National Development Council

What National Development Council does

National Development Council, operating today under the brand Grow America, is a U.S.-based nonprofit Community Development Financial Institution (CDFI) headquartered at 633 Third Avenue, New York, NY. The organization was established in the 1990s and has operated for more than thirty years providing community development financing, small business and nonprofit lending, advisory services, and professional training in economic and housing development finance. Its stated mission is to invest capital to craft equitable, vibrant futures, and it serves local governments, public agencies, nonprofits, developers, and small businesses across the United States.

Grow America's service model is organized around four interconnected core programs: Investments in Housing and Community Development, Lending and Entrepreneurial Support, Advisory Support for Community and Economic Development, and Training and Professional Education. It directly originates loans to small businesses and nonprofits, with a recently launched online application portal, and operates an EPA-supported Technical Assistance for Brownfields program. The training program, which the organization describes as the first of its kind in the field, has trained more than 85,000 professionals in development finance. The organization is federally certified as a CDFI and is governed as a non-profit entity without a parent company.

Revenue mechanics derive from a mix of federal CDFI and likely other grant funding, interest income from a small business and nonprofit loan portfolio, advisory fees, and training program revenue. The organization received $3,532,345 in funding from the U.S. Treasury CDFI Fund in April 2023 and rebranded from NDC to Grow America around 2023. No proprietary technology stack, AI/ML capabilities, or enterprise customer concentrations were disclosed in available sources.

Name

National Development Council

Legal name

Grow America

Website

https://ndconline.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1994

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

National Development Council, now branded as Grow America, is a U.S. nonprofit Community Development Financial Institution providing small business and nonprofit lending, community development investment, advisory services, and professional training to local governments, nonprofits, developers, and small businesses nationwide.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Community Development Finance

NAICS

Grantmaking and Giving Services (81321), Civic and Social Organizations (813410), Educational Services (611), Educational Support Services (61171), Educational Support Services (611710)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200), Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

Community Development & Neighborhood Revitalization (CDBG, Place-Based Initiatives) (BPAIANAE)

akta.pro secondary industries

Economic Development & Business Licensing (Local) (BPAIACAN), Corporate Learning & Training Content Development (EDAGAKAC)

Keywords

• Community development finance
• Small business lending
• Affordable housing financing
• Economic development advisory
• Professional training services

Headquarters

HQ city

Brooklyn

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels1 record

Core offering

Grow America (formerly National Development Council) is a non-profit Community Development Financial Institution (CDFI) that deploys capital, technical assistance, and training to support equitable community development. It offers direct small business and nonprofit lending, investments and structured financing for housing and community development projects, customized advisory services, and a development-finance professional training program. Its clients are local governments, public agencies, nonprofits, developers, and small businesses working in underserved U.S. communities.

Product overview

Grow America (formerly National Development Council) is a community development financial institution (CDFI) offering a unified suite of community and economic development services. The organization operates four interconnected core programs: Investments in Housing and Community Development, Lending and Entrepreneurial Support, Advisory Support for Community and Economic Development, and Training and Professional Education. These programs work together to provide capital, technical assistance, and professional development to local governments, nonprofits, developers, and small businesses, helping them structure financing, build capacity, and create equitable community outcomes.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Investments in Housing and Community Development Invests capital to help local governments, public agencies, nonprofits, and developers structure financing and build technical capacity for community development initiatives, with expertise spanning housing and broader community development.
• Lending and Entrepreneurial Support Provides small business loans and nonprofit lending with more than thirty years of experience, helping borrowers develop equity, create jobs, and build their communities from within.
• Advisory Support for Community and Economic Development Provides customized advisory services that combine Grow America services with deep expertise and contacts to help clients understand their goals and challenges and develop plans to achieve their objectives.
• Training and Professional Education Professional development program in development finance that builds capacity for professionals working in economic, housing, and community development sectors; has trained over 85,000 people.
• Small Business Lending (Online Application) Online small business loan application platform providing access to capital for small businesses seeking financing.

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Asia Silicon Valley Development AgencycoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 3 November 2025Asia Silicon Valley Development Agency participated in a forum hosted by Taiwan's National Development Council discussing AI implementation across industries including semiconductor, defense, healthcare, and consumer technology.
• AiseedcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 3 November 2025Aiseed participated in a forum hosted by Taiwan's National Development Council on AI implementation, showcasing applications in semiconductor, defense, healthcare, and consumer technology sectors.
• HumetricscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 3 November 2025Humetrics participated in a forum hosted by Taiwan's National Development Council discussing practical AI application across industries.
• OptiqbcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 3 November 2025Optiqb participated in a forum hosted by Taiwan's National Development Council on AI implementation across Taiwan's industries.

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• National Association of Development Companies (NADCO): NADCO represents the SBA 504 development company industry and provides training and certification to development finance professionals. It is comparable to Grow America's Training and Professional Education line, both serving the same professional development finance audience.
• Reinvestment Fund: Reinvestment Fund is a CDFI that finances housing, community facilities, and small businesses, and is known for policy data analytics. It is a direct peer to Grow America across lending, community development investments, and data-informed advisory.
• Capital Impact Partners: Capital Impact Partners is a CDFI delivering loans, investments, and capacity building to underserved communities in housing, health, and small business. Closely comparable to Grow America's integrated lending + advisory + capacity-building model.
• Grameen America: Grameen America is a nonprofit microfinance organization providing small business loans to low-income entrepreneurs, often women. Directly comparable to Grow America's small business lending program in target borrower, mission orientation, and nonprofit structure.
• Accion U.S. Accion is a nonprofit small business lender and advisor focused on inclusive finance. Overlaps with Grow America's lending and entrepreneurial support and advisory programs serving similar underserved small business borrowers.
• LiftFund: LiftFund is a nonprofit CDFI providing small business loans and business development services across the southern U.S. Comparable to Grow America's small business lending plus advisory offerings, with a similarly mission-driven, regional orientation.

Broad incumbents

• Local Initiatives Support Corporation (LISC): LISC is one of the largest U.S. CDFIs, providing financing, capacity building, and policy advocacy for community development. It is comparable as a broad incumbent operating across lending, investments, and advisory in the same communities Grow America serves, but at materially greater scale.
• Enterprise Community Partners: Enterprise is a national nonprofit focused on affordable housing and community development financing, alongside advisory and policy work. It overlaps directly with Grow America's housing/community development investments and advisory practices, with a much larger footprint and balance sheet.

Others

• Opportunity Finance Network (OFN): OFN is the national membership/advocacy organization for CDFIs, providing capital, training, and peer learning. Comparable to Grow America as a peer/ecosystem participant in CDFI training and capacity-building, though it operates as a trade intermediary rather than a direct lender.

Emerging players

• ICIC (Initiative for a Competitive Inner City): ICIC is a nonprofit research and advisory organization focused on urban economic development and inner-city business growth. Comparable to Grow America's advisory and economic development mission, though it leans more on research/consulting than direct lending.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights5 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/NatlDevCouncil
• Facebookfacebook.com/NationalDevelopmentCouncil
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/national-development-council

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors1 record

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

M&A

Investments

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

Frequently asked questions about National Development Council