A CDFI is not a separate kind of lender: it is a certification from the U.S. Treasury's CDFI Fund that banks, credit unions, loan funds and venture funds can hold. Of the 1,268 certified CDFIs, 364 are credit unions, 180 banks or thrifts, 154 bank holding companies, 561 loan funds and 9 venture capital funds.
The short version
The CDFI Fund says CDFIs include regulated institutions such as community development banks and credit unions, and non-regulated institutions like loan and venture capital funds.
[1] So a CDFI credit union is still a credit union, and a CDFI bank is still a bank. What the certification adds is a mission test. One of the requirements the CDFI Fund lists is that the applicant Provides development services in conjunction with its financing activities
. [1]
The certified list by type
| Type | Certified | Share | Verified from their sites | Native CDFIs |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Loan funds | 561 | 44% | 416 | 52 |
| Credit unions | 364 | 29% | 265 | 6 |
| Banks or thrifts | 180 | 14% | 139 | 4 |
| Bank holding companies | 154 | 12% | 40 | 3 |
| Venture capital funds | 9 | 1% | 5 | 0 |
| All | 1,268 | 100% | 865 | 65 |
What each type lends, from their own websites
Share of verified lenders of each type that describe the product:
| Product | Credit unions | Banks or thrifts | Bank holding companies | Loan funds |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Small-business loans | 35% | 85% | 88% | 59% |
| Personal / consumer loans | 89% | 80% | 75% | 10% |
| Home mortgages | 74% | 78% | 78% | 15% |
| Auto / vehicle loans | 93% | 71% | 75% | 4% |
| Commercial real estate loans | 22% | 55% | 62% | 21% |
| Equipment loans | 21% | 45% | 50% | 11% |
| SBA-backed loans (7(a)/504/Community Advantage) | 10% | 29% | 42% | 13% |
| Microloans | 4% | 4% | 2% | 28% |
| Home repair / improvement loans | 12% | 32% | 32% | 10% |
| Credit-builder loans | 25% | 10% | 15% | 7% |
| Agriculture / farm loans | 5% | 42% | 28% | 6% |
| Affordable housing development loans | 0% | 3% | 8% | 23% |
Other differences we can measure
| Feature | Credit unions | Banks or thrifts | Bank holding companies | Loan funds |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Online application link found | 86% | 31% | 42% | 43% |
| Service in Spanish | 26% | 1% | 2% | 16% |
| States a service area | 36% | 27% | 35% | 72% |
| Says it lends to startups | 3% | 2% | 0% | 17% |
| Names low-income borrowers as a focus | 6% | 6% | 5% | 27% |
Most common at credit unions: auto / vehicle loans (93%), personal / consumer loans (89%), home mortgages (74%). Most common at banks or thrifts: small-business loans (85%), personal / consumer loans (80%), home mortgages (78%). Most common at bank holding companies: small-business loans (88%), home mortgages (78%), personal / consumer loans (75%). Most common at loan funds: small-business loans (59%), microloans (28%), affordable housing development loans (23%). Loan funds stand out on microloans and affordable housing development loans, where their share is the highest of any type. Median small business loan maximum stated: credit unions $50,000 (11 lenders); banks or thrifts $125,000 (4 lenders); bank holding companies $300,000 (2 lenders); loan funds $250,000 (113 lenders). Few banks publish an amount, so treat their figures with care.
How big they are
The certified list does not give sizes, so we matched lenders to regulator and IRS records. Medians, because a few large lenders would distort an average:
| Type | Lenders matched | Median total assets | Source and date |
|---|---|---|---|
| Credit unions | 285 | $182.6 million | NCUA call report, 30 Jun 2026 |
| Banks or thrifts | 175 | $372.7 million | FDIC BankFind, 30 Jun 2026 |
| Loan funds (nonprofit) | 445 | $15.6 million | IRS Form 990, newest filing (mostly fiscal years ending 2023) |
The matched CDFI credit unions (284 distinct NCUA charters) have 11,643,504 members between them. Matched banks and credit unions run 3,422 walk-in offices. Bank holding companies are left out of the table because their assets are those of the banks they own.
Sources: NCUA call report data (credit unions: total assets, members) and FDIC BankFind Suite (banks: total assets), both as of 30 Jun 2026, downloaded 3 Nov 2026. Lenders are matched by the RSSD ID on the CDFI Fund list. Offices: walk-in offices from the FDIC office list and the NCUA branch file, counted once where a holding company and its bank are both listed.
Source: IRS Annual Extract of Tax-Exempt Organization Financial Data (returns processed in 2024, 2023, 2022; downloaded 3 Nov 2026), newest Form 990 or 990-EZ per fund, end-of-year figures as self-reported. Total assets are the whole balance sheet; loans receivable is Form 990 Part X line 7. Funds are matched to the IRS by name, state and city or ZIP.
