Location: Nationwide
Website: nlihc.org
In 1974, Cushing N. Dolbeare founded the Ad Hoc Low Income Housing Coalition in response to the Nixon administration’s moratorium on federal housing programs. While this group focused on federal advocacy, other members established the Low Income Housing Information Service (LIHIS) in 1975 to provide information on housing problems and federal housing programs, as well as technical assistance and support to state and local housing advocacy efforts.
In 1978, the ad hoc coalition was incorporated as the National Low Income Housing Coalition (NLIHC). The two organizations operated jointly, with LIHIS focusing on information, public education, and technical assistance, and NLIHC focusing on advocacy. LIHIS launched a major initiative in 1992 to strengthen partner housing coalitions at the state level in response to devolution of many federal programs. The maturation of NLIHC and LIHIS led to a decision in 1996 to formally merge the two organizations into one 501(c)(3) membership organization, governed by one board of directors. NLIHC today continues the public education, research and policy analysis, organizing, and advocacy work of its predecessor organizations.
Since its inception, NLIHC has been a leader in the effort to address the housing needs of those with the lowest incomes. Ms. Dolbeare recognized that there was no shortage of constituents concerned about low income housing, but rather that constituents needed to be informed about when and how to make their voices heard. To better educate constituents, Ms. Dolbeare authored or co-authored dozens of articles, books and reports. Her writings focused on a wide range of issues, such as the economic underpinnings of the housing crisis; the impact of the crisis on various segments of the population such as women, Hispanics and farm workers; and the unique challenges faced in addressing the housing crisis in urban areas versus rural areas.
"Out of Reach", NLIHC’s widely-cited annual report on the gap between housing costs and the wages of low income people.
While numerous organizations concentrate on federal housing policy, NLIHC is unique because of our sole focus on the needs of extremely low income people, the only population experiencing an absolute shortage of affordable housing. Today NLIHC has hundreds of members across the county. Combined with incisive research and policy analysis, NLIHC is a respected voice in Washington, D.C. that has helped produce policies impacting the lives of millions.
Showing posts with label Low Income. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Low Income. Show all posts
Wednesday, June 10, 2015
Monday, June 8, 2015
Community Voices Heard
Location: New York City, NY
Website: cvhaction.org
Community Voices Heard (CVH) is a member-led multi-racial organization, principally women of color and low-income families in New York State that builds power to secure social, economic and racial justice for all. We accomplish this through grassroots organizing, leadership development, policy changes, and creating new models of direct democracy.
We are working towards building a society in which the systems that govern us foster racial, social and economic justice not exploitation – particularly for low-income people of color. We seek a society in which all people – regardless of their race, ethnicity, religion, age, gender expression, sexual identity, citizen status, primary language, and ability – are treated with mutual respect and when privileges of one group do not exist. We seek a society in which all people are able to work with dignity, have access to a sustainable quality of life, and can obtain unconditional support in their time of need. We seek a society in which governmental structures are transparent and based on community needs.
We seek a society in which policies address the needs of all people and strengthen our communities. We believe in a society where “experts” do not have all the answers but rather a society in which the people most directly affected are the ones making the decisions.
Community Voices Heard (CVH) was founded in 1994 as a member-led organization by low-income people, predominantly women of color, many receiving public assistance and fighting the welfare reform policies that threatened their families. Leading members like Gail Aska worked to build power in New York City and State to improve the lives of our families and communities. From these early beginnings CVH has evolved into a multi-issue statewide organization of low-income people.
Community Voices Heard subscribes to the following principles as we move forward in implementing our strategic plan.
CVH believes that membership must have meaningful decision-making and control of the organization and the work we do.
CVH believes that base building is the foundation of what we do – we actively work to increase the numbers of low-income people and people of color involved in social change and leadership development of community leaders, particularly women and people of color, is core to our work and the empowerment of our membership.
CVH believes that the people whose lives are directly affected by enforced policies should lead the charge in defining these policies.
CVH is about organizing: we provide information and education and refer people to get their immediate needs met, but we remain focused on building collective power for systemic change.
CVH welcomes and respects people of all races, ethnicities, religions, ages, gender expressions, sexual identities, citizen status, primary languages and abilities.
