NEW ORLEANS – The African American Alliance of CDFI CEOs (The Alliance) will bring more than 90 leaders of Black-led financial institutions to New Orleans June 16-18 for its 2026 Annual Conference, a national convening focused on expanding access to capital and strengthening community investment strategies.
Community Development Financial Institutions (CDFIs) provide capital and financial services to underserved or low-income communities.
The Alliance, a national coalition representing more than 90 Black-led CDFIs across all 50 states and Washington, D.C., plays a key role in financing small businesses, affordable housing and community development projects in historically underinvested areas. Based in Orlando, the organization operates as a nationwide network with members across the country.
“The African American Alliance of CDFI CEOs is an intermediary – a trade association for Black-led CDFI CEOs. Our primary mission is to be change-makers for CDFIs,” said Amber Banks, President and CEO of the African American Alliance of CDFI CEOs.
Banks said Black-led CDFIs continue to face challenges raising capital, managing roughly one-sixth the investment capital of their peers — a gap The Alliance views as a market failure that limits their ability to scale lending in underserved communities.
Why Capital Access Remains a Challenge for CDFIs
“The data tells us that Black-led CDFIs tend to struggle in terms of raising capital,” said Banks. “At the same time, when we look at the outcomes of these organizations, they do an extremely above average job in terms of reaching underserved populations, creating products and services that are culturally aware and that work.”
The result is that CDFIs are doing meaningful work in underserved communities while remaining consistently under-resourced.
The Alliance focuses on three core strategies: advocating for more equitable public funding policies, raising capital to strengthen member institutions, and providing technical assistance to build operational capacity.
Why New Orleans and Why Now
The conference comes at a time when CDFI leaders are navigating shifting economic conditions while playing an increasingly visible role in directing capital to underserved communities.
Centered on the theme “ONWARD: Our Legacy. Our Leadership. Our Charge,” the event will focus on strengthening both strategy and collaboration across the network, with an emphasis on measurable outcomes.
Held at The Westin New Orleans, the three-day event will gather Community Development Financial Institution (CDFI) leaders alongside funders, policymakers and industry partners to exchange ideas, build partnerships and shape how capital flows into underserved communities.
The Alliance’s Vision for CDFI Impact
Banks said New Orleans was chosen for a range of reasons, including The Alliance’s local member presence and the opportunity to make meaningful regional connections.
“We will be doing some pre-conference tours and site visits with a focus on environment and climate-based projects,” said Banks. “We look for cities that have the capacity to host but that also have cultural resonance for us.”
She said it’s not just about the music, food and history of New Orleans but also its capacity for resilience.
“The resilience of the people of the city is something that connects very deeply with the moment that we’re in,” said Banks. “We can all relate to this as we continue to fight the headwinds, politically, economically and otherwise.”
“There is something about the spirit of New Orleans and the people, the love they have for their city, the deep connection that they have to their culture that we really want to highlight because it is relevant in this moment.”
“We want every CEO that represents a CDFI that comes to this conference to leave with a really strong sense of purpose,” said Banks.
She said The Alliance wants to leverage its committed network to help organizations face the current challenges.
“We’re facing headwinds collectively at a national level but even at the regional level,” said Banks. “Resources are tight, the environment can be a bit tough – to talk about the work that we do in a way that is palatable, unfortunately.”
She said she wants attendees to be “surrounded by peers, partners and investors in a space that’s safe and that enhances the work they do,” providing “a sense of belonging and support.”
For New Orleans and the Gulf South, the conference also highlights the region’s role in ongoing national conversations around community finance and economic equity.
