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
Agricultural Lending: A How-To Guide Members only Login
Agriculture is the main source of income and employment for the 70 percent of the world's poor, who live in rural areas. Yet, only 10 percent of gross domestic produce (GDP) in low and middle income countries is generated by the agricultural sector....
The Farmer’s Guide to Agricultural Credit Members only Login
This guide is aimed at helping farmers get ready to ask a lender for the financing needed in new and innovative ventures. When used as part of an overall enterprise development strategy, it can help farmers and lenders achieve mutually beneficial...
CDFA Food Systems Finance Best Practices Guidebook
Linking development finance and food systems can be a daunting undertaking for any community. Research on the current ecosystem of food systems finance has positioned CDFA to identify key strategies for the path ahead in this work. The Food Systems...
Debunking Risk in Food System Lending
Food and agriculture-related businesses are often perceived as too risky for traditional lending approaches, yet CDFA research tells a different story. This report, with loan-level data from over a thousand funds nationwide, demonstrates that food...
USDA Resources for Rural EntrepreneursMembers only Login
This is a USDA resource guide to help people in rural America start and grow businesses, create good-paying jobs in their communities and strengthen America’s economy. The guide features information on how rural entrepreneurs can use USDA and other...
Resilient New Orleans Finance PlanMembers only Login
This framework for green infrastructure can help the City of New Orleans take a quantum leap forward by inspiring innovation and proactively using public funding to stimulate private investment. The Resilient New Orleans Finance Plan will serve as...
How Innovative CDFIs Fund Equitable Food Oriented Development
This report describes how three CDFIs drive economic growth in low-income and historically marginalized communities through a model defined by the EFOD Collaborative as Equitable Food Oriented Development (EFOD). EFOD is a development approach that...
Community Investment Explorer Tool 2.0Members only Login
Developed by the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis, the newly enhanced Community Investment Explorer (CIE) 2.0 includes over 73 million transactions totaling over $3.2 trillion in community and economic development capital from 2012 to 2020. This...
Limits of Disclosure Regulation in the Municipal Bond Market
Using a novel data set on municipal private debt disclosures, the authors of this academic research study the effectiveness and market impact of disclosure regulation in the municipal debt market. By comparing reportable private debt events to the...
Tribal Colleges and Universities White PaperMembers only Login
This paper considers the role of TCUs and in particular the role of TCU curriculum in business development and entrepreneurship in tribal areas. We utilize existing data on TCU curriculum and tribal area characteristics and consider whether and to...