Website: cvhaction.org
Community Voices Heard (CVH) is a member-led multi-racial organization, principally women of color and low-income families in New York State that builds power to secure social, economic and racial justice for all. We accomplish this through grassroots organizing, leadership development, policy changes, and creating new models of direct democracy.
We are working towards building a society in which the systems that govern us foster racial, social and economic justice not exploitation – particularly for low-income people of color. We seek a society in which all people – regardless of their race, ethnicity, religion, age, gender expression, sexual identity, citizen status, primary language, and ability – are treated with mutual respect and when privileges of one group do not exist. We seek a society in which all people are able to work with dignity, have access to a sustainable quality of life, and can obtain unconditional support in their time of need. We seek a society in which governmental structures are transparent and based on community needs.
We seek a society in which policies address the needs of all people and strengthen our communities. We believe in a society where “experts” do not have all the answers but rather a society in which the people most directly affected are the ones making the decisions.
Community Voices Heard (CVH) was founded in 1994 as a member-led organization by low-income people, predominantly women of color, many receiving public assistance and fighting the welfare reform policies that threatened their families. Leading members like Gail Aska worked to build power in New York City and State to improve the lives of our families and communities. From these early beginnings CVH has evolved into a multi-issue statewide organization of low-income people.
Community Voices Heard subscribes to the following principles as we move forward in implementing our strategic plan.
CVH believes that membership must have meaningful decision-making and control of the organization and the work we do.
CVH believes that base building is the foundation of what we do – we actively work to increase the numbers of low-income people and people of color involved in social change and leadership development of community leaders, particularly women and people of color, is core to our work and the empowerment of our membership.
CVH believes that the people whose lives are directly affected by enforced policies should lead the charge in defining these policies.
CVH is about organizing: we provide information and education and refer people to get their immediate needs met, but we remain focused on building collective power for systemic change.
CVH welcomes and respects people of all races, ethnicities, religions, ages, gender expressions, sexual identities, citizen status, primary languages and abilities.
Wednesday, February 25, 2015
Young Creative Agency
Location: New Orleans, LA
Website: www.youngcreativeagency.org
Young Creative Agency is a youth design studio that pays teens an hourly wage to work after school and during the summer on digital media and graphic design commissions from local businesses and individuals under the tutelage of experienced mentors. Teens will be empowered by the process of project-based learning, mentorship, client conferencing, and a fair hourly wage. Clients will receive a polished product with a philanthropic lean.
Low-income New Orleans teens are not exposed to digital media training that will prepare them to compete in the creative tech economy. Youth in New Orleans are four times more likely to live in poverty and drop out of school without a HS diploma than elsewhere in the US. There is no public access to job training programs in digital media for teens; only 7 public high schools offer any digital media curriculum. GNO is the fastest growing digital media sector in the US with 10,000+ workers required by 2023. There are 10,000+ job openings nationally in this field right now.
Website: www.youngcreativeagency.org
Young Creative Agency is a youth design studio that pays teens an hourly wage to work after school and during the summer on digital media and graphic design commissions from local businesses and individuals under the tutelage of experienced mentors. Teens will be empowered by the process of project-based learning, mentorship, client conferencing, and a fair hourly wage. Clients will receive a polished product with a philanthropic lean.
Low-income New Orleans teens are not exposed to digital media training that will prepare them to compete in the creative tech economy. Youth in New Orleans are four times more likely to live in poverty and drop out of school without a HS diploma than elsewhere in the US. There is no public access to job training programs in digital media for teens; only 7 public high schools offer any digital media curriculum. GNO is the fastest growing digital media sector in the US with 10,000+ workers required by 2023. There are 10,000+ job openings nationally in this field right now.
Monday, May 20, 2013
Row House Community Development Corporation
Location: Houston, TX
Website: www.rowhousecdc.org
Row House CDCwas established in 2003 as a sister corporation to Project Row Houses (PRH) in direct response to PRH’s vision to “create community” in Houston’s Northern Third Ward. Row House CDC’s mission is to develop housing for low-to-moderate income residents, public spaces, and facilities to preserve and protect the historic character of the Third Ward.
