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Certified CDFI

Economic and Community Development Institute, Inc. (ECDI)

Loan fundVerified from lender site on 2 Nov 2026

Loan fund in Columbus, Ohio, on the CDFI Fund's list of certified CDFIs (as of 21 Oct 2026).

Type
Loan fund
Based in
Columbus, OH
Certified
24 Jan 2014
Loan types found
2

At a glance

From its website, read 2 Nov 2026

Economic and Community Development Institute, Inc. (ECDI) is a loan fund based in Columbus, Ohio. Its website describes SBA-backed loans and small-business loans. Stated loan amounts run up to $1M. It says it considers borrowers with low or no credit history.

Each point is backed by a quote further down this page. Terms change: confirm with the lender.

How to reach them and apply

Toll-free(888) 210-3039 source
Websitewww.ecdi.org
Office (official list)1655 Old Leonard Ave, Columbus, OH 43219

What their website says about applying

  • A Relationship Manager (RM) will contact you and discuss your capital need, determine eligibility and send you an application. source
  • A business plan is required as part of the application process. Your plan should demonstrate how you will repay the loan. source
  • There is a $25 application fee for each applicant. source
  • Provide a voided business check in your company’s name source

Phone numbers and addresses are the ones on the lender's own site and the CDFI Fund list. CDFI Atlas does not take applications.

Rates and terms they state

Read 2 Nov 2026
LoanStatedText on the lender's site (verbatim)Page
Loans (general)Term: see their wordingFlexible repayment periods — up to 120 monthssource

As published on the lender's website on that date, not an offer or a quote. Your rate depends on the lender's review. A missing rate means the pages we read did not state one. For consumer loans we repeat a rate only when the lender states it as an APR (annual percentage rate, which includes fees); otherwise read the lender's own wording and ask for the APR.

Who qualifies, in their words

  • Low or damaged credit considered Attainable for business owners with low to average credit or ones who have been denied source
  • Business plan required A business plan is required as part of the application process. Your plan should demonstrate how you will repay the loan. source

Only rules the lender's own pages state. Other requirements may apply.

Official record

CDFI Fund list, 21 Oct 2026
Institution typeLoan fund
Native CDFINo
Date certified (as listed)24 Jan 2014
RSSD ID— (none listed)
Address1655 Old Leonard Ave, Columbus, OH 43219 Directions (Google Maps)
Websitewww.ecdi.org

Loans and eligibility

Verified from lender site on 2 Nov 2026

Read from 7 pages of the lender's website on 2 Nov 2026. Quotes are verbatim. Extracted with AI help from the pages listed below and checked automatically against them. Not reviewed by a person. Confidence: high. Online step is a loan inquiry; formal applications follow contact from a Relationship Manager. Terms change — confirm with the lender before applying.

ProductAmount statedText on the lender's site (verbatim, incl. menu labels)Page
SBA-backed loans (7(a)/504/Community Advantage)—COMMUNITY ADVANTAGE (7A)source
Small-business loans—we provide responsible, affordable small business loans through SBA and other funding sources.source

Loan sizes

  • Provides working capital financing of up to $15,000 for eligible small businesses. source
  • Up to $50,000 source
  • Businesses can borrow up to $1,000,000 source

Range used for the size filter: not stated to $1M

Service area

Not stated on the pages we read.

Borrower focus

  • Rural Funding, education and personalized assistance available in USDA-certified rural areas. source
  • Startups START-UPS / NEW BUSINESSES source
  • Veterans Serving veterans of the U.S. Armed Forces with loans and business training. source

Languages

  • No non-English service found on the pages we read.

Online application

No online application link found on the pages we read.

Pages read (7)

Questions to ask when you contact them

Based on what their website said when we read it on 2 Nov 2026, and what it left out. Something missing here does not mean they don't offer it: ask.

  1. Do you lend where I live, or where my business is?
    Their website does not say which area they serve.
  2. Is there a minimum loan amount?
    Their website gives a maximum ($1M) but no minimum.
  3. What interest rate and fees should I expect on your SBA-backed loans and small-business loans?
    Their website does not state a rate for this.
  4. Can I apply online, or do I need to call or visit?
    We found no online application on their website.
  5. Do you offer free coaching or help preparing my application?
    CDFI certification requires development services, such as training or advice, alongside lending.
  6. What documents will you need from me, and how long does a decision usually take?
    Their website describes some application steps (above); ask for the full document list.

Write down the answers, who you spoke to and the date, and ask for the terms in writing before you sign.

CDFI Fund awards

CDFI Fund database, 3 Nov 2026

$14.9 million in 15 awards from the U.S. Treasury's CDFI Fund, 2005–2024 (4 programs).

Round yearProgramAmount
2024CDFI Program, Financial Assistance$1,350,000
2022CDFI Equitable Recovery Program$3,718,258
2022CDFI Program, Financial Assistance$660,000
2021CDFI Program, Financial Assistance$500,000
2021CDFI Rapid Response Program$1,826,265
2020CDFI Program, Financial Assistance$650,000
2019CDFI Program, Financial Assistance$525,000
2017CDFI Program, Financial Assistance$916,905
2016CDFI Program, Financial Assistance$1,500,000
2012CDFI Program, Financial Assistance$653,806
2011CDFI Program, Financial Assistance$1,000,000
2010CDFI Program, Financial Assistance$600,000
2009CDFI Program, Financial Assistance$500,000
2008CDFI Program, Financial Assistance$481,299
2005CDFI Program, Technical Assistance$47,000

These are awards and investments made to the institution itself to build its capital and capacity. They are not loans to borrowers, and an award does not mean the lender has money available for a particular loan today.

