CDFA's first publication of the CDFA Charter Schools Financing Initiative series, funded with support from the National Alliance For Public Charter Schools. This paper demonstrates how charter schools can access development finance tools and public...

This is the sixth and final white paper in a series examining the potential creation of a food systems asset class that supports the market growth of local and regional food systems. This paper presents three replicable strategies for restoring...

More than 30 USDA grant and loan programs provide support and assistance for local and urban food producers and producer groups. These grant and loan programs may be grouped into several broad program categories, including marketing and promotion;...

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is committed to supporting robust regional food economies across the food chain. This graphic is designed to be a guide for which programs are best suited for different parts of the supply chain.

There are several existing agricultural lender initiatives that can inform the development of lending programs or products for resilient agriculture. This report derives five key lessons from these initiatives, including the need to understand the...

USDA’s Forest Service (FS), Rural Development (RD), and the National Institute for Food and Agriculture (NIFA) have developed this resource guide for rural communities to identify resources that develop the recreation economy.

The Roadmap to Redevelopment Report was developed through a 2-day process that included interviews with numerous stakeholders from the government, agriculture, business, and non-profit sectors. The plan provides a framework for the financing of the...

During the fourth installment of the CDFA-ARI Rural Finance Webinar Series, we discussed resources for community facilities and other accessible capital for rural community development.

During the fourth installment of the CDFA-ARI Rural Finance Webinar Series, we discussed resources for community facilities and other accessible capital for rural community development.

On February 13, 2019, the American Broadband Initiative was launched with the release of the Milestones Report, detailing the Administration’s strategy to drive changes across Federal Agencies to identify and remove barriers to broadband access and...

During the third installment of the CDFA-ARI Rural Finance Webinar Series, we discussed the development finance tools that can support rural economies as they rebuild to be stronger than ever.

During this installment of the CDFA // BNY Mellon Development Finance Webcast Series, we explored financing programs that support healthcare development and showcase successful projects that have increased access to healthcare for rural communities.

During the second installment of the CDFA-ARI Rural Finance Webinar Series, we continued to explore what responses and resources are available to reduce the impact of the COVID-19 crisis on rural America.

During the first installment of the CDFA-ARI Rural Finance Webinar Series, we explored the immediate response and resources at the state, local, and national levels that local leaders can use to reduce the impact of this crisis.

USDA and its Federal partners have programs that can be used to provide immediate and long-term assistance to rural communities affected by the COVID-19 outbreak. This resource matrix organizes funding opportunities identified in the CARES Act and...

On the March 27, 2020 Weekly COVID-19 Development Finance Briefing, we discussed how Development Finance Agencies have initially responded to COVID-19, examined Congressional legislation, analyzed how federal agencies are reacting, and looked at a...

This is a Summary of the Supplemental Appropriations included in the Senate's third COVID-19 Stimulus package, the CARES Act. More than 80% of the total $339.855 billion provided in the emergency supplemental appropriations goes to state and local...

Based on the input of our 500+ members, CDFA has developed a set of policy proposals that would allow state and local governments, through development finance agencies, to be immediate problem solvers that can help alleviate the extreme economic...

While the discourse on rural America following the Great Recession has revolved around the resulting lack of jobs and loss of services, the lack of startups and entrepreneurial activity in these communities should not be ignored. Firm growth is a...

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...

The Broadband ReConnect Program furnishes loans and grants to provide funds for the costs of construction, improvement, or acquisition of facilities and equipment needed to provide broadband service in eligible rural areas. This fact sheet was...

During this webinar, experts from across the country discussed creative solutions for responding to the second round of funding for the ReConnect Program, and attendees learned from the successes of the program thus far.

In 2019, the Governor signed House Memorial 16 directing the Economic Development Department (NMEDD) to bring together stakeholders and convene an Economic Development Innovation Task Force to spur collaboration and innovative discussions on methods...

"Moving America and the Environment Forward" is a House Ways and Means Committee statement of principles on how the committee wants to approach an infrastructure bill. It includes $760 billion of proposals.

The Community Facilities (CF) Direct Loan Program provides affordable funding to develop essential community facilities. This is an Applicant Guidance Book for the USDA's Community Facilities Direct Loan Program.

