What CDFI Friendly America does

CDFI Friendly America (CFA) is a Philadelphia-based nonprofit founded in 2020 by Mark Pinsky and the late Adina Abramowitz that operates an intermediary platform connecting under-financed U.S. communities with Community Development Financial Institutions (CDFIs). Its primary offering is a three-phase "CDFI Friendly Community" model — Assess & Outreach, Organize & Educate, Implement — which helps cities establish local nonprofit hubs (Bloomington IN, South Bend IN, Fort Worth TX, Evansville Region IN/IL/KY, Tulsa OK, with Scranton/NEPA in development) that match local borrowers with appropriate CDFI lenders. As of the latest data, 23 CDFIs are actively lending across these five communities, with reported outcomes including $24 million in CDFI loans in Fort Worth in the first two years and a doubling of CDFI lending in Bloomington over four years versus the prior eight-year average.

CFA's technology stack centers on geospatial data analytics: the CDFI Market Map identifies 1,272 Places, 680 Counties, 234 Metro Areas, and 9 States as CDFI Opportunity Markets (CDFI Deserts) by combining CDFI Fund Transaction Level Report (TLR) data with U.S. Census and Investment Area data; the CDFI Advocacy Map layers CDFI lending data over U.S. Congressional and State legislative districts. These free mapping tools are supplemented by fee-based custom data reports (starting at $200) and custom CDFI lending maps (starting at $2,500). The organization also generates thought leadership through its "The Future of CDFIs" monthly Zoom series and a LinkedIn newsletter authored by Mark Pinsky.

CFA's revenue model is a hybrid of grant funding (foundation partnerships such as Dogwood Health Trust, Community Foundation of Bloomington & Monroe County, Community Foundation Alliance) and fee-for-service mapping products, with technical assistance and consulting provided to communities becoming CDFI Friendly. Customers span CDFIs, mayors and local government officials, community foundations and place-based philanthropies, CDFI Coalitions, and ultimately underserved borrowers. The team is described as more than a dozen CDFI specialists, most with 20-35 years of industry experience, and CFA is governed as an independent charitable nonprofit with no disclosed parent, institutional investors, or funding rounds.

Name

CDFI Friendly America

Legal name

CDFI Friendly America

Website

https://cdfifriendlyamerica.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2020

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

CDFI Friendly America is a Philadelphia-based nonprofit that connects under-financed U.S. communities with Community Development Financial Institutions through local nonprofit hubs, geospatial market-mapping tools, and consulting services. It serves mayors, CDFIs, community foundations, and underserved borrowers, with five active CDFI Friendly communities and 23 lending CDFIs.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Philadelphia

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Fee-for-Service Mapping Products: Custom data reports starting at $200 and custom CDFI lending maps starting at $2,500, offered to CDFIs, CDFI investors, CDFI Coalitions, and industry advocates.
2. Foundation Grants and Partnerships: Funded through partnerships with foundations such as Dogwood Health Trust for specific programs like the WNC Access to Capital Learning Cohort. Community foundations participate in CDFI Friendly community creation.
3. Technical Assistance and Consulting: CFA provides consulting services to communities looking to become CDFI Friendly, including market analysis, business planning, and implementation support.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

CDFI Friendly America operates a CDFI Friendly Community Model that guides cities through a three-phase process (Assess & Outreach, Organize & Educate, Implement) to create local nonprofit hubs connecting borrowers with appropriate CDFI lenders. The organization also produces free interactive geospatial mapping tools (CDFI Market Map and CDFI Advocacy Map) and fee-based custom data reports and maps for CDFIs, CDFI investors, coalitions, and policymakers.