However, our interests extend far beyond low-income housing, and include strengthening, sustaining and celebrating the life of the Third Ward community. Row House CDC’s target area is the northern section of Third Ward which is bounded by McGowen on the north, Alabama on the south, Scott on the east and Hwy 288 on the west.
The 74-acre district was developed in 1993 as a classical small-scale residential neighborhood, with a grid pattern of 35 blocks served by four major thoroughfares. Civic institutions own about 50% of the area land (38 of 74 acres) and include Riverside General Hospital, Ryan Middle School, Blackshear Elementary, numerous churches, Project Row Houses, and Row House CDC.
The remaining 220 lots are used for housing, small retail shops, or are vacant. Residential development includes classic bungalow architecture featuring pier and beam foundations, front porches, and clapboard siding.
The neighborhood includes major institutions, shops and stores; an indigenous musical heritage; churches, schools, parks; and a mix of historic homes, many of which are in the African-American “shotgun” style originally developed by freed slaves (and their descendants) over 100 years ago.
Row House CDC envisions creating a careful blend of homes, including restored historic residences and architecturally compatible new structures offered for rent and for sale. The community will be woven together with streetscape promenades and greenway pedestrian paths to identify and reinforce the historic and artistic character.
The Row House District will showcase the creative arts and a broad array of cultural and social programs. Working in tandem with current residents, institutional stakeholders, and philanthropies, Row House CDC will preserve and enhance the spirited character of this unique Houston neighborhood.
Website: www.rowhousecdc.org
Row House CDCwas established in 2003 as a sister corporation to Project Row Houses (PRH) in direct response to PRH’s vision to “create community” in Houston’s Northern Third Ward. Row House CDC’s mission is to develop housing for low-to-moderate income residents, public spaces, and facilities to preserve and protect the historic character of the Third Ward.
However, our interests extend far beyond low-income housing, and include strengthening, sustaining and celebrating the life of the Third Ward community. Row House CDC’s target area is the northern section of Third Ward which is bounded by McGowen on the north, Alabama on the south, Scott on the east and Hwy 288 on the west.
The 74-acre district was developed in 1993 as a classical small-scale residential neighborhood, with a grid pattern of 35 blocks served by four major thoroughfares. Civic institutions own about 50% of the area land (38 of 74 acres) and include Riverside General Hospital, Ryan Middle School, Blackshear Elementary, numerous churches, Project Row Houses, and Row House CDC.
The remaining 220 lots are used for housing, small retail shops, or are vacant. Residential development includes classic bungalow architecture featuring pier and beam foundations, front porches, and clapboard siding.
The neighborhood includes major institutions, shops and stores; an indigenous musical heritage; churches, schools, parks; and a mix of historic homes, many of which are in the African-American “shotgun” style originally developed by freed slaves (and their descendants) over 100 years ago.
Row House CDC envisions creating a careful blend of homes, including restored historic residences and architecturally compatible new structures offered for rent and for sale. The community will be woven together with streetscape promenades and greenway pedestrian paths to identify and reinforce the historic and artistic character.
The Row House District will showcase the creative arts and a broad array of cultural and social programs. Working in tandem with current residents, institutional stakeholders, and philanthropies, Row House CDC will preserve and enhance the spirited character of this unique Houston neighborhood.
Friday, March 8, 2013
Public Advocates
Location: California
Website: www.publicadvocates.org
Public Advocates Inc. is a nonprofit law firm and advocacy organization that challenges the systemic causes of poverty and racial discrimination by strengthening community voices in public policy and achieving tangible legal victories advancing education, housing and transit equity.
We spur change through collaboration with grassroots groups representing low-income communities, people of color and immigrants, combined with strategic policy reform, media advocacy and litigation, “making rights real” across California since 1971.
Communities that were once excluded and marginalized are energized by their collective power to shape public decisions and achieve justice. As a result of that engagement, all Californians have the building blocks to thrive and to create vibrant communities – excellent public schools, affordable housing, reliable public transportation, quality health care, good job opportunities, and economic security.
We believe that by engaging in strategic partnerships, policy and media advocacy and litigation, we will increase the capacity of grassroots organizations to shape public policy and discourse, and that we can also positively influence public opinion, the media, policy makers and courts to hold business and government accountable.
We do this to promote the expansion of civil rights and resource equity and create a mobilized community base to ensure that all Californians have the fundamental rights and equitable allocation of resources they need to build vibrant communities.