Source: CDFI Fund Searchable Awards Database, all 12,628 award records (1996–2025), read 3 Nov 2026. Years are the award round as the database lists it. Matched to the official CDFI list by exact name and state; see the method on the About page.

Size of the fund (IRS Form 990)

Fiscal year ending Jun 2023
Total assets$74.4M
Total liabilities$60.9M
Net assets$13.5M
Total revenue$13.8M
Notes and loans receivable, net (Part X line 7)$39.8M

End-of-year figures from the Form 990 this organisation filed with the IRS for the fiscal year ending June 2023 (tax year 2022; EIN 31-1145544, filed as “ECONOMIC AND COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT INSTITUTE INC”), taken from the IRS Annual Extract of Tax-Exempt Organization Financial Data (returns processed in 2024). Figures are self-reported to the IRS, not audited by us, and lag one to two years behind today. The lender’s own annual report may show newer numbers. This organisation’s filings on ProPublica Nonprofit Explorer

Filings over time

Fiscal year endingTotal assetsNet assetsRevenueNotes and loans receivable
Jun 2021 (990)$102.7M$8.5M$14.3M$69.4M
Jun 2022 (990)$78.4M$12.5M$20M$37.2M
Jun 2023 (990)$74.4M$13.5M$13.8M$39.8M

Total assets fell 28% from Jun 2021 to Jun 2023; notes and loans receivable fell 43%. One row per fiscal year in the IRS extracts of returns processed in 2022, 2023, 2024; “—” = the line was empty or zero on that return (a fund can book its loans on other lines).

How it compares

Computed from public data
MeasureThis lenderCompared with
Median SBA 7(a) loan it approved, FY2020–FY2026$150,000 (89 loans)All 7(a) lenders in Ohio: $100,000. Larger than the median loan of 42% of the 97 other certified CDFIs with 10 or more 7(a) loans.
SBA approvals, FY2023–24 → FY2025–2621 → 9Rank among the 6 certified CDFIs in Ohio with SBA approvals in either period: 3 → 3.
Largest loan its website states$1MOther loan funds whose website states a maximum: median $250,000. Higher than the stated maximum of 72% of these 184.
Total assets, latest IRS Form 990$74.4MLarger than 69% of the 13 other certified loan funds and venture funds in Ohio with a matched Form 990 (median $24.6M).
How these comparisons were worked out
MeasurePeer group (this lender left out)PeersWhere this lender sits
Median SBA 7(a) loancertified CDFIs with 10+ 7(a) loans, nationwide97larger than 42%
SBA approvals then vs nowcertified CDFIs in Ohio with SBA approvals FY2023–20265rank 3 → 3 of 6
Largest stated loanother loan funds stating a maximum, nationwide184higher than 72%
Form 990 total assetscertified loan and venture funds with a Form 990, in Ohio13larger than 69%

“Larger than X%” = the share of the peer group with a smaller value. Ranks count from the largest. Peer groups use the lender's home state when it has at least 5 peers, otherwise the whole country. Full definitions: methodology.

For comparison, not an offer and not a rating. Past records show what this lender did, not what you would be offered; your rate depends on the loan and on the lender's review. Peer groups and sources: methodology. SBA 7(a) & 504 FOIA data as of 30 Sep 2026. Form 990 figures: IRS annual extracts (see the Form 990 section).

SBA loans approved

SBA data as of 30 Sep 2026

The SBA's public loan data lists 89 SBA-backed approvals for Economic and Community Development Institute, Inc. (ECDI) in fiscal years 2020–2026 (October 2019 to September 2026):

  • 89 7(a) loans as the lender: $14.8M in total (gross amount approved), median $150,000

By fiscal year: FY2020 21 · FY2021 17 · FY2022 21 · FY2023 11 · FY2024 10 · FY2025 6 · FY2026 3.

What actually happened

  • Size of its 7(a) loans: half were between $107,900 and $217,500, median $150,000 (89 loans)
  • Term of its 7(a) loans: median 120 months (10 years) (89 loans)
  • Fixed or variable: 83% of its 7(a) loans had a fixed rate (89 loans)
  • Young businesses: 65% of its 7(a) loans went to a startup or a business two years old or less (89 loans with an answer)

Descriptive only: what the SBA file records for loans this lender approved in fiscal years 2020–2026. Each figure covers at least 10 loans; with fewer we show nothing. It is not an offer, not the rate or term you would get, and says nothing about your chance of approval.

By program

  • 7(a) Community Advantage (70, 79%)
  • 7(a) standard (19, 21%)

Borrower industries

NAICS sector, 3 or more loans.

  • Accommodation and food services (20)
  • Retail trade (14)
  • Manufacturing (9)
  • Health care and social assistance (9)
  • Professional, scientific, and technical services (8)

Where borrowers are

County of the borrower's ZIP code, 3 or more loans.

How this lender was matched in the SBA files: SBA lender ID 0443558: same organisation by name and state, checked by hand (SBA lists “Economic and Community Development Institute”).

Approved is not the same as paid out: an approved loan can be reduced or never drawn. SBA lists the lender each loan is currently assigned to, which can differ after a merger or loan sale. Economic and Community Development Institute, Inc. (ECDI) may also make loans outside SBA programs, which are not counted here, and SBA Microloans are not in these files.

Source: U.S. Small Business Administration, 7(a) & 504 FOIA loan data, files as of 30 Sep 2026, downloaded 3 Nov 2026. Our counts, cancelled approvals left out. How we match lenders.

Other certified CDFIs in Columbus and Ohio

All 31 CDFIs in Ohio

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Source: CDFI Atlas, cdfiatlas.com/lenders/economic-and-community-development-institute-inc-ecdi/. © 2026 CDFI Atlas. Quoting with a link is welcome; republishing the pages or the compiled data is not (terms of use).