The Disability Opportunity Fund

What The Disability Opportunity Fund does

The Disability Opportunity Fund (DOF), legally Disability Fund, Inc., is a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt nonprofit and Nationally Certified Community Development Financial Institution (CDFI) founded in 2007 and headquartered in Rockville Centre, New York. The organization provides targeted financial products, technical assistance, and advisory services to real estate developers, schools, community centers, healthcare providers, and service organizations that serve people with disabilities across the United States. Its mission is to address structural gaps in financing for affordable, accessible housing and related services for the disability market — a population comprising roughly one in five Americans but historically underserved by conventional lenders.

DOF operates a multi-product financial services platform centered on lending products that include bridge loans, term loans, gap financing, predevelopment loans, acquisition financing, and rehabilitation financing. Underwriting and credit evaluation are performed by an in-house chief underwriter and Loan Committee, with each loan monitored and tracked through closing. Technical assistance services cover guidance on Universal Design standards, business and financial management, loan packaging, and federal compliance advisory spanning Title VI of the Civil Rights Act, Title IX, Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act, and the Fair Housing Act. Beyond core lending and advisory, DOF runs the ATLAS pilot program with Toyota's Hillside dealership to finance accessible Sienna taxis for small business medallion owners, and the DOF Cares grant program (launched 2019), which has distributed more than $500,000 across 29 organizations. The technology layer is a conventional lending platform with manual underwriting, a website-driven marketing and donation funnel, and an email newsletter.

DOF's business model is structured around mission-driven investments that produce a double bottom line of financial returns and social impact. Capital is raised from financial institutions, governmental entities, foundations, individuals, religious organizations, and other businesses via direct inquiries, with investments ranging from $50,000 to $5 million. Revenue streams include net interest income from the loan portfolio, fees for technical assistance, loan packaging, and federal compliance services, and tax-deductible donations processed through the Network for Good platform. Under President and CEO Charles D. Hammerman (appointed 2007), DOF has grown from inception to $30 million in total assets with a $24 million investment portfolio and a 100% cumulative repayment rate on investments.

Name

The Disability Opportunity Fund

Legal name

Disability Fund, Inc.

Website

https://thedof.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2007

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

The Disability Opportunity Fund is a Nationally Certified CDFI that provides targeted lending, technical assistance, and advisory services to nonprofits, schools, and developers serving people with disabilities, operating a $24 million investment portfolio and a 100% historical repayment record.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Community Development Lending

NAICS

Grantmaking and Giving Services (81321), Services for the Elderly and Persons with Disabilities (62412)

SIC

Federal & Federally-Sponsored Credit Agencies (6111), Savings Institution, Federally Chartered (6035)

akta.pro primary industry

Impact Investing & Social Finance (Funds, CDFIs, Microfinance) (BPAGALAA)

Keywords

• Community development lending
• Disability financing
• Affordable housing loans
• CDFI lending services
• Technical assistance grants

Headquarters

HQ city

New York

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Lending and Loan Products: DOF generates revenue through interest on loans including bridge and term loans, gap financing, predevelopment loans, acquisition financing, and rehabilitation financing. These are mission-driven investments that yield double bottom line results providing financial returns while addressing social concerns.
2. Technical Assistance Services: Provides development services to potential and current borrowers including guidance on financing projects while maintaining affordability, business and financial management, and Universal Design standards. Also provides loan packaging services with participating lenders.
3. Donations and Grants: DOF accepts donations to fund the development of affordable, accessible housing for people with disabilities. Donations support deal execution and provide education and support for parents, agencies, and housing developers.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

The Disability Opportunity Fund (DOF) is a nationally certified Community Development Financial Institution (CDFI) that provides mission-driven loans (bridge and term loans, gap financing, predevelopment, acquisition, and rehabilitation financing), technical assistance, and federal compliance advisory services to real estate developers, schools, community centers, and service organizations serving people with disabilities and their families across the United States. It supplements its lending with grant programs such as DOF Cares and the ATLAS accessible taxi financing pilot in partnership with Toyota.

