What CDF Capital does

CDF Capital (legal entity: Church Development Fund, Inc.) is a California-incorporated, nonprofit financial ministry founded in 1953 and headquartered in Irvine, California. The organization operates a two-sided marketplace that connects faith-aligned individual and institutional investors with independent, non-denominational churches seeking financing for land acquisition, building construction, renovation, and refinancing. On the lending side, CDF Capital underwrites fixed-rate church loans with three- and five-year terms and amortization up to twenty-five years, including a construction-to-permanent conversion at no additional cost and a proprietary Church Construction Cost Management Process designed to keep projects within budget. On the investor side, the organization issues unsecured debt securities in the form of certificates — Time Certificates (1–5 year terms, APYs 3.10%–4.00%), Flex Certificates (on-demand, 1.25% APY), Ministry Reserve Certificates, Custodial accounts, and tax-advantaged Retirement accounts (IRAs and 403(b)) — under a state-by-state securities regulatory framework that restricts offerings to a Limited Class of Qualified Ministry participants.

Revenue is generated from the net interest spread between church loan rates and investor certificate rates, supplemented by certificate compounding on a quarterly basis. Distribution is hybrid: a regional field team of Ministry Development Vice Presidents covers every major U.S. region for church lending, while investors can open accounts through an online self-service platform (~10-minute application), phone-based investment representatives, or paper forms. Supporting technology includes iOS and Android mobile apps, DocuSign-based e-signature workflows, Out-of-Band two-factor authentication, and a Group Admin feature for institutional investors. Marketing is primarily content-driven through blogs (Financial Wisdom, Church Strategy), social channels (YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn), and a Teachable-hosted educational course platform focused on biblical financial stewardship.

The business is governed by a board of directors accountable to fund investors and operates with no external parent, private equity, or venture capital ownership. Recent strategic activity includes a 2024 rebrand from 'Church Development Fund' to 'CDF Capital,' the planned June 2026 retirement of long-tenured SVP Brad Dupray (37 years), and the 2024–2026 onboarding of multiple new regional VPs and a dedicated VP of Investor Development, signaling a generational refresh of leadership and an intentional buildout of both lending and investor-acquisition capacity.

Name

CDF Capital

Legal name

Church Development Fund, Inc.

Website

https://cdfcapital.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1953

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

CDF Capital is a nonprofit financial ministry, founded in 1953, that lends to independent Christian churches for land, construction, and refinancing, funded by faith-aligned individual and institutional investors purchasing interest-bearing investment certificates nationwide.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Faith-Based Church Lending & Investment Services

NAICS

Religious, Grantmaking, Civic, Professional, and Similar Organizations (813), Funds, Trusts, and Other Financial Vehicles (525)

SIC

Mortgage Bankers & Loan Correspondents (6162)

akta.pro primary industry

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

Keywords

• Church lending services
• Faith-based investments
• Church construction loans
• Ministry financing
• Investment certificates

Headquarters

HQ city

Irvine

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Interest Income on Church Loans: CDF Capital generates revenue by lending money to churches for land purchase, construction, renovation, and refinancing. Interest rates are generally fixed throughout the loan term. The organization offers three-year and five-year loan terms with amortization periods available for up to twenty-five years. Construction loans convert to permanent financing at no additional cost.
2. Investment Certificate Interest: CDF Capital accepts investments from individuals and organizations (churches, ministries, businesses) in the form of certificates. Investors earn interest (APY) on their investments, which CDF uses to fund church loans. Revenue is generated from the spread between loan interest rates and investor certificate rates.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

CDF Capital is a nonprofit financial ministry that funds church expansion by originating construction, building-purchase, and refinance loans to independent Christian churches. To fund these loans, the organization sells unsecured investment certificates (Time, Flex, Custodial, Retirement, and Ministry Reserve) to individual and institutional investors, earning revenue from the interest spread between loan rates and certificate APYs. Investors and churches are connected through field-based Ministry Development representatives and an online investor platform.

