Mission & Message: CDFIs & Racial Equity

Amber Banks

African American Alliance of CDFI CEOs

Duanne Andrade

SELF (Solar and Energy Loan Fund)

The sixth installment of our "The Future of CDFIs" series features Amber Banks (President and CEO of the African American Alliance of CDFI CEOs) and Duanne Andrade (CEO of the Solar Energy Loan Fund and Policy Committee Chair for NALCAB) discussing the critical intersection of CDFIs and racial equity. The session addressed the significant political and systemic challenges facing the sector in 2025/26—particularly recent executive orders targeting diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives.

Resources & Slides

Amber's Slides

Duanne's Slides

CDFI Friendly America's paper "Place, Race & CDFI Lending: Examining Relationships among CDFI Fund Investment Areas, Majority-Minority Census Tracts, & CDFI Lending Activity”