NYS CDFIs: Developing Resilience

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“History doesn’t repeat itself but it often rhymes.”  This observation, often attributed to Mark Twain, reminds us not just of the cyclical nature of community development, but also of the resilience of our movement.

 

Just a week before the start of the 2025 NYS CDFI Coalition Conference, we learned that CDFIs were considered – by some – just another example of government waste, fraud and abuse. Uncertainty around future support for the CDFI Fund colored our discussion of CDFIs’ efforts to develop and sustain resilience in the communities they serve.

 

The conference began with welcoming remarks from Aisha Benson, the Chair of the Coalition’s Board of Directors, and Colleen Ryan, the Coalition’s Consulting Executive Director. The program opened with an acknowledgement that the participants were gathering on the ancestral lands of the Mohawk Haudenosaunee and the Stockbridge-Munsee band of Mahicans.

 

The Plenary Session explored the concept of community development through three flashpoints in history, and noted that while history was a pendulum, we continue to make progress. Andrea Longton, author of The Social Justice Investor provided context for the latest political developments and urged CDFI leaders to continue their work – professionally and personally – to align our actions with our values. Drawing on her prior work with OFN and Capital Impact Partners, Andrea delivered an uplifting message that many attendees noted was “just what they needed to hear.”

 

Madeline Marquez of Ponce Bank served as presenter and moderator for the Lunch Panel – “Protecting Your Legacy: Getting Your Financial House in Order.” With panelists Kristin Giantris of NFF and Jessie Lee of Renaissance, Madeline led a discussion of how few business owners or nonprofit leaders have a succession plan – or even a will. They discussed how the decisions we make today can extend our values, intentions and commitments into the future.

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Moderator Eric Dahl of M&T Bank led the Session I discussion of Implementing Green Lending. With panelists Greg Maher of the Leviticus Fund; Peter Schaeffing of High Impact Financial Analysis, and Sam Weisenberg of Bright Power, they explored what it takes to implement a Green Lending initiative from three different perspectives. They illustrated how CDFIs can help lead the way to a green economy that delivers on climate goals and creates new jobs and opportunities for small businesses.

 

Session II featured an “Innovation Showcase” and was moderated by Steve Garibell of TD Bank. Panelists Marco Fiallos of Renaissance and Jules Epstein Hebert of Inclusiv discussed how CDFIs are innovating to better serve their clients. Their tactics include integrating back-office technology with tools like SalesForce, and hiring specialized staff to support operations.

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Based on feedback from our members, we brought back a program from our 2023 conference, the Small Business Lending Meet Up. Facilitators for the discussion included Lindsey Vigoda of Small Business Majority, Lloyd Doaman of Carver CDC, Giovana Bracchi of La Fuerza, and Nancy Carin of BOC Network. Members shared thoughts and questions on how CDFIs can continue to offer safe ways for New York’s entrepreneurs to build and grow their businesses.

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The Keynote Panel, “From Redlining to Resilience: The Role of CDFIs in Building Community,” included thought leaders who shared their insight on how we can move beyond redlining and the harms of the past to developing resilience and building a better future for all.

 

Oscar Perry Abello, award-winning reporter for Next City and author of The Banks We Deserve, moderated the conversation and shared some findings from his book. Dr. Mindy Fullilove, writer and social psychiatrist, discussed how we can repair the cracks in the mental maps that divide our communities. Brenda Loya shared her experience with community development lending, and specifically, how Justice Climate Fund is working to advance environmental equity. Dafina Williams spoke about how CDFIs can bring us closer to these goals by prioritizing housing, fair lending, and small business supports.

 

Following a question-and-answer session, attendees enjoyed a book signing reception with Abello, Longton, and NYS CDFI Coalition Advisory Board Member Cliff Rosenthal, who shared copies of his books “Democratizing Finance” and “Community Capital.”

 

The second day of the conference opened with breakfast networking, followed by Session III with Denise Butler and Paige Stolen of ATX Advisory Services, who discussed building capacity with technology. Their presentation focused on moving beyond Excel spreadsheets, data maturity and automation, the role of artificial intelligence, and included two Case Studies illustrating Tech Transformation at CDFIs.

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Session IV delved into Housing as an Economic Development Strategy, with Sean Maguire of the Albany County Land Bank and Erin Perski of Home HeadQuarters in Syracuse. They shared how land banks, local governments and CDFIs are collaborating to address housing challenges.  We learned that CDFIs have a big role to play in meeting rising demand for housing, and making our communities more equitable, stable and affordable places to live.

 

Throughout the conference, many CDFI leaders shared that while they knew the history of the movement, the conference panels provided important context for the challenges we are now facing.

 

In addition to a box lunch for the trip home, participants left the conference with the knowledge that when we come together in community, there’s very little that can stop us. As Aisha Benson said in her welcoming remarks, “This will not be the last statewide conference of the NYS CDFI Coalition – we’ll see you next year.”

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