This report addresses questions often asked by caring people who shepherd resources that could be channeled to advance rural people and places — foundation leaders, individual investors and government officials.

This Excel sheet shows CDBG Insular Areas Expenditures for 2001-2019. Since CDBG funds may be used for a wide variety of housing, community, and economic development activities, the use of those funds may be identified in these profiles by as many...

HUD issued this report in October 2019 to identify opportunities and challenges for Federal, State, and local governments to partner with nonprofit organizations to complete community development, revitalization, and rehabilitation projects using...

This report uses information from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Agricultural Resource Management Survey (ARMS, 2013 to 2017) to describe the structural and economic characteristics of beginning farms and illustrate how they differ from more...

The Community Facilities (CF) Direct Loan Program provides affordable funding to develop essential community facilities. An essential community facility is defined as a facility that provides an essential service to the local community for the...

Established in the 1980s, the ‘‘Aggie Bond’’ program provides beginning and low-equity farmers with access to capital. The bonds, which pay tax-exempt interest, may be used by qualifying famers for purchases of farm real estate and equipment. The...

This August 2019 report provides data and charts to support Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) Insular Area grantees in meeting program expenditure requirements. The program is suffering historically low expenditure rates; 41 states are, on...

Cities, regions, and states across the country are facing natural disasters that can have devastating effects on life, property, the economy, and ecosystems. Climate change is already having observable effects on the environment, and past conditions...

The White House Opportunity & Revitalization Council released a list of over 160 federal financing programs that give preference to projects located in Opportunity Zones.

This evidence-based ACI Policy Brief gives visibility to a specific organizational and management model for airports: the airport network model. Synergistic airport networks that pool revenues, costs, and profits and are built on economies of scale...

Eugene Goldfarb from the University of Illinois at Chicago discusses Brownfields and Redevelopment in conjunction with Opportunity Zones.

Can women and minorities get the loans they need to buy and operate farms? According to USDA survey data, these "socially disadvantaged" farmers and ranchers get a disproportionately small share of farm loans. More detailed information isn’t...

This toolkit presents USDA programs and resources that support broadband e-Connectivity. It aims to help customers navigate the agencies within USDA to find the opportunity that best fulfills their connectivity needs. From grants and loans, to...

This overview of the USDA's ReConnect Broadband Pilot Program was authored by the Congressional Research Service in July 2019.

On April 25, 2017, the President of the United States established the Interagency Task Force on Agriculture and Rural Prosperity through Executive Order 13790. The purpose and function of the Task Force was to identify legislative, regulatory, and...

This report provides financing strategies for St. Luc's Cultural Immersion Center in Arnaudville, Louisiana. St. Luc's is a proposed hands-on immersive engagement center for Cajun, Creole, and French language and culture.

During this webinar, Lindsay Miller, Attorney with Ice Miller LLP, Heather Morgan, Executive Director of Project 17, Ryeon Corsi, Management and Program Analyst at USDA-RD, and Jeff Reiman, Vice President of The Broadband Group discussed creative...

Roger Bohnert from the U.S. Department of Transportation provides an overview of the financing programs offered through the Build America Bureau at the 2019 CDFA Federal Policy Conference.

B Vohryzek from the National Association of Development Companies provides an overview of the capital access tools offered by federal agencies at the 2019 CDFA Federal Policy Conference.

Dianna Seaborn from the U.S. Small Business Administration provides an overview of the capital access tools offered by the SBA at the 2019 CDFA Federal Policy Conference.

Joyce Allen from the U.S. Department of Agriculture provides an overview of the multi-and-single-family housing finance tools offered by the USDA at the 2019 CDFA Federal Policy Conference.

Today’s federal housing assistance programs fall into three main categories: rental housing assistance, assistance to state and local governments, and assistance for homeowners. This 2019 Congressional Research Service report provides an overview of...

This March 2019 report from the Congressional Research Service outlines programs offered by the USDA's Rural Utilities Service that finance rural broadband. These include Community Connect Grants, Distance Learning & Telemedicine Grants, the...

This Congressional Research Service (CRS) In Focus outlines the structure, activities, and recent funding, for each Federal Regional Commission or Authority.

This directory provides an overview of various sources of financing that may be available to food hubs and other food-related businesses. This directory is a partial listing of what may be available across the United States; some examples may not be...