

Keren Bolter discusses the science behind some of the natural disasters in Florida, then she explores the financing programs and structures for disaster resiliency, partnerships and collaborative efforts to identify financing solutions, and lessons...

This white paper, prepared for Smart Incentives, provides a Descriptive Analysis of U.S. States’ Manufacturing Investment Promotion Programs. It catalogs the varied incentive tools and rationales of individual states toward attracting and...

Mark Collins discusses what development finance topics are being discussed in the statehouse, trends in issuance and performance, and how the political environment on Capitol Hill might affect the industry in Arizona, especially in Rio Nuevo.

Marcus Osborn discusses what development finance topics are being discussed in the statehouse, trends in issuance and performance, and how the political environment on Capitol Hill might affect the industry in Arizona.

Dee Wisor discusses the state's economic development finance climate, access to capital opportunities and the prospect for economic advancement. In addition, find out what development finance topics are being discussed in the statehouse and how the...

Tax incentives are one of the primary tools that states use to try to create jobs, attract new businesses, and strengthen their economies. Incentives are also major budget commitments, collectively costing states billions of dollars a year. Given...

Ivory Mathews discusses how important contributor's to a community's workforce are in need of affordable housing close to their jobs. Workforce housing produces a more sustainable local economy which allows workers to afford to live near their place...

Sara Hazzard with SCEDA and Tushar Chikhliker with Nexsen Pruet discuss the latest legislative updates in South Carolina. What development finance topics are being discussed in the statehouse? Is there recent legislation that will have an impact on...

The 2017 CDFA Michigan Financing Roundtable Webinar discusses the latest and greatest in Development Finance across the state. The webinar includes two sessions: Development Finance Current Events Review and The Michigan Bond Market. Experts, Craig...

In the 21st century data-driven economy, reliance on data analytics to improve outcomes is a driving force behind decisions being made in government, business, education, and research. States rely on sound workforce and economic development...

This infographic from Smart Incentives illustrates how states can manage incentives for transparency and accountability. Administering incentive programs is not easy. Determining and reporting on results is harder. Smart Incentives breaks down each...

Daniel McRae of Seyfarth Shaw LLP uses a simple graphic to demonstrate how property tax abatement is carried out in Georgia.

The Governmental Accounting Standards Board (GASB) issued Statement 77, commonly known as GASB 77, which requires state and local governments to disclose specific information about tax abatements in their financial statements.