We choose to address areas such as education, housing, transportation and health that are fundamental to enabling individuals and communities to fulfill their potential, and we choose to challenge systemic problems in ways that will achieve maximum impact.
One of the oldest public interest law firms in the nation, Public Advocates Inc. was incorporated in fall 1970 and opened its doors in September 1971. Its purpose: challenge the persistent, fundamental causes and effects of poverty and discrimination that limited the opportunities of the poor and people of color. The firm, funded initially with generous support from the Ford Foundation, was conceived in part as a reaction to the rigid restrictions on the scope of California Rural Legal Assistance representation.
The need for a broad-based public interest law firm to address civil rights issues affecting the daily lives of low income communities was evident as soon as we opened our doors. The new Public Advocates engaged in a wide range of cutting edge legal issues – many of them still at the core of our practice – from school finance, urban development, transportation policy, food and nutrition issues, military base redevelopment, and language access, to employment discrimination in banks and universities, health services disparities, infant formula advocacy, telecommunications and discriminatory bar exam criteria.
Priorities and tactics were set to not only meet the challenges of the time, but also to have a broad and long-lasting impact.
Very early on more than a dozen actions were filed on behalf of clients such as La Raza Unida, the National Organization for Women, Officers for Justice, Self-Help for the Elderly, League of Women Voters, and the Sierra Club. Working at the national, state and regional level, the firm was initially best known for its litigation expertise and success in pursuing innovative legal strategies to protect low-income communities and civil rights.
From the beginning Public Advocates recognized the importance of collaboration with clients, communities and ally organizations, staking out the goal in 1971 that its work would be “with, not just for, their constituents,” and that commitment deepened over time. Outside the organization, more public interest groups arose, and the courtroom became a less hospitable place for progressive activism.
As Public Advocates evolved and matured, we developed a distinctive multipronged approach to civil rights advocacy incorporating policy advocacy, coalition building, communication and legal strategies.
We also recognized that we could be most effective when we created a long term strategy for engagement with a significant policy arena, and generated a legal strategy incorporating alliances, subject area expertise, and implementation and communication plans.
Public Advocates is proud of having served as an incubator for the launch of numerous significant issue advocacy organizations, as part of its role in building capacity for communities to engage in public policy advocacy and creation of broad based coalitions, including:
- Latino Coalition for a Healthy California: Statewide organization aiming to be the leading organized voice for policies, services and conditions to improve the health of Latinos.
- The Greenlining Coalition (now the Greenlining Institute): Broad coalition of fifteen multi-ethnic, business, consumer and disabled persons’ organizations committed to persuading corporate America to promote interests of inner-city communities and recognize the economic value of equal opportunity.
- HomeBase: Advancing regional strategies for addressing homelessness.
- Health Access: Statewide coalition
dedicated to insuring universal access to health care in California.
The firm has also contributed to the development of generations of public interest, bar, non-profit and other leaders who have served on staff and board, and in the well-respected fellow and intern programs. Public Advocates alumni, whom we call Pillars, have gone on to be leaders in a remarkable range of organizations.
Starting with a grant from the Zellerbach Family Foundation in 1971, Public Advocates has always put a high priority on its fellowship and intern programs, with significant responsibility and intensive mentoring to develop the next generation of public interest advocates.
Public Advocates has always had a strong personality. Over the years we have aimed to retain our independence, feistiness, cutting edge work and innovative legal approaches while building a reputation for genuine and effective collaboration.
We have also achieved a degree of financial stability, based on a combination of revenue from individual and firm contributions, foundation grants, state legal services funding, litigation fees, and interest on reserves.
We added a Sacramento office staffed with policy advocacy and community relations experts to deepen our influence on state policy and coalitions.
Throughout its history Public Advocates’ Board of Governors has had the benefit of the service of civil rights, bar, academic and community leaders motivated to sustain the organization’s bold approach to achieving social justice.
Now in our fifth decade, we continue to challenge the status quo by seeking legal victories and strengthening the voices of low-income communities, pursuing the civil rights that lie at the heart of everyday life.
