PRESS RELEASE: VA CDFI COALITION HOSTS INAUGURAL COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT SUMMIT
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
August 20, 2025
VA CDFI COALITION HOSTS INAUGURAL COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT SUMMIT
The Virginia CDFI Coalition will Convene Community Finance Practitioners and Funders for Catalyzing Economic Opportunity in the Commonwealth
Richmond, VA - The Virginia CDFI Coalition is proud to host the inaugural Virginia CDFI Summit on Wednesday, August 27, 2025, at the Capital One West Creek Town Center in Richmond. This one-day event, themed “Here. Now. Together,” will convene Community Development Financial Institutions (CDFIs), policymakers, philanthropic partners, financial institutions, and community investors in a powerful dialogue centered on economic prosperity and equitable finance across the Commonwealth.
The Virginia CDFI Coalition was established to support CDFIs in leveraging state funds for effective and responsible community investment. As one of the first states to create a state-budgeted CDFI Fund, garnering bipartisan and cross-sector support, Virginia is now uniquely positioned as a permanent resource for