Opportunity Alabama
Opportunity Alabama is a nonprofit community development financial institution that provides technical assistance and capital stacking for real estate and economic development projects in Alabama's underserved communities. It serves developers, property owners, and local governments through advisory services, a CDFI loan fund, and Opportunity Zone investment vehicles.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2018
- HeadquartersBirmingham, United States
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Opportunity Alabama does
Opportunity Alabama (OPAL) is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization founded in 2018 and headquartered in Birmingham, Alabama, that operates as a community development financial institution providing technical assistance and access to capital to underserved communities across the state. Its core function is financial engineering for community development: assembling complex capital stacks that combine Opportunity Zone equity, federal and state historic tax credits (including Alabama's unique refundable 25% state historic tax credit), New Markets Tax Credits, Low Income Housing Tax Credits, CDFI lending, and federal grants into viable project financing. The Property Development Assistance Program (PDAP) delivers pre-development support (planning, budgeting, pro forma creation, capital stacking) to commercial property owners and emerging developers in low-income markets.
OPAL operates through a multi-entity structure: the parent 501(c)(3); OPAL Investments, Inc., a public benefit corporation that owns OPAL Advisory, LLC (a registered investment adviser); and OPAL Community Capital, LLC, a certified CDFI on-balance-sheet loan fund. Capital products span tax-advantaged bridge debt, federal historic tax credit equity, mezzanine debt, and common equity for Opportunity Zone projects. Notable deployments include the $18.5M OPAL Fund as lead equity investor in the Regional East Alabama Logistics (REAL) Park in Tuskegee, AL, and administration of the Paul Bruhn Historic Revitalization Grant Program in Selma and Marion. Reported impact metrics include $600M in facilitated new investment, 1.5M+ square feet of real estate developed, and 40 Alabama communities served.
Revenue mechanics are nonprofit-CDFI hybrid: philanthropic contributions and federal grants (USDA, US EDA, NPS Historic Preservation Fund, Tipping Point Fund) fund technical assistance delivered at no direct cost; advisory fees are generated through OPAL Advisory; and interest income plus investment returns are generated through OPAL Community Capital's loan fund. Go-to-market is partnership-driven and direct-relationship, leveraging a board network that includes Regions Bank, Alabama Power, First Horizon, Protective Life, and EDPA, plus statewide ecosystem partners including Innovate Alabama, Alabama SBDC Network, Main Street Alabama, and regional planning commissions.
Opportunity Alabama firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Opportunity Alabama
- Legal name
- Opportunity Alabama, Inc.
- Website
- https://opportunityalabama.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2018
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- Opportunity Alabama is a nonprofit community development financial institution that provides technical assistance and capital stacking for real estate and economic development projects in Alabama's underserved communities. It serves developers, property owners, and local governments through advisory services, a CDFI loan fund, and Opportunity Zone investment vehicles.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Opportunity Alabama industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Community Development Financial Services
- NAICS
- Religious, Grantmaking, Civic, Professional, and Similar Organizations (813), Land Subdivision (2372), Civic and Social Organizations (813410)
- SIC
- Real Estate Dealers (For Their Own Account) (6532), Services-Facilities Support Management Services (8744), Federal & Federally-Sponsored Credit Agencies (6111)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Real Estate Development & Feasibility Advisory (Highest-and-Best-Use, Entitlements Support) (BPAJANAC)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Value-Add & Opportunistic Real Estate (FSAAAKAB), Small Business & Entrepreneurship Community Education (EDAAAFAK)
Keywords
Where Opportunity Alabama is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Birmingham
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Opportunity Alabama business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others
Revenue model
- Technical Assistance Services: OPAL provides technical assistance to developers, property owners, and community stakeholders at no direct cost, funded through grants and philanthropy. This includes pre-development planning, capital stacking strategy, and project support.
- Investment Management (OPAL Advisory, LLC): OPAL Advisory, LLC is a registered investment adviser offering advisory services to investors interested in Opportunity Zone investments, tax credit transactions, and private equity opportunities in Alabama. Revenue is generated through advisory fees.
- Loan Fund Operations (OPAL Community Capital): OPAL Community Capital, LLC is a certified Community Development Financial Institution (CDFI) that provides capital products including tax-advantaged bridge debt, federal historic tax credit equity, mezzanine debt, and common equity for real estate projects. Revenue generated through interest income and investment returns.