Product overview

The Disability Opportunity Fund (DOF) is a nationally certified Community Development Financial Institution (CDFI) that provides financial products and services to improve quality of life and build personal wealth for people with disabilities and their families. The organization operates a multi-product portfolio centered on targeted lending services (bridge loans, gap financing, predevelopment, acquisition, and rehabilitation financing), technical assistance programs, and grant initiatives. Key offerings include the ATLAS accessible taxi loan program, the DOF Cares grant program, and federal compliance advisory services. DOF bridges the disability market and community development financial institutions to address the growing needs of this underserved population, focusing on housing, schools, and community centers.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Lending Services Provides bridge and term loans, gap financing, predevelopment loans, acquisition financing, and rehabilitation financing to real estate developers, schools, community organizations, and agencies serving the disabilities market throughout the United States.
• Technical Assistance Services Provides development services to potential and current borrowers including guidance on financing projects while maintaining affordability, business and financial management support, Universal Design guidance, and loan packaging services.
• ATLAS (Accessible Taxi Loan Assistance Service) Pilot program providing accessible taxi financing assistance to small business medallion owners, partnering with Toyota through the Hillside dealership to offer a $30,000 Taxi Improvement Fund Grant and low-interest loans for accessible vehicle purchases.
• DOF Cares Grant Program Grant program providing individual grants between $10,000 and $50,000 to organizations serving people with disabilities in focus areas including Education, Employment, Housing, Public Policy, and Socialization/Sports.
• Federal Compliance Services Compliance advisory service ensuring adherence to federal statutes including Title VI of the Civil Rights Act, the Age Discrimination Act, Title IX, Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act, and the Fair Housing Act.

Quantifiable outcome

• 100% repayment rate on investments since inception in 2008
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers9 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Toyota (via Hillside Dealership)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025DOF partners with Toyota directly through the ATLAS (Accessible Taxi Loan Assistance Service) program to secure Accessible Sienna Taxis at Toyota's designated Hillside dealership. Toyota provides a $30,000 Taxi Improvement Fund Grant applied to vehicle purchases. DOF reviews and approves low-interest loans for qualified small business medallion owners.
• JeenieminorOthersDOF partners with Jeenie, a mobile language service provider, to ensure meaningful communications with Limited English Proficient (LEP) individuals through instant access to live human interpreters for translation and interpretation services in various languages.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• National Disability Institute: National nonprofit focused on the financial health of people with disabilities; comparable in mission and target population to DOF, though it emphasizes financial education and asset building rather than direct CDFI lending.
• Capital Impact Partners: National CDFI providing financing and technical assistance to underinvested communities, including disability-serving and human services organizations. Operates a similar lending-plus-advisory model to DOF at materially larger scale.
• Calvert Impact Capital: Mission-driven Community Development Financial Institution that pools capital from individuals and institutions to finance community organizations. Comparable as a CDFI deploying impact capital toward social outcomes.
• RSF Social Finance: Nonprofit financial services organization providing loans, grants, and impact investing to social enterprises and nonprofits; operates a similar CDFI-like structure serving mission-driven borrowers.
• SeaChange Capital Partners: Nonprofit intermediary providing loans and capital solutions to NYC-area human services and disability-serving nonprofits. Directly comparable in target borrower base and mission-lending approach.

Broad incumbents

• Enterprise Community Partners: Large national CDFI and nonprofit focused on affordable housing, with adjacent disability-inclusive housing initiatives. Much larger scale and broader scope, but directly comparable as a CDFI lender to community developers.
• Coastal Enterprises Inc (CEI): Maine-based CDFI providing financing and technical assistance to mission-driven businesses and nonprofits, including social services. Operates a similar lending-plus-advisory model to DOF across a broader sector mix.

Others

• Opportunity Finance Network: National membership association and intermediary for the CDFI industry, including CDFI Fund funding advocacy and capital aggregation. Not a direct lender but the principal trade body and capital partner for DOF and similar CDFIs.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/watch?v=UStsnRVpbMc
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/the-disability-opportunity-fund

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors1 record

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments8 records

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about The Disability Opportunity Fund