Product overview

CDFI Friendly America is a nonprofit organization that operates as a platform connecting under-financed communities with Community Development Financial Institutions (CDFIs). The company offers a portfolio of free and paid mapping tools: the CDFI Market Map identifies CDFI Opportunity Markets (CDFI Deserts) across the U.S., while the CDFI Advocacy Map enables CDFIs to visualize their lending impact by Congressional District and census tract. Premium offerings include Custom CDFI Lending Maps (starting at $2,500) and Custom Data Reports (starting at $200) that provide detailed geographic lending analysis. The organization also facilitates the CDFI Friendly Community Model—a three-phase process that guides communities through assessment, organization, and implementation to establish local CDFI hubs. The Future of CDFIs is a supplementary virtual event series launched in 2026 for industry strategic discussions.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• CDFI Friendly Bloomington: First CDFI Friendly community established in Bloomington, Indiana - a nonprofit hub connecting local developers, business owners, nonprofits, and residents to CDFIs.
• CDFI Friendly South Bend
• CDFI Friendly Fort Worth
• CDFI Friendly Evansville Region
• CDFI Friendly Tulsa
• CDFI Market Map
• CDFI Advocacy Map
• Custom Maps & Data Reports
• The Future of CDFIs

Products and services

• CDFI Market Map Free interactive geospatial mapping tool that identifies 1,272 CDFI Opportunity Markets (CDFI Deserts) across U.S. Places, Counties, Metro Areas, and States where there is high economic distress and low historical CDFI lending. Built for CDFIs, CDFI investors, community foundations, and local government officials to identify expansion markets.
• CDFI Advocacy Map Free interactive mapping tool that visualizes CDFI lending across U.S. Congressional Districts, state legislative districts, and States at the census tract level. Shows CDFI lending per capita compared to national average, Qualified Investment Areas, and CDFI Opportunity Markets. Built for CDFIs, CDFI coalitions, and policymakers.
• Custom CDFI Lending Maps Fee-based custom mapping service (starting at $2,500) that displays CDFI lending at the address or census tract level using Transaction Level Report (TLR) data. Includes comparison to market CDFI lending totals, lending by loan type, multiple-year options, Congressional District aggregation, and optional discounted annual updates.
• Custom Data Reports Fee-based concise data reports (starting at $200) covering specified geographies; includes total CDFI lending (2005-2023), average CDFI lending per capita, per capita as percentage of national average, percentage of Qualified Investment Area tracts, and CDFI Opportunity Market tracts. Price scales with the number of geographies requested.
• CDFI Friendly Community Model A three-phase engagement service (Assess & Outreach, Organize & Educate, Implement) that guides communities through creating a local nonprofit CDFI Friendly hub which then sources, vets, and matches local financing opportunities with appropriate CDFI lenders. Includes market analysis, business planning, implementation support, and ongoing technical assistance. Built for mayors, local government officials, and community foundations.
• The Future of CDFIs Monthly Zoom webinar event series on CDFI industry strategic thinking, launched January 2026. Each event features invited speakers on topics such as AI adoption, consolidation, CRA, and policy advocacy, and produces recordings, presentations, and supplementary resources. Targeted at CDFI leadership and industry stakeholders.

Quantifiable outcome

• 23 CDFIs actively lending across 5 CDFI Friendly Communities
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core and secondary.