Product overview

CDF Capital is a nonprofit financial ministry offering a unified suite of church lending and investment products. The core lending products include Church Construction Loans, Building Purchase Loans, and Refinance Loans designed for church expansion and facility needs. On the investment side, the company offers Time Certificates (1-5 year terms), Flex Certificates (on-demand access), Custodial Investments, Retirement Investments (IRAs/403(b)), and Ministry Reserve Certificates. These products interconnect through the Online Access Platform and Mobile App, enabling investors to manage accounts, transfer funds, and access statements digitally while their capital funds church loans. The company also provides educational content through a Teachable-based courses platform focused on biblical financial wisdom.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Church Construction Loans Loans financing new church construction projects from initial concept through final move-in, including construction cost management and conversion to permanent financing. Targeted at independent Christian churches undertaking new builds, sanctuary construction, and campus expansion projects.
• Church Building Purchase Loans Loans enabling churches to acquire their first permanent building, providing 24/7 space ownership and neighborhood embedding opportunities. Targeted at growing congregations transitioning from rented or temporary facilities.
• Church Refinance Loans Debt refinancing services for churches seeking relief from steep existing loan costs, allowing ministries to redirect resources toward community and ministry rather than creditor payments.
• Time Certificates Fixed-term investment certificates with terms ranging from 1 to 5 years, offering APYs from 3.10% to 4.00% depending on term and minimum investment ($5,000 standard, $100,000 jumbo). Available to individuals, IRAs/403(b), and joint accounts. Early redemption penalties apply.
• Flex Certificates On-demand investment certificates with principal and accrued interest available without penalty. Requires $250 minimum investment and offers 1.25% APY with quarterly compounding. Available as standard and retirement variants (IRAs/403(b)).
• Custodial Investments Investment accounts held on behalf of children or grandchildren, with $250 minimum for Flex Certificates and $500 minimum for Time Certificates. Targeted at parents and grandparents seeking to build long-term savings for minors.
• Retirement Investments (IRAs and 403(b)) Tax-advantaged retirement investment accounts including Traditional IRAs, Roth IRAs, and 403(b) plans. Available as Flex Certificates (1.25% APY) or Time Certificates with standard rates. Targeted at Christian individuals preparing for retirement while supporting church growth.
• Ministry Reserve Certificate Investment certificates designed for qualified ministries with a $25,000 minimum and a 3.00% APY, enabling churches, ministries, and faith-aligned organizations to deploy cash reserves competitively while supporting church growth.

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration1 record

Feature1 record

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Evangelical Christian Credit Union (ECCU): Faith-based credit union that provides church loans, mortgages, and member deposit/share products to Christian ministries and individuals. Directly comparable to CDF Capital on both sides of the balance sheet (church lending + faith-aligned investor products), though organized as a credit union rather than a nonprofit ministry issuer of certificates.
• Christian Community Credit Union: Faith-based credit union offering loans to churches, ministries, and Christian organizations along with deposit/share accounts for individual and institutional members. Closely comparable business model to CDF Capital's church lending and member-investor certificate activities, with similar mission-driven positioning.
• GuideStone Financial Resources: Southern Baptist-affiliated financial services organization providing retirement plans, insurance, and investment products to pastors, church staff, and ministries. Directly comparable as a faith-aligned provider of investment and retirement products (IRAs, 403(b)) to Christian individuals and institutions, though more diversified into retirement-plan administration.
• Baptist Foundation of California: Denomination-affiliated foundation that channels investments from Baptist churches and individuals into loans and grants for church-related projects. Comparable to CDF Capital's church-lending and investor-certificate model within a faith-based nonprofit structure, though denominationally focused rather than non-denominational.
• Cornerstone Fund (previously IFCA Foundation): Faith-based nonprofit that provides loans to independent Christian churches and ministries, funded by investments from churches, ministries, and individuals. Closely analogous operating model to CDF Capital — faith-aligned capital intermediation between investors and church borrowers — and the most direct niche competitor among faith-based nonprofit lenders.

Broad incumbents

• Thrivent Financial: Large Fortune-500 faith-based financial services organization serving Christians with insurance, annuities, banking, investment, and financial advisory products. A much broader incumbent that overlaps with CDF Capital on faith-aligned individual investing and retirement planning, but operates at significantly greater scale and product breadth.

Others

• Brotherhood Mutual Insurance Company: Faith-based specialty insurer focused exclusively on churches, ministries, and related organizations. Not a direct lending competitor, but a comparably specialized vendor in the broader ecosystem serving the same church-borrower customer base that CDF Capital lends to.
• National Christian Foundation (NCF): Large faith-based nonprofit administering donor-advised funds and charitable giving for Christian donors. Adjacent rather than directly competitive: NCF channels charitable capital to ministries, whereas CDF Capital channels investment certificates into church loans — both serve kingdom-aligned capital deployment but with different financial structures.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@cdfcapital
• Facebookfacebook.com/CDFcapital
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/cdfcapital
• Instagraminstagram.com/cdfcapital
• Xx.com/cdfcapital

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles14 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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 CDF Capital