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels5 records
Marketing channels6 records
Opportunity Alabama product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Opportunity Alabama is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) that provides technical assistance and access to capital to improve quality of place, enhance the built environment, and revitalize underserved communities in Alabama. Through its Property Development Assistance Program, certified CDFI loan fund (OPAL Community Capital), and investment vehicles (OPAL Investments/OPAL Advisory/OPAL Fund), it helps commercial property owners and emerging developers navigate pre-development planning, budgeting, pro forma creation, and capital stacking for transformative real estate and community development projects.
Product overview
Opportunity Alabama (OPAL) is a nonprofit economic development organization founded in 2018 that provides a suite of technical assistance and capital access services. The core offerings include the Property Development Assistance Program (PDAP) for pre-development support, OPAL Community Capital (a certified CDFI loan fund), and OPAL Investments (managing private equity and Qualified Opportunity Funds). Capital products span tax-advantaged bridge debt, historic tax credit equity, mezzanine debt, and common equity for Opportunity Zone projects. The organization also administers the Paul Bruhn Historic Revitalization Grant Program and provides educational resources including an Alabama Statewide Community Data Map and guides on capital stacking, tax credits, and community wealth building strategies.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Property Development Assistance Program (PDAP)
Quantifiable outcome
- $600M in new investment brought to Alabama communities
- +3 more outcomes
Companies that use Opportunity Alabama
Customer profileNamed customers9 records
Segments5 records
Ideal customer profiles5 records
Opportunity Alabama technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Opportunity Alabama partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
14 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- Main Street MarioncoreLocal organization partnered with OPAL in 2021 to strategize revitalization of Marion's historic downtown area. Through CGA, OPAL helped develop a plan for a Revolving Loan Fund for small businesses.
- Macon County Economic Development Authority (MCEDA)coreOPAL began working with MCEDA in 2020 to strategize the capital stack for the Regional East Alabama Logistics (REAL) Park project, which brought $18.5M in Opportunity Zone investment to Macon County.
- FarPoint Development TeamcoreDevelopment team partner with MCEDA and OPAL for the REAL Park industrial development project in Tuskegee, AL.
- Economic Development Partnership of AlabamacoreMiller Girvin, President & CEO of EDPA, serves on OPAL's Board of Directors. EDPA runs Alabama Launchpad, the state's most active early-stage seed fund investor, which OPAL partners with to support innovative businesses.
- Neighborhood Concepts InccoreMary Ellen Judah, Executive Director of Neighborhood Concepts Inc, serves on OPAL Community Capital board, contributing community development expertise.
- Navigate Affordable Housing PartnerscoreLisa McCarroll, CEO of Navigate Affordable Housing Partners, serves on OPAL Community Capital board, bringing expertise in affordable housing development.
- Innovate AlabamacoreOPAL is working with Innovate Alabama to perform a landscape assessment of Alabama's innovation economy outside major metros, building the state's first comprehensive database of rural innovative businesses through a statewide survey.
- Alabama SBDC NetworkcoreThe Alabama SBDC Network specializes in one-on-one business advising and educational training for small businesses through 10 in-person offices across the state or online. OPAL refers businesses needing general support to ASBDC.
- Main Street AlabamacoreMain Street Alabama is a 501(c)(3) organization focused on bringing jobs, dollars, and people back to Alabama's historic communities using the Main Street Four-Point Approach. OPAL partners with Main Street programs across Alabama.
- InVictus DevelopmentcoreWoman-owned, impact-oriented development partner that emerged as the strongest partner for downtown Selma historic revitalization projects near the Edmund Pettus Bridge. OPAL helped InVictus develop capital stacks and apply for CDFI lending.
- Transform FinanceminorTransform Finance publishes resources on community wealth building models and provides guidance on innovative structures that OPAL references in its community wealth strategies.
- PurposeminorPurpose is a group developing the ecosystem of knowledge, resources, support, and capital for transitioning to steward/community-ownership. Their resources help OPAL understand community wealth building models.
- ROC USAminorROC USA scales resident ownership of manufactured home communities. Their model for community ownership is referenced by OPAL as an example of community wealth building structures.
- Community Investment TrustminorCommunity Investment Trust works with communities to conduct feasibility studies for Community Investment Trust structures, a model OPAL references for community ownership.