Who shows up in public loan data
In 2025 HMDA home-loan data, 264 certified CDFIs reported originated home loans: 159 credit unions, 102 banks and bank holding companies, and 3 loan funds. Loan funds are mostly below HMDA's reporting thresholds, so this undercounts them. In the SBA's 7(a) and 504 files for fiscal years 2020–2026, 257 certified CDFIs appear: 87 loan funds, 95 banks and bank holding companies, and 75 credit unions.
Source: FFIEC/CFPB HMDA data for 2025, snapshot frozen 2 Jun 2026, read through the CFPB HMDA Data Browser API on 3 Nov 2026. Originated loans only. Only lenders above HMDA's reporting thresholds file, so most loan funds and many small CDFIs are not in it. HMDA publishes each amount as the middle of a $10,000 band, so totals and medians are approximate. How we match lenders.
Source: SBA 7(a) & 504 FOIA loan data, files as of 30 Sep 2026, downloaded 3 Nov 2026; approvals in fiscal years 2020–2026, cancelled loans left out. Aggregates only, no borrower is named. Banks and credit unions are matched by FDIC or NCUA number, other lenders by name, state and city. Method.
Membership and deposits
Credit unions lend to members. The NCUA says: Credit unions are owned and controlled by the people, or members, who use their services.
And: Members of a credit union share a common bond, also known as the credit union’s “field of membership.”
[2] On deposits, the NCUA says: The standard share insurance amount is $250,000 per share owner, per insured credit union, for each account ownership category.
[2] Not every credit union is federally insured: Some deposits at state-chartered credit unions are insured by private insurers.
[3]
Banks need no membership. The FDIC says: Your deposits are automatically insured to at least $250,000 at each FDIC-insured bank.
[4]
Loan funds are the non-regulated part of the list, in the CDFI Fund's words. Deposit insurance protects money you keep at an institution, not money you borrow, so it does not come into choosing a lender for a loan.
Which to try first
- Car, personal, credit-builder or small emergency loan: a CDFI credit union you can join. See credit-builder loans and bad credit.
- Business loan under $50,000, or a first loan for a new business: a loan fund. See microloans and startups.
- Larger business or commercial property loan: a CDFI bank, or a loan fund with an SBA 504 or 7(a) product. See SBA lenders.
- Mortgage: credit unions and banks most often, and some housing loan funds; see CDFI mortgages and down-payment help.
Browse by place on the state pages, or use the ZIP search and filter by lender type.
Questions
Is every credit union a CDFI?
No. Only credit unions certified by the CDFI Fund are CDFIs; 364 credit unions are on the certified list as of 21 Oct 2026.
Is a CDFI bank safe for deposits?
A CDFI bank is a bank, and deposits at an FDIC-insured bank are insured to at least $250,000. Check the bank in the FDIC's BankFind tool.
Are CDFI loans cheaper than bank loans?
It depends on the lender and the loan, and we do not compare CDFIs with banks that are not CDFIs. See the rates CDFIs publish in CDFI loan interest rates, ask each lender for its rate and fees, and compare the APR.
What is a CDFI loan fund?
A CDFI that is not a bank or credit union; the CDFI Fund calls loan funds non-regulated institutions. There are 561 on the list, and they make most of the CDFI microloans in our data.
Can I use a CDFI if I already have a bank?
Yes. Borrowing from a CDFI loan fund does not require moving your accounts. A credit union will ask you to join first.
Not financial advice. CDFI Atlas is not a lender and is not affiliated with the CDFI Fund. Lender terms change: confirm with the lender.
Sources
- CDFI Fund: CDFI Certification, read 3 Nov 2026
- NCUA, MyCreditUnion.gov: How is a credit union different than a bank?, read 3 Nov 2026
- NCUA, MyCreditUnion.gov: Share Insurance, read 3 Nov 2026
- FDIC: Deposit Insurance, read 3 Nov 2026
- NCUA: Credit union call report data (quarterly), data downloaded 3 Nov 2026 (data date given where it is used)
- FDIC: BankFind Suite, data downloaded 3 Nov 2026 (data date given where it is used)
- IRS: SOI Tax Stats, Annual Extract of Tax-Exempt Organization Financial Data (Form 990), data downloaded 3 Nov 2026 (data date given where it is used)
- FFIEC and CFPB: Home Mortgage Disclosure Act data, HMDA Data Browser, data downloaded 3 Nov 2026 (data date given where it is used)
- SBA: 7(a) & 504 FOIA loan data, data downloaded 3 Nov 2026 (data date given where it is used)
Lender data: the CDFI Fund list of certified CDFIs as of 21 Oct 2026 and the lenders' own websites, read 29 Oct 2026–4 Nov 2026 (each lender page shows its own date). Method: About and methodology.