Community First Fund

30 West Orange Street
Lancaster PA, 17603-3841


Founded in 1992, Community First Fund (CFF) is a Lancaster based nonprofit loan fund that serves businesses and residents in a thirteen county area of central Pennsylvania with a population over three million people.

CDFI Awards for Community First Fund


FA (2008) - $1,076,391

Community First Fund (CFF) is a certified CDFI and nonprofit loan fund in operation since 1992. CFF offers loans for microenterprise, small and medium businesses, and for housing and commercial facilities in 13 counties of central Pennsylvania. CFF will use the FY08 Financial Assistance award of $1,000,000 as equity capital to support the growth of its loan fund and the FY08 Technical Assistance grant of $76,391 to build its information technology capacity by purchasing new hardware, software, and telecommunications equipment.



FA (2007) - $482,500

Community First Fund (CFF), established in 1992, is a non-profit economic development loan fund and a certified CDFI. It is located in Lancaster, Pennsylvania. CFF’s service area has grown in the past fourteen years and today encompasses a thirteen county area with a population of more than 3.5 million people. These counties include rural areas, small towns, urban centers, and surrounding suburban communities, which encompasses many distressed and underserved areas. CFF will use its FY07 Financial Assistance award to meet the growing demand for commercial real estate loans.



FA (2006) - $585,000

Community First Fund (CFF) is a certified CDFI established in 1992. CFF will use the $485,000 2006 Financial Assistance Award to expand beyond its traditional microloans to offer financing for medium-sized businesses, as well as increase the loan products available to affordable housing and community-based developers. CFF will use the 2006 Technical Assistance Award of $100,000 to fund two years of personnel expenses for an experienced lending specialist who will be responsible for marketing and managing the real estate-based loans for community development initiatives and affordable housing.



FA (2003) - $700,000

Community First Fund (CFF)is being awarded $700,000 in assistance that will be used as loan capital in support of CFF"s Microenterprise Initiative, and will allow CFF to begin funding larger projects and assisting businesses that have capital needs in excess of $50,000. Approximately 50% of this award will support projects in Hot Zones.



CORE (2000) - $500,000

The CDFI Fund"s $500,000 capital grant will leverage outside funds and will help CFF carry out its comprehensive business plan that calls for increasing the organization"s financing activities, particularly for entrepreneurs and low-income people lacking access to permanent financing for single-family loans.



CORE (1999) - $350,000

The CDFI Fund"s $350,000 award ($170,000 capital grant, $160,000 loan, and $20,000 technical assistance grant) will help CFF to expand into three adjacent counties in south central Pennsylvania, and will help expand its lending activities.



SECA (1998) - $25,000

The CDFI Fund"s $25,000 Technical Assistance grant will help CFF to improve operations and expand its market to include four additional counties in south central Pennsylvania.



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