Newsroom
CDFI Fund anticipates launching application in fall
The Community Development Financial Institutions (CDFI) Fund released an update on where revisions to the CDFI Certification Application stand, saying it expects to begin accepting new certification applications in fall 2023. The CDFI Fund initiated a certification blackout period Oct. 1, 2022, as it proposed changes to the process and application. Under the fund’s initial timeline, it had planned to begin accepting applications through the revised process in April 2023.
“We are deeply concerned that the CDFI Fund continues to give community-based credit unions the runaround,” said NAFCU President and CEO Dan Berger. “From the beginning of their application reform process, we’ve advocated for clear communication and transparency. The latest ‘update’ from the fund is the complete opposite – after months of delay, there is still no definitive date of when credit unions can begin applying for CDFI certification and no indication of what revisions are being made. The CDFI Fund is restricting access to critical funds with its poor management, and communities in need of these resources are suffering as a result.”
In the update, the CDFI Fund noted it is continuing to review public comments and consult regulatory agencies on updates to the application. The fund plans to release the application form and related materials in advance of its use, and it will also hold public sessions to share details. There will be a grace period for currently certified CDFIs to comply with new guidelines and deadlines while maintaining their CDFI status; NAFCU recommended a three-year grace period in its comments on the application.
NAFCU also sent a letter to leaders of the House Financial Services and Appropriations Committees flagging the extended delay and additional funding concerns related to the Emergency Capital Investment Program (ECIP).
“We believe the money appropriated by Congress for the Fund is not being used to the intent of Congress, and as such, we encourage your committees to hold oversight hearings with the CDFI Fund and Treasury,” wrote NAFCU Senior Vice President of Government Affairs Greg Mesack. “This will give them an opportunity to explain the situation and answer the questions of stakeholders who are desperately trying to serve their communities. We are afraid that answers may not be forthcoming otherwise.”
NAFCU has raised concerns to the CDFI Fund and lawmakers that the changes to the Certification Application and process will restrict access to the fund and its resources. Earlier this year, the fund indefinitely delayed the release of the new application as it attempted to work through revisions after public comment. It previously provided FAQs for the blackout period, which announced that organizations seeking certification for the first time prior to the blackout period will now be required to submit a new application within 12 months to demonstrate compliance with the new policies.
The association will continue to engage the CDFI Fund, lawmakers, and credit union members both independently and as part of the CDFI Fund Coalition on these issues. Member credit unions are encouraged to join NAFCU’s CDFI Working Group; contact Senior Associate Director of Legislative Affairs Lewis Plush via email for more details.
In addition, the Federal Reserve is currently conducting a survey of CDFIs to learn more about challenges and opportunities facing these institutions. The findings will provide insights to policymakers, researchers, practitioners, funders, investors, and other stakeholders. CDFIs can participate in the survey until June 2.
Share This
Related Resources
Add to Calendar 2024-05-02 14:00:00 2024-05-02 14:00:00 Mastering Resilience in Incident Response Plans About the Webinar An Incident Response (IR) plan is crucial for guiding credit unions through major incidents efficiently and effectively. However, many IR plans lack resilience, making them less adaptable to the evolving threat landscape. Join us for our webinar Mastering Resilience in Incident Response Plans where DefenseStorm cyber experts Elizabeth Houser and James Bruhl will delve into the importance of resiliency within cybersecurity IR plans. Don’t miss out on the opportunity to learn how to: Ensure IR plan accessibility so that all team members with assigned roles are prepared for effective incident response. Conduct efficient and regular reviews to ensure roles and responsibilities are current, tools are relevant, and compliance requirements are met. Implement and utilize tabletops to regularly test the effectiveness of your IR plan. Enhance preparedness, efficiency, and confidence among responders. View On-Demand Web NAFCU digital@nafcu.org America/New_York public
Mastering Resilience in Incident Response Plans
preferred partner
DefenseStorm
Webinar
Add to Calendar 2024-04-30 14:00:00 2024-04-30 14:00:00 State of Consumer Credit: How Behaviors have Shifted and Trends in US Bankcard Benchmarks About the Webinar In an era marked by volatility and evolving credit trends such as historic inflation and the rise of BNPL, credit unions must adapt to mitigate risks effectively. Join the experts at FICO in exploring how to leverage FICO Scores to enhance competitiveness while maintaining stability and compliance. Key Takeaways: Learn about the latest in consumer credit behaviors and score distributions since the pandemic Take a closer look at major US bankcard trends in comparison to the credit union industry, such as average card spend, balance, missed payments and more. View On-Demand Web NAFCU digital@nafcu.org America/New_York public
State of Consumer Credit: How Behaviors have Shifted and Trends in US Bankcard Benchmarks
preferred partner
FICO
Webinar
Add to Calendar 2024-04-25 14:00:00 2024-04-25 14:00:00 ChatGPT: What AI can do for you! ChatGPT has been created with one main objective – to predict the next word in a sentence, based on what's typically happened in the gigabytes of text data that it's been trained on. Did you ever hear of the saying, “People fear the unknown?” Artificial intelligence scares people, but it is the future, and you need to understand the tools and resources it offers. It’s also about saving time, that’s what technology and in this case, artificial intelligence can do for you. If you want to save time and have a better quality of life, this training is for you. Once you give ChatGPT a question or prompt, it passes through the AI model and the chatbot produces a response based on the information you've given and how that fits into its vast amount of training data. It's during this training that ChatGPT has learned what word, or sequence of words, typically follows the last one in a given context. During this webinar, ChatGPT: What AI can do for you, you’ll discover the background, purpose, usability, and the pros and cons. Don't miss this opportunity! Key Takeaways Learn the background of AI Understand the purpose of AI Identify the pros and cons Register Now $295 Members | $395 Nonmembers(Additional $50 for USB)One registration gives your entire team access to the live webinar and on-demand recording until April 25, 2025Go to the Online Training Center to access the webinar after purchase » Who Should Attend NCRMs Risk titles Education Credits NCRMs will recieve 1.0 CEUs for participating in this webinar Web NAFCU digital@nafcu.org America/New_York public
ChatGPT: What AI can do for you!
Credits: NCRM
Webinar
Add to Calendar 2024-04-25 14:00:00 2024-04-25 14:00:00 Unifying Two Different Executive Benefits Programs About the Webinar In part one we discussed how to retain key positions during a time of transition. In part two, we will look at how to combine executive benefits programs from two different organizations into a single high-performing program. Evaluating each program includes many different facets, from strategy and expense to performance and servicing. This session will provide important considerations, whether or not you have pending M&A activity. Key Takeaways: Is the plan design both retentive and efficient? Is the benefit expense properly mitigated? Does the legal agreement reflect the board’s intent? View On-Demand Web NAFCU digital@nafcu.org America/New_York public
Unifying Two Different Executive Benefits Programs
preferred partner
Gallagher
Webinar
Get daily updates.
Subscribe to NAFCU today.