Scale indicators6 records
Recent moves8 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Opportunity Alabama competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Hope Enterprise Corporation / Hope Credit Union: A Deep South-focused CDFI and credit union serving Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana, and Tennessee with similar mission of place-based community development finance. Direct peer given overlapping geography, CDFI structure, and target communities.
- Coastal Enterprises, Inc. (CEI): Maine-based CDFI that integrates business lending, real estate development, and policy advocacy for underserved rural communities. Closely mirrors OPAL's integrated nonprofit + CDFI + technical-assistance structure in a different rural geography.
- Reinvestment Fund: A national CDFI that combines capital deployment with data-driven market analytics (PolicyMap) for community development. Comparable for its blend of CDFI lending, advisory work, and proprietary data tools serving similar community-development customers.
- National Trust Community Investment Corporation (NTCIC): Specializes in federal Historic Tax Credit equity and community development financing. Direct peer given OPAL's heavy emphasis on historic tax credit capital stacking, federal HTC equity placement, and place-based historic revitalization.
- Fahe: A network of CDFIs serving distressed communities across Appalachia with affordable housing and community facilities lending. Comparable given similar rural-distressed geography, CDFI lending, and integrated technical-assistance model.
- Main Street America: National nonprofit that supports downtown revitalization through the Main Street Approach. OPAL directly partners with the affiliated Main Street Alabama program, making it a closely related peer in historic downtown redevelopment.
- Capital Impact Partners: National CDFI providing capital and capacity-building to underserved communities, with focus on equitable economic development. Comparable operating model and mission to OPAL's integrated CDFI + technical assistance + advisory structure.
- Low Income Investment Fund (LIIF): A national CDFI focused on underserved communities with a mix of loan capital and program-related investments. Comparable mission, structure, and target population, though with a more urban geographic focus than OPAL.
Broad incumbents
- Enterprise Community Partners: One of the largest national CDFIs and affordable housing developers. Comparable because it operates a vertically integrated CDFI + investment platform and deploys LIHTC, NMTC, and HTC capital, though at much greater scale and broader national scope.
- Local Initiatives Support Corporation (LISC): National CDFI with a dual structure of loan funds and local offices that provide technical assistance and capital to underserved communities. Highly comparable operating model, though substantially larger and more diversified.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Opportunity Alabama social profiles
Digital presenceOpportunity Alabama financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Opportunity Alabama leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles7 records
Opportunity Alabama subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries3 records
Opportunity Alabama funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds2 records
Investors2 records
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Opportunity Alabama M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Opportunity Alabama
What does Opportunity Alabama do?
Opportunity Alabama is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) that provides technical assistance and access to capital to improve quality of place, enhance the built environment, and revitalize underserved communities in Alabama. Through its Property Development Assistance Program, certified CDFI loan fund (OPAL Community Capital), and investment vehicles (OPAL Investments/OPAL Advisory/OPAL Fund), it helps commercial property owners and emerging developers navigate pre-development planning, budgeting, pro forma creation, and capital stacking for transformative real estate and community development projects.
Is Opportunity Alabama a public or private company?
Opportunity Alabama is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was Opportunity Alabama founded?
Opportunity Alabama was founded in 2018. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is Opportunity Alabama based?
Opportunity Alabama is headquartered in Birmingham, United States, in the North America region.
How does Opportunity Alabama make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Technical Assistance Services are the primary driver. The others are investment Management (OPAL Advisory, LLC) and loan Fund Operations (OPAL Community Capital).
Who are Opportunity Alabama's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Hope Enterprise Corporation / Hope Credit Union, Coastal Enterprises, Inc. (CEI), Reinvestment Fund, National Trust Community Investment Corporation (NTCIC), Fahe, Main Street America, Capital Impact Partners and Low Income Investment Fund (LIIF). Broad incumbents are Enterprise Community Partners and Local Initiatives Support Corporation (LISC).
Does Opportunity Alabama have an API?
No public API is recorded for Opportunity Alabama.
What industry is Opportunity Alabama in?
Opportunity Alabama's product category is Community Development Financial Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAJANAC, Real Estate Development & Feasibility Advisory (Highest-and-Best-Use, Entitlements Support), with a secondary code of FSAAAKAB, Value-Add & Opportunistic Real Estate. Its NAICS code is 813 and its SIC code is 6532.