2013 was a pivotal year for FUND Consulting! We welcomed 36 new clients, served as a Bronze Level Sponsor at the Opportunity Finance Network Annual Conference, and presented our research at various community development conferences. To manage this growth, because we practice what we preach, we engaged in high level strategic planning in the fourth quarter of the year. The result is a new business approach, where we will be having more substantial engagements with a specified number of clients in order to increase the value and impact of our relationships. We look forward to our continued work as a strategic partner with our clients, helping them in achieving their stated goals and expanding the impact they have in underserved communities throughout the country. This annual report provides a snapshot of client accomplishments in 2013. As 2014 is off to a productive start, we can only imagine the level of impact our clients can achieve. We hope you read on and stay in touch with us throughout 2014.

Ruth Barber, Lolita Sereleas

The Year in Review

2013 proved to be another high impact year for FUND Consulting. We served 87 clients in 27 states, including 28 CDFI Banks, 8 Credit Unions, 48 Loan Funds, and 3 community development organizations. These clients represent $24,779,468,377 in assets, and have portfolios outstanding totaling $15,279,630,022.

FUND Consulting works in partnership with its clients to provide both strategic and operational services designed to help clients articulate and achieve their goals. Our strategic services delivered in 2013 included customized market studies, capitalization plans, strategic plans, and impact analyses.

Additionally, the FUND team was well positioned, both in terms of capacity and expertise, to support the influx of mandated CDFI recertification applications and helped to prepare and submit 52 certification/recertification applications. FUND Consulting is also well know for its results driven funding application services. In 2013, applications prepared by FUND Consulting generated $26,168,431 in grants, investments, and tax credits for clients:

CDFI Program	Funds Raised
BEA	$6,420,237
FATA	$17,498,194
NACA	$2,250,000
NMTC	TBA
Total Funding	$26,168,431

2014 is off to a great start for the FUND team. We are engaged in 4 strategic planning projects, 7 market analyses, 8 CDFI certification projects, and two grant applications.

To see a full list of our clients, read project examples, and stay up to date on the work of FUND Consulting, please visit our website.

FUND Consulting: An Industry Research Partner

At FUND Consulting, we are proud to serve as a research resource, helping both our individual clients as well as industry wide initiatives.

Deployment Strategies for CDFI Small Business Lenders

We recently worked with Opportunity Finance Network (OFN) to develop the newly released Technical Assistance Memo on Deployment Strategies for CDFI Small Business Lenders. OFN contracted with FUND Consulting to expand a survey we distributed to our clients. As part of this engagement, FUND Consulting issued the survey and conducted follow up interviews with the Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Business Growth Collaborative partners and other OFN members in August, 2013.

The findings from the research indicated that what increases the effectiveness in deployment for these CDFIs is clearly stated deployment goals and integrated strategies. CDFIs that link capitalization, marketing, and deployment into a cohesive and measurable management approach, with the organizational mission as a barometer for decision making, are the most effective at reaching their deployment goals.

While the research was limited to the operational issue of deployment for small business lenders, the FUND team has seen that this integrated strategic business model is an element in its most effective and sustainable CDFI clients. With this fundamental management approach in mind, supporting clients through strategic services is core to our business model.

Needs Assessment of CDFI Minority Depository Institutions

Our other large scale research partnership this year helped to

understand the training and technical assistance needs of CDFI Minority Depository Institutions (MDI). In June 2013, Deloitte Financial Advisory Services (Deloitte FAS) engaged FUND Consulting to complete a needs assessment to assist with addressing the training and technical assistance needs of CDFI MDIs throughout the United States and to research issues related to CDFI MDI participation in CDFI Fund programs.

The needs assessment included a survey of MDIs to identify common needs and challenges in the industry, a review of industry literature, and interviews with a sample group of CDFI MDIs. During this process, FUND Consulting also led a roundtable discussion with Deloitte FAS, the Community Development Bankers Association, Wilson Consulting Associates, and CastleOak Securities to discuss the issues and training needs of CDFI MDIs. FUND Consulting delivered a formal report of its survey findings, research, and interviews including an analysis of key themes and interview transcripts.

Additionally, FUND Consulting provided feedback on Deloitte FAS' final report to the CDFI Fund. The final report was used to develop the CDFI Fund's Preserving and Expanding CDFI Minority Depository Institutions series launched in early 2014. The series was created to assist CDFI MDIs in expanding their capacity to grow and sustain their lending and social impacts within their target markets.

Our Team

FUND is proud to have assembled a team with outstanding experience and credentials. Combined, the team has over 50 years of community development and nonprofit management experience. The diverse staff experience ranges from economic development to arts and culture and from health and human services to community banking. The team brings first-hand experience with international organizations, CDFI loan funds, community banking, workforce development and more.

View complete staff bios on our website.

Stay Connected with FUND on Social Media

Keep in touch with FUND Consulting and get the most up-to-date information on policy issues, funding opportunities, best practices, and happenings at the FUND offices through one of our social media channels: