Center for Rural Affairs

What Center for Rural Affairs does

The Center for Rural Affairs is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 1973 and headquartered in Lyons, Nebraska, operating as a certified Community Development Financial Institution (CDFI) by the U.S. Treasury. The organization delivers mission-driven lending, one-on-one business coaching, policy advocacy, and community development programs to rural, Latino, Native, and other underserved communities in the Midwest. Its primary beneficiary segments include small family farmers, beginning and veteran farmers, women entrepreneurs, four Native American tribes (Winnebago, Umonhon/Omaha, Ponca, Santee), small business owners, and affordable housing developers, with on-the-ground operations concentrated in Nebraska and Iowa and policy work spanning Nebraska, Iowa, South Dakota, and Minnesota.

The Center maintains a diversified loan portfolio across seven core products: Small Business Loans ($1,000–$250,000), Express Loans (up to $20,000), Food & Farm Business Loans (up to $250,000 at 7.25%–10.75% interest), Meat & Poultry Processing Loans ($50,000–$2.5 million at 5%–7%), Solar Loans ($5,000–$3 million), Housing Development Loans (up to $3 million at 5%–7%), and Home Ownership Loans. Underwriting is flexible relative to mainstream finance and considers factors beyond credit score, with services delivered in English and Spanish through loan specialists across five Nebraska field offices (Lyons HQ, Grand Island, Hartington, Lincoln, Schuyler) and a Nevada, Iowa location, supported by a ~47-person staff and a dedicated C-suite.

Revenue is generated primarily through loan interest income (5%–10.75% across products) supplemented by federal and philanthropic grants, including a landmark $62 million EPA Solar for All award in 2024, a $250,000 Native American Agriculture Fund grant in 2026, and ongoing U.S. Small Business Administration funding for the Women's Business Center. The wholly-owned Center for Rural Affairs Community Capital subsidiary houses the CDFI lending operations and the Granary Foundation serves as a support corporation. Since launching housing development lending in 2024, the Center has deployed $4.6 million across five projects in four communities, leveraging $8.5 million in additional capital.

Name

Center for Rural Affairs

Legal name

Center for Rural Affairs

Website

https://cfra.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1973

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Center for Rural Affairs is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit and U.S. Treasury-certified CDFI founded in 1973, providing flexible small business, farm, meat processing, solar, and housing loans alongside bilingual business coaching and policy advocacy for rural, Latino, Native, and underserved communities across the Midwest.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Community Development Financial Services

NAICS

Grantmaking and Giving Services (81321), Business, Professional, Labor, Political, and Similar Organizations (8139), Other Similar Organizations (except Business, Professional, Labor, and Political Organizations) (81399)

SIC

Miscellaneous Business Credit Institution (6159), Short-Term Business Credit Institutions (6153), Personal Credit Institutions (6141)

akta.pro primary industry

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

akta.pro secondary industry

Agricultural & Rural Cooperatives (Farm Credit/Co-op Banks) (FSABAEAG)

Keywords

• Rural community development
• Small business lending
• Food farm loans
• Affordable housing loans
• Policy advocacy services

Headquarters

HQ city

Lyons

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices6 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Loan Interest Income: The organization generates revenue primarily through interest on its loan portfolio, including small business loans, food and farm loans, solar loans, housing development loans, and meat processing loans. As a CDFI and nonprofit lender, it provides affordable financing to underserved communities at rates between 5% and 10.75%.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

The Center for Rural Affairs is a nonprofit, mission-driven Community Development Financial Institution (CDFI) certified by the U.S. Treasury that provides affordable lending and accompanying business coaching to rural, Latino, Native, and other underserved communities that mainstream finance does not traditionally reach. It offers small business loans, food and farm loans, meat processing loans, solar loans, housing development loans, and home ownership loans, alongside policy advocacy, training, and community development programs.

Product overview

Center for Rural Affairs is a nonprofit, mission-driven Community Development Financial Institution (CDFI) certified by the U.S. Treasury, offering a comprehensive portfolio of loan products and service programs for rural communities. The core lending products include Small Business Loans, Express Loans, Food & Farm Business Loans, Meat & Poultry Processing Loans, Solar Loan Products (Community/Business Solar Loans, Personal Solar Loans, and Nebraska Solar for All), Housing Development Loans, and Home Ownership Loans. These are complemented by service programs including Women's Business Center, Small Business Training & Resources, Community Development, Native Communities Programs, Farmers Programs (beginning, veteran, women, Latino farmers), Conservation Mentorship Network, Farm to School, Meat Processing support, and Policy Advocacy. The organization focuses its on-the-ground work in Iowa and Nebraska while policy work spans Nebraska, Iowa, South Dakota, and Minnesota.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Center for Rural Affairs Community Capital: A certified Community Development Financial Institution (CDFI) dedicated to serving low-income individuals and communities that lack access to financial services from mainstream financial institutions.
• Granary Foundation

Products and services

• Small Business Loans Loans from $1,000 to $250,000 for Nebraska small businesses, with flexible underwriting for working capital, equipment, inventory, and real estate, 1 to 15 year fixed-rate terms.
• Express Loans Expedited loan product for new and returning borrowers needing $20,000 or less, underwritten based on credit score and two personal bank statements with decisions within 3 business days.
• Food & Farm Business Loans Financing up to $250,000 for farmers, food business entrepreneurs, and food supply chain businesses in Nebraska, with interest rates between 7.25% and 10.75% and terms up to 15 years.
• Meat & Poultry Processing Loans Loans from $50,000 to $2.5 million for small and medium meat and poultry processors for equipment, facilities, working capital, and expansion, established under the USDA Meat and Poultry Intermediary Lending Program.
• Community and Business Solar Loans Solar financing from $100,000 to $3 million for community and business-scale solar projects, supporting projects up to 10MW in size.
• Personal Solar Loans Personal solar loans from $5,000 to $250,000 for residential rooftop solar projects up to 99kW.
• Nebraska Solar for All EPA-funded program to make residential and community solar accessible for low-income and disadvantaged Nebraska households, including single-family and multifamily affordable housing solar projects.
• Housing Development Loans Construction and development loans up to $3 million for affordable and workforce housing in Greater Nebraska, with interest rates typically between 5% and 7% and a 1% closing fee.
• Home Ownership Loans Loans for purchasing, rehabilitating, or emergency repair of homes in Nebraska.
• Women's Business Center Provides free services to Nebraskans to help women entrepreneurs and small business owners start and grow businesses, funded by the U.S. Small Business Administration, offering workshops and networking.

Quantifiable outcome

• Lent $4.6 million to five housing projects in four communities, leveraging $8.5 million in other capital and supporting development of 50 units
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers10 records

Segments8 records

Ideal customer profiles8 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Nebraska Indian Community CollegecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 24 March 2026Two-year project (through 2027) partnering with Nebraska Indian Community College to develop seed-saving spaces and provide agricultural training for Native communities, supporting seed sovereignty for Omaha, Ponca, Santee Sioux, and Winnebago tribes. Funded by $250,000 grant from Native American Agriculture Fund.
• Michigan State University (Prof. Krista Isaacs)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 24 March 2026Co-recipients of $250,000 grant from Native American Agriculture Fund to develop seed-saving spaces for Native communities. Project running through 2027.
• Iowa State University (Prof. Christina Gish Hill)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 24 March 2026Co-recipients of $250,000 grant from Native American Agriculture Fund to develop seed-saving spaces for Native communities. Project running through 2027.
• 22 Organizations across 17 StatesminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 21 April 2025Coalition letter requesting $5 million for Rural Microentrepreneur Assistance Program (RMAP) from Congress, representing 17 states.
• Central Nebraska Growth FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for Grand Island housing development - three for-rent five-plex buildings in a new mixed-income and mixed typology development.
• Hoppe DevelopmentcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for Grand Island housing development - three for-rent five-plex buildings in a new mixed-income and mixed typology development.
• Jacob Refert/Longshot PropertiesminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMinden housing development - rehabilitation of 5 upper-story rental units in a historic Main Street building.
• Neighborworks NortheastminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerColumbus housing development - for-sale manufactured housing units supported by Center loan to nonprofit developer.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights7 records

Direct peers

• LiftFund: Texas-headquartered nonprofit CDFI providing small business loans and entrepreneurship support to underserved entrepreneurs, including rural, minority, and immigrant-owned businesses. Comparable as a CDFI offering mission-driven small business and microenterprise lending with coaching services.
• Self-Help Credit Union: North Carolina-based CDFI credit union providing affordable lending, homeownership, and small business financing to low-wealth and rural communities. Comparable as a CDFI with deep rural and underserved market focus and a mix of consumer and small business loan products.
• Coastal Enterprises Inc (CEI): Maine-based CDFI providing business loans, housing financing, and community development services to rural and underserved communities. Comparable as a nonprofit CDFI with a multi-product lending portfolio and place-based rural economic development focus.
• Calvert Impact Capital: National nonprofit impact investing intermediary deploying capital to underserved communities through CDFIs and mission-driven lenders. Comparable as an impact-focused financial intermediary channeling capital to community development lending.
• Capital Impact Partners: National nonprofit CDFI providing loans, equity investments, and capacity building for community economic development, including rural communities. Comparable as a CDFI delivering capital and services to underserved communities with policy advocacy components.
• Fahe: Federation of Appalachian Housing Enterprises is a CDFI nonprofit serving rural communities with housing, lending, and community development programs across Appalachia. Highly comparable as a mission-driven rural CDFI offering housing development loans and small business financing in underserved geographies.
• Rural Community Assistance Corporation (RCAC): California-based nonprofit providing lending, training, and technical assistance to rural communities across 13 western states. Comparable as a CDFI focused on rural community development financing with a similar multi-state footprint and training-plus-capital model.

Broad incumbents

• Opportunity Finance Network: National membership association for the CDFI industry, providing capital, advocacy, and research to over 400 CDFI members. Comparable as the umbrella industry body and advocacy channel for the CDFI sector in which the Center operates.
• National Community Reinvestment Coalition (NCRC): National nonprofit coalition advocating for fair lending and community reinvestment, including support for CDFIs. Comparable as a broader community development advocacy organization with policy influence spanning the rural and underserved markets the Center serves.

Emerging players

• Coalition for Green Capital: National green bank consortium providing clean energy financing, including through the National Clean Investment Fund. The Center received initial $10M in loans from CGC for solar projects, making it both a comparable green-finance peer and an active capital partner.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/cfra
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCDQYMGWtOMRi7rQyKehPYTA
• Facebookfacebook.com/ruralaffairs
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/center-for-rural-affairs?trk=top_nav_home
• Instagraminstagram.com/RuralNerd

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles13 records

Subsidiaries2 records

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 Center for Rural Affairs