CDFI Friendly announces expansion into Southwest Michigan

CDFI Friendly is proud to announce that we are now serving the greater Niles community.

Executive Director Sam Centellas recently broke the news before a full house at the October Chamber Buzz Event hosted by the Greater Niles Chamber of Commerce. At the networking event, Centellas shared with more than fifty local business leaders how the CDFI Friendly model can address many unmet needs within the community.

Centellas speaks to attendees at the October “Buzz Event.” Special thanks to Ryan Boeskool, Executive Director of the Greater Niles Chamber of Commerce, for the invitation. 

“Because Niles is so close to South Bend, they face the same struggles we do when it comes to CDFI access,” said Centellas following the event. “They're in the same CDFI desert that we’re in.”

Centellas described to the attendees how Community Development Financial Institutions, which are generally nonprofit loan funds, can provide capital to small businesses and organizations often underserved by traditional lenders. 

Centellas cited the local restaurant community as a prime example. “Niles has this kind of growing entrepreneurial food space,” he notes. “That's a market that's hard for banks to serve, but great for CDFIs to get involved to help spark that industry.”

Website and social media visitors can expect to see exciting changes to our organization’s name and branding from now into 2025 as CDFI Friendly begins to serve more communities in the Michiana region. 

CDFI Friendly looks forward to helping local businesses and nonprofits in southwest Michigan connect to capital. Contact us to learn more.