• Dogwood Health TrustcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 21 May 2024Dogwood Health Trust partnered with CDFI Friendly America to lead the WNC Access to Capital Learning Cohort. The two-year initiative convenes non-traditional small business lenders including CDFIs to increase regional financing supply and small business support services, especially for people and communities of color and rural communities in Western North Carolina.
• Community Foundation of Bloomington & Monroe CountycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnered with the City of Bloomington as funder and supporter to bring CDFI Friendly America into the community, creating the first CDFI Friendly community in 2019. The foundation participated as a key supporter during the CDFI Friendly process.
• Community Foundation AlliancecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPart of an advisory group of organizations and investors that collaborated to fund the creation of CDFI Friendly Evansville Region. The new nonprofit is now nested within the Community Foundation Alliance, covering the Evansville Region of Indiana/Illinois/Kentucky.
• CinnairesecondaryGTM or Marketing PartnerA CDFI that has expanded into Bloomington and South Bend through the CDFI Friendly model. Successfully closed multiple deals in both communities facilitated by CDFI Friendly America's network and local connections.
• CDFI Friendly BloomingtoncoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorFirst CDFI Friendly community, created in 2019 in partnership with Mayor John Hamilton and Community Foundation of Bloomington. Serves as a nonprofit hub connecting local developers, business owners, nonprofits, and residents to CDFIs.
• CDFI Friendly South BendcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorCDFI Friendly community created in South Bend, Indiana. Led by Sam Centellas, working with multiple CDFIs to bring local connection and financing opportunities to the community.
• CDFI Friendly Fort WorthcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorCDFI Friendly community established in Fort Worth, TX between 2021-2023. Generated $24 million in CDFI loans in the first two years of operation.
• CDFI Friendly Evansville RegioncoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorCDFI Friendly community covering the Evansville Region of Indiana/Illinois/Kentucky, established 2021-2024. Nested within Community Foundation Alliance.
• CDFI Friendly TulsacoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorCDFI Friendly community established in Tulsa, OK between 2021-2023. Expanding CDFI reach into another CDFI Desert/Opportunity Market.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves12 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Others

• Cinnaire: A CDFI that has used CFA's CDFI Friendly model to expand into Bloomington and South Bend. While a customer/partner rather than a direct competitor, Cinnaire operates in the same community development lending space and represents the type of CDFI buyer CFA's platform serves.

Direct peers

• CDFI Coalition: A national CDFI advocacy coalition representing CDFIs to federal policymakers. CFA's CDFI Advocacy Map is explicitly designed to support this kind of policy-advocacy use case, making it a natural ally and partial peer in the CDFI policy data space.
• The Reinvestment Fund: A CDFI with deep community development research and policy analysis capabilities (where CFA consultant Lance Loethen spent 12 years). Both organizations combine CDFI lending activity with data-driven market intelligence and policy work.
• PolicyMap: A geospatial data platform that provides community development, housing, and economic indicators layered on address-level maps. Highly comparable on the data/mapping technology axis — both sell location-based analytics to CDFIs, foundations, and government users, though PolicyMap covers a broader data universe.
• Woodstock Institute: A research and policy organization focused on equitable economic development in the Chicago region and nationally. CFA consultant Marva Williams was previously SVP at Woodstock. Both organizations produce data-driven research and policy analysis supporting community development capital flows.
• Opportunity Finance Network: The leading national CDFI trade association where Mark Pinsky served as President & CEO for 21 years. OFN is the closest comparable — both organizations operate as CDFI-focused intermediaries supporting the CDFI industry through research, advocacy, and capacity building, with overlapping leadership alumni.
• Local Initiatives Support Corporation (LISC): A major national community development CDFI and intermediary operating in many of the same underserved markets CFA targets. CFA's senior consultant Marva Williams previously served at LISC of Chicago. Both organizations operate local-market programs that channel capital to distressed communities.

Emerging players

• Build Healthy Places Network: A national organization that catalyzes partnerships between community development and health sectors to improve health equity. Operates in an adjacent niche — funder/convening intermediary for place-based community outcomes — sharing CFA's foundation-funded, network-intermediary model.
• Council of Development Finance Agencies (CDFA): A national association that supports development finance agencies and CDFIs through research, training, and advocacy. Comparable as an industry-intermediary serving CDFIs and community development finance entities, with overlap in research, mapping, and capacity-building service offerings.

Broad incumbents

• National Council of Nonprofits: The largest network of nonprofit organizations in the U.S., serving as a national infrastructure and advocacy body. Comparable as a nonprofit-intermediary support structure, though at a vastly broader scale across all nonprofit sectors rather than specializing in CDFI community development.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks1 record

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@cdfifriendlyamerica/featured
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/newsletters/cdfi-strategy-7379968945233240064
• Xx.com/cdfifriendly
• Facebookfacebook.com/cdfifriendly

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 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 CDFI Friendly America