Today, the U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Community Development Financial Institutions Fund (CDFI Fund) has updated the Community Development Financial Institution (CDFI) Certification Application Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs).
New content has been added to the FAQs since the CDFI Fund published a new more user-friendly web-based version of the FAQs on March 17, 2025. The new questions and answers, indicated with an asterisk, cover topics on Section Zero, Collective Review, Affiliates, Primary Mission, Target Market, Accountability, and the Transaction Level Report. The additions clarify issues that the CDFI Fund observed in CDFI Certification Applications submitted in earlier submission windows.
Additionally, on July 7, 2025, the CDFI Fund released an updated version of the CDFI Certification Supplemental Guidance and Tips document. The changes were not substantive and were either graphic design in nature or clarified existing language. This guidance document supersedes earlier editions released by the CDFI Fund.
Finally, the CDFI Fund also released three additional versions of the CDFI Certification Supplemental Guidance and Tips document, which are tailored to specific financial institution types. There is a separate document for banks and depository institution holding companies; credit unions; and loan funds and venture capital funds.
Related Materials:
- CDFI Certification Application FAQs
- CDFI Certification Supplemental Guidance and Tips
- CDFI Certification Supplemental Guidance and Tips – Banks and Depository Institution Holding Companies
- CDFI Certification Supplemental Guidance and Tips – Credit Unions
- CDFI Certification Supplemental Guidance and Tips – Loan Fund and Venture Capital Funds
All CDFI Certification Application guidance materials and resources can be found on the CDFI Fund’s website at www.cdfifund.gov/cdficert under ‘Step 2:Application Process’.
Important Reminders:
- The Section Zero Application Submission window closes at 11:59 p.m. ET on August 15, 2025, for currently Certified CDFIs with a fiscal year end (FYE) of April 30th, May 31st, or June 30th.
- The next Certification Application Submission window (“Window 2”) closes at 11:59 p.m. ET on September 30, 2025, for currently Certified CDFIs with a FYE of December 31st, February 28th, or March 31st.
- The final Certification Application Submission window (“Window 3”) closes at 11:59 p.m. ET on December 31, 2025, for currently Certified CDFIs that submitted an Application in the Early Recertification window, which closed on January 6, 2025, and received a decline notice for that specific Application.
Questions
Questions about the CDFI Certification Application should be directed to the Office of Certification Policy and Evaluation (OCPE) via AMIS Service Request (preferred), or by email at ocpecert@cdfi.treas.gov.