About Us
A certified Community Development Financial Institution dedicated to promoting community development and financial inclusion
Mission
PEOPLE TRUST'S primary PURPOSE is to promote community development by providing credit counseling services, financial support and literacy for communities that would otherwise not receive said OPPORTUNITIES. PEOPLE TRUST pledges to challenge what has become tradition in today's fluctuating socio-economical system. The goal is to CREATE avenues for an elevated understanding of financial stability by stimulating and motivating an untapped region of the economy and the communities in which they dwell.
Membership & Partners
What is a Community Development Financial Institution?
Community Development Financial Institutions
Community development financial institutions (CDFIs) are private financial institutions that are 100% dedicated to delivering responsible, affordable lending to help low-income, low-wealth, and other disadvantaged people and communities join the economic mainstream.
By financing community businesses, including small businesses, microenterprises, nonprofit organizations, commercial real estate, and affordable housing, CDFIs spark job growth and retention in hard-to-serve markets across the nation.
CDFIs are profitable but not profit-maximizing. They put community first, not the shareholder. For more than 30 years, they have had a proven track record of making an impact in those areas of America that need it most.
People Trust is a Community Development Loan Fund
Community Development Loan Funds
Community development loan funds (CDLFs) provide financing and development services to businesses, organizations, and individuals in low-income communities. There are four main types of loan funds: microenterprise, small business, housing, and community service organizations. Each is defined by the client served, though many loan funds serve more than one type of client in a single institution. CDLFs tend to be nonprofit and governed by boards of directors with community representation.
The History of CDFIs
Community Development Financial Institutions or CDFIs emerged in response to a lack of access to responsible and affordable credit and capital in minority and economically distressed communities. The CDFI "movement" took shape in the 1970s with the passage of the Community Reinvestment Act, which encourages financial institutions to meet the needs of all sectors of the communities they serve.
Amid growing concerns about the social consequences of investment decisions made by the financial services industry on the nation's low-income communities, early CDFIs began filling a niche by providing capital and credit in areas that are often difficult for traditional financial institutions to serve. Since its inception in 1994, the CDFI Fund has built a nation-wide network of CDFIs committed to ensuring that underserved communities have access to quality, affordable, and credible financial services.
Over time, the CDFI Fund has leveraged more sophisticated financial mechanisms, such as tax credits, to further support community development. Today, with the CDFI Fund's help, what started as a grassroots movement has grown into a thriving sector of the financial services industry that is meeting the needs of communities across the country.
In a nutshell: CDFIs are federally designated financial institutions that help consumers who have needs that aren't served by the mainstream banking system. If you are still having a hard time understanding, just think about it like this: we're a cross between a foundation and a bank.