Opportunity Information: Apply for CDFI 2020 FATA
The Fiscal Year 2020 CDFI Program grant opportunity is a discretionary funding program run by the US Department of the Treasury through the Community Development Financial Institutions (CDFI) Fund. It is designed to strengthen the ability of mission-driven financial organizations to deliver capital and financial services in communities that are historically underserved by mainstream finance. In practice, the program focuses on helping CDFIs expand lending and investment activity and improve the internal capacity needed to operate effectively in their designated service areas, referred to as Eligible Markets and/or Target Markets.
This opportunity offers two main types of support. First, it provides Base Financial Assistance (Base-FA) awards of up to 1,000,000 dollars to Certified CDFIs. The intent of these awards is to build financial capacity, essentially giving certified institutions additional strength and resources so they can increase lending, financing, and related services in the communities they are approved to serve. Second, it provides Technical Assistance (TA) grants of up to 125,000 dollars. TA funding is aimed at building organizational capacity, such as improving systems, staffing, training, policies, infrastructure, and other core operational needs that allow an organization to serve its markets more effectively. Unlike Base-FA, which is reserved for Certified CDFIs, the TA component is open to a broader set of organizations: Certified CDFIs, Certifiable CDFIs, and Emerging CDFIs, reflecting an emphasis on helping organizations at different stages of maturity build toward sustained community development impact.
The program is categorized as a grant (Funding Instrument Type: Grant) under the Community Development activity area, and it is associated with CFDA number 21.020. The funding opportunity number is CDFI 2020 FATA, and the estimated scale of the program is substantial, with an expectation of around 265 total awards. The award ceiling listed is 1,000,000 dollars, aligning with the maximum Base-FA award amount described in the announcement. Applicants are listed broadly as "Others," with the note that eligibility details are clarified in the official notice and related materials, which is typical for CDFI Fund programs where definitions of certification status and applicant type matter.
Key dates for the FY 2020 round show the opportunity was created on February 20, 2020, with an original application closing date of March 23, 2020. The official and controlling source for requirements, eligible uses of funds, selection criteria, compliance expectations, and submission instructions is the Notice of Funding Availability (NOFA) posted on the CDFI Fund website. This NOFA is where applicants would find the precise rules governing what qualifies as an eligible market or target market, how awards can be used, how performance and reporting are handled, and what documentation is required to demonstrate certification or readiness for certification.Apply for CDFI 2020 FATA
- The US Department of the Treasury, Community Development Financial Institutions in the community development sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Fiscal Year 2020 CDFI Program" and is now available to receive applicants.
- Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 21.020.
- This funding opportunity was created on Feb 20, 2020.
- Applicants must submit their applications by Mar 23, 2020. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
- Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $1,000,000.00 in funding.
- The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 265 candidate(s).
- Eligible applicants include: Others (see text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility for clarification).
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FY 2020 CDFI Program Grant Opportunity (CDFI 2020 FATA) - FAQs
1) What is the FY 2020 CDFI Program grant opportunity?
The Fiscal Year 2020 CDFI Program is a discretionary grant program administered by the U.S. Department of the Treasury through the Community Development Financial Institutions (CDFI) Fund. It is intended to strengthen mission-driven financial organizations so they can deliver capital and financial services in communities that have been historically underserved by mainstream finance.
2) What is the main purpose of this funding program?
The program is designed to expand the ability of CDFIs and CDFI-like organizations to increase lending and investment activity and to build the internal capacity needed to operate effectively in their designated service areas. These areas are referred to as Eligible Markets and/or Target Markets.
3) What types of awards are available under this opportunity?
This opportunity offers two types of support: Base Financial Assistance (Base-FA) awards and Technical Assistance (TA) grants.
4) What is a Base Financial Assistance (Base-FA) award?
Base-FA is funding intended to build the financial capacity of Certified CDFIs so they can expand lending, financing, investment activity, and related services in the communities they are approved to serve.
5) What is the maximum amount for a Base-FA award?
The maximum Base-FA award amount is up to $1,000,000.
6) Who is eligible to apply for Base-FA?
Base-FA awards are reserved for Certified CDFIs.
7) What is a Technical Assistance (TA) grant under this program?
TA is funding aimed at building organizational capacity. It can support improvements to systems, staffing, training, policies, infrastructure, and other core operational needs that help an organization serve its markets more effectively.
8) What is the maximum amount for a TA grant?
The maximum TA grant amount is up to $125,000.
9) Who is eligible to apply for TA funding?
TA funding is open to Certified CDFIs, Certifiable CDFIs, and Emerging CDFIs. This structure is intended to support organizations at different stages of maturity as they build toward sustained community development impact.
10) Is this opportunity a grant or a loan?
This opportunity is categorized as a grant (Funding Instrument Type: Grant).
11) What activity area does this program fall under?
The program is listed under the Community Development activity area.
12) What is the CFDA number for this program?
The CFDA number associated with this opportunity is 21.020.
13) What is the funding opportunity number?
The funding opportunity number is CDFI 2020 FATA.
14) How many awards are expected to be made?
The announcement indicates an expectation of around 265 total awards.
15) What is the award ceiling listed for this opportunity?
The listed award ceiling is $1,000,000, which aligns with the maximum Base-FA award amount described in the opportunity summary.
16) Who is listed as an eligible applicant in the summary?
Applicants are listed broadly as "Others," with a note that full eligibility details are clarified in the official Notice of Funding Availability (NOFA) and related materials.
17) What does it mean that the program focuses on Eligible Markets and/or Target Markets?
It means the program is oriented toward supporting activity in specific service areas that CDFIs are approved to serve. The NOFA is the controlling source for the precise rules and definitions for what qualifies as an Eligible Market or Target Market.
18) When was the FY 2020 opportunity created?
The opportunity was created on February 20, 2020.
19) What was the original application closing date for FY 2020?
The original application closing date was March 23, 2020.
20) Where can applicants find the official requirements and instructions?
The official and controlling source for requirements, eligible uses of funds, selection criteria, compliance expectations, performance and reporting, and submission instructions is the Notice of Funding Availability (NOFA) posted on the CDFI Fund website.
21) Where are the eligible uses of Base-FA and TA funds defined?
Eligible uses of funds are defined in the NOFA and related official materials posted by the CDFI Fund. Those documents describe what is allowable for Base-FA and TA and how funds may be applied within program rules.
22) Where can an organization confirm whether it is Certified, Certifiable, or Emerging for this program?
The NOFA and related CDFI Fund materials are the official sources for how certification status is documented and what is required to demonstrate certification or readiness for certification.
23) What kinds of organizational improvements does TA generally support?
Based on the opportunity description, TA generally supports capacity-building needs such as systems improvements, staffing, training, policies, infrastructure, and other operational foundations that enable an organization to serve its markets more effectively.
24) Does this program specifically target underserved communities?
Yes. The program is designed to strengthen organizations that deliver capital and financial services in communities historically underserved by mainstream finance, with activity tied to designated Eligible Markets and/or Target Markets.
25) Which document should be treated as the controlling authority if there is any conflict with summaries?
The Notice of Funding Availability (NOFA) posted on the CDFI Fund website is the controlling authority for rules, definitions, application requirements, evaluation criteria, compliance obligations, and submission instructions.
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