Website: www.publicadvocates.org
Public Advocates Inc. is a nonprofit law firm and advocacy organization that challenges the systemic causes of poverty and racial discrimination by strengthening community voices in public policy and achieving tangible legal victories advancing education, housing and transit equity.
We spur change through collaboration with grassroots groups representing low-income communities, people of color and immigrants, combined with strategic policy reform, media advocacy and litigation, “making rights real” across California since 1971.
Communities that were once excluded and marginalized are energized by their collective power to shape public decisions and achieve justice. As a result of that engagement, all Californians have the building blocks to thrive and to create vibrant communities – excellent public schools, affordable housing, reliable public transportation, quality health care, good job opportunities, and economic security.
We believe that by engaging in strategic partnerships, policy and media advocacy and litigation, we will increase the capacity of grassroots organizations to shape public policy and discourse, and that we can also positively influence public opinion, the media, policy makers and courts to hold business and government accountable.
We do this to promote the expansion of civil rights and resource equity and create a mobilized community base to ensure that all Californians have the fundamental rights and equitable allocation of resources they need to build vibrant communities.
We choose to address areas such as education, housing, transportation and health that are fundamental to enabling individuals and communities to fulfill their potential, and we choose to challenge systemic problems in ways that will achieve maximum impact.
One of the oldest public interest law firms in the nation, Public Advocates Inc. was incorporated in fall 1970 and opened its doors in September 1971. Its purpose: challenge the persistent, fundamental causes and effects of poverty and discrimination that limited the opportunities of the poor and people of color. The firm, funded initially with generous support from the Ford Foundation, was conceived in part as a reaction to the rigid restrictions on the scope of California Rural Legal Assistance representation.
The need for a broad-based public interest law firm to address civil rights issues affecting the daily lives of low income communities was evident as soon as we opened our doors. The new Public Advocates engaged in a wide range of cutting edge legal issues – many of them still at the core of our practice – from school finance, urban development, transportation policy, food and nutrition issues, military base redevelopment, and language access, to employment discrimination in banks and universities, health services disparities, infant formula advocacy, telecommunications and discriminatory bar exam criteria.
Priorities and tactics were set to not only meet the challenges of the time, but also to have a broad and long-lasting impact.
Very early on more than a dozen actions were filed on behalf of clients such as La Raza Unida, the National Organization for Women, Officers for Justice, Self-Help for the Elderly, League of Women Voters, and the Sierra Club. Working at the national, state and regional level, the firm was initially best known for its litigation expertise and success in pursuing innovative legal strategies to protect low-income communities and civil rights.
From the beginning Public Advocates recognized the importance of collaboration with clients, communities and ally organizations, staking out the goal in 1971 that its work would be “with, not just for, their constituents,” and that commitment deepened over time. Outside the organization, more public interest groups arose, and the courtroom became a less hospitable place for progressive activism.
As Public Advocates evolved and matured, we developed a distinctive multipronged approach to civil rights advocacy incorporating policy advocacy, coalition building, communication and legal strategies.
We also recognized that we could be most effective when we created a long term strategy for engagement with a significant policy arena, and generated a legal strategy incorporating alliances, subject area expertise, and implementation and communication plans.
Public Advocates is proud of having served as an incubator for the launch of numerous significant issue advocacy organizations, as part of its role in building capacity for communities to engage in public policy advocacy and creation of broad based coalitions, including:
- Latino Coalition for a Healthy California: Statewide organization aiming to be the leading organized voice for policies, services and conditions to improve the health of Latinos.
- The Greenlining Coalition (now the Greenlining Institute): Broad coalition of fifteen multi-ethnic, business, consumer and disabled persons’ organizations committed to persuading corporate America to promote interests of inner-city communities and recognize the economic value of equal opportunity.
- HomeBase: Advancing regional strategies for addressing homelessness.
- Health Access: Statewide coalition
dedicated to insuring universal access to health care in California.
The firm has also contributed to the development of generations of public interest, bar, non-profit and other leaders who have served on staff and board, and in the well-respected fellow and intern programs. Public Advocates alumni, whom we call Pillars, have gone on to be leaders in a remarkable range of organizations.
Starting with a grant from the Zellerbach Family Foundation in 1971, Public Advocates has always put a high priority on its fellowship and intern programs, with significant responsibility and intensive mentoring to develop the next generation of public interest advocates.
Public Advocates has always had a strong personality. Over the years we have aimed to retain our independence, feistiness, cutting edge work and innovative legal approaches while building a reputation for genuine and effective collaboration.
We have also achieved a degree of financial stability, based on a combination of revenue from individual and firm contributions, foundation grants, state legal services funding, litigation fees, and interest on reserves.
We added a Sacramento office staffed with policy advocacy and community relations experts to deepen our influence on state policy and coalitions.
Throughout its history Public Advocates’ Board of Governors has had the benefit of the service of civil rights, bar, academic and community leaders motivated to sustain the organization’s bold approach to achieving social justice.
Now in our fifth decade, we continue to challenge the status quo by seeking legal victories and strengthening the voices of low-income communities, pursuing the civil rights that lie at the heart of everyday life.
Thursday, January 31, 2013
Innovative Housing Institute
Location: Nationwide
Website: www.inhousing.org
The Innovative Housing Institute promotes providing quality affordable housing in communities throughout the nation, primarily through the policies and practices known as Inclusionary Housing.
The Innovative Housing Institute offers a great depth of knowledge and experience in the variety of Inclusionary Housing tools and strategies used in different local jurisdictions and states.
Inclusionary Housing, also known as Inclusionary Zoning, calls for a portion of housing units in residential projects to be available for low- and moderate-income households.
Many programs provide developers with "cost offsets" or incentives, such as density bonuses, zoning or design flexibility, parking reductions, fee waivers, or an expedited review process for providing these affordable units. The term inclusionary is used to counter exclusionary practices that require minimum lot sizes and setbacks, effectively preventing affordable housing from being built.
Inclusionary Housing programs are based on a variety of legal frameworks and can be mandatory or voluntary. Affordable units can be provided on-site as part of a mixed-income project or at another location. In some cases, financial contributions in lieu of units can be made to affordable housing funds.
Since the 1970s, more than 300 local governments and numerous states have adopted inclusionary housing programs resulting in the production and preservation of hundreds of thousands of affordable homes and apartments. Adaptable to local conditions, Inclusionary Housing tools have been successfully used in states such as California, Colorado, Illinois, North Carolina, Maryland, Virginia, New Jersey, and Massachusetts. Santa Fe, New Mexico, and Burlington, Vermont, are among cities that have adopted Inclusionary Housing tools.
The success of Inclusionary Housing programs results from private residential activity, so the tool works best in locations with strong real estate markets.
Website: www.inhousing.org
The Innovative Housing Institute promotes providing quality affordable housing in communities throughout the nation, primarily through the policies and practices known as Inclusionary Housing.
The Innovative Housing Institute offers a great depth of knowledge and experience in the variety of Inclusionary Housing tools and strategies used in different local jurisdictions and states.
Inclusionary Housing, also known as Inclusionary Zoning, calls for a portion of housing units in residential projects to be available for low- and moderate-income households.
Many programs provide developers with "cost offsets" or incentives, such as density bonuses, zoning or design flexibility, parking reductions, fee waivers, or an expedited review process for providing these affordable units. The term inclusionary is used to counter exclusionary practices that require minimum lot sizes and setbacks, effectively preventing affordable housing from being built.
Inclusionary Housing programs are based on a variety of legal frameworks and can be mandatory or voluntary. Affordable units can be provided on-site as part of a mixed-income project or at another location. In some cases, financial contributions in lieu of units can be made to affordable housing funds.
Since the 1970s, more than 300 local governments and numerous states have adopted inclusionary housing programs resulting in the production and preservation of hundreds of thousands of affordable homes and apartments. Adaptable to local conditions, Inclusionary Housing tools have been successfully used in states such as California, Colorado, Illinois, North Carolina, Maryland, Virginia, New Jersey, and Massachusetts. Santa Fe, New Mexico, and Burlington, Vermont, are among cities that have adopted Inclusionary Housing tools.
The success of Inclusionary Housing programs results from private residential activity, so the tool works best in locations with strong real estate markets.
Saturday, July 28, 2012
Opportunity Finance Network
Location: Nationwide
Website: www.opportunityfinance.net
Opportunity Finance Network (OFN) is a national network of community development financial institutions (CDFIs) investing in opportunities that benefit low-income, low-wealth, and other disadvantaged communities across America.
