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Since 1994 when a bipartisan act was signed into law creating the Community Development Financial Institutions (CDFI) Fund, the number of CDFIs across the country has grown to more than 1,400. These CDFIs support economic growth and development by delivering access to capital and other training resources that provide a critical entry point to banks for many individuals, businesses, and communities.

The impact of CDFIs goes beyond dollars loaned and include jobs retained and created in communities across the state. In the same period, between 2005 and 2022, CDFIs in Arkansas helped to create 89,682 new jobs and retain 39,906.