Community Development Financial Institutions — better known as CDFIs — aren’t just lenders. They’re lifelines.

They exist to support the people traditional banks have historically shut out: Black, Brown, immigrant, rural, low-income, and first-time entrepreneurs. And in cities like Detroit, Flint, and communities across Michigan, they’ve become one of the only ways for small business owners to access the capital they need to survive — and thrive.

But now that support is under threat.

In March 2025, an executive order was signed to dismantle the CDFI Fund, the very engine that distributes funding to these mission-driven lenders. At the same time, Congress is in a tug-of-war over the federal budget — and the proposed cuts to the CDFI Fund would slash hundreds of millions of dollars from underserved communities.

This is not just a policy decision. It’s an economic emergency for the very communities that are driving the country’s small business boom.

In Michigan alone:

CDFIs supported nearly 1 in 4 new small businesses in 2022
In cities like Detroit, they touched 35–50% of new ventures
These businesses created jobs, stabilized neighborhoods, and moved millions through local economies
Without full funding, thousands of businesses will lose access to capital. Jobs will vanish. And the momentum we’ve been building — especially in the communities that need it most — could stall completely.

We are calling on Congress to fully fund the CDFI Fund at $354 million in the FY2025 budget — and to protect it from executive efforts to dismantle its impact.

If you believe in:

• Investing in small businesses
• Supporting communities that have been left behind
• Keeping economic opportunity open for all —

Add your name.

Let’s send a clear message to Washington:

We won’t stand by while the doors close on the next generation of entrepreneurs.