OFN Members are performance-oriented, responsible investors that finance community businesses, sparking job growth in the areas that need it most, and delivering both sound financial returns and real changes for people and communities.
Our Network has originated more than $23.2 billion in financing in urban, rural, and Native communities through 2009. With cumulative net charge-off rates of less than 1.4%, we have demonstrated our ability to lend prudently and productively in unconventional markets often overlooked by conventional financial institutions.
Community development financial institutions (CDFIs) are private financial institutions that are 100 percent dedicated to delivering responsible, affordable lending to help low-income, low-wealth, and other disadvantaged people and communities join the economic mainstream.
By financing community businesses—including small businesses, microenterprises, nonprofit organizations, commercial real estate, and affordable housing—they spark job growth and retention in hard-to serve markets across the nation.
CDFIs are profitable but not profit maximizing. They put community first, not the shareholder. They have had great success over the past 30 years, and have a proven track record of making an impact in those areas of America that need it most.
OFN’s mission through 2025 is to lead CDFIs and their partners to ensure that low-income, low-wealth, and other disadvantaged people and communities have access to affordable, responsible financial products and services.
OFN pursues its mission across five key program areas:
Financing: facilitating high-volume, CDFI-based financing systems;
Public Policy: bringing new public and private resources to the CDFI industry;
Knowledge Sharing: transforming the CDFI field with training, research, and analysis for CDFIs, funders, investors, and other key stakeholders;
Strategic Consulting: helping organizations develop the necessary systems to increase growth and performance; and
Strategic Communications: raising the profile of CDFIs and creating a broad base of support for CDFIs and the people and communities they serve.
We are proud of our Network’s record of success:
More than 180 Members strong
$23.2 billion invested through FY 2009, financing:
60,261 businesses
635,528 housing units
6,465 community facility projects
$7.4 billion in total assets
Low-risk, with a net charge-off rate of 1.6% in FY 2009
At work in urban, rural, and Native communities in all 50 states.
Website: www.opportunityfinance.net
Opportunity Finance Network (OFN) is a national network of community development financial institutions (CDFIs) investing in opportunities that benefit low-income, low-wealth, and other disadvantaged communities across America.
OFN Members are performance-oriented, responsible investors that finance community businesses, sparking job growth in the areas that need it most, and delivering both sound financial returns and real changes for people and communities.
Our Network has originated more than $23.2 billion in financing in urban, rural, and Native communities through 2009. With cumulative net charge-off rates of less than 1.4%, we have demonstrated our ability to lend prudently and productively in unconventional markets often overlooked by conventional financial institutions.
Community development financial institutions (CDFIs) are private financial institutions that are 100 percent dedicated to delivering responsible, affordable lending to help low-income, low-wealth, and other disadvantaged people and communities join the economic mainstream.
By financing community businesses—including small businesses, microenterprises, nonprofit organizations, commercial real estate, and affordable housing—they spark job growth and retention in hard-to serve markets across the nation.
CDFIs are profitable but not profit maximizing. They put community first, not the shareholder. They have had great success over the past 30 years, and have a proven track record of making an impact in those areas of America that need it most.
OFN’s mission through 2025 is to lead CDFIs and their partners to ensure that low-income, low-wealth, and other disadvantaged people and communities have access to affordable, responsible financial products and services.
OFN pursues its mission across five key program areas:
Financing: facilitating high-volume, CDFI-based financing systems;
Public Policy: bringing new public and private resources to the CDFI industry;
Knowledge Sharing: transforming the CDFI field with training, research, and analysis for CDFIs, funders, investors, and other key stakeholders;
Strategic Consulting: helping organizations develop the necessary systems to increase growth and performance; and
Strategic Communications: raising the profile of CDFIs and creating a broad base of support for CDFIs and the people and communities they serve.
We are proud of our Network’s record of success:
More than 180 Members strong
$23.2 billion invested through FY 2009, financing:
60,261 businesses
635,528 housing units
6,465 community facility projects
$7.4 billion in total assets
Low-risk, with a net charge-off rate of 1.6% in FY 2009
At work in urban, rural, and Native communities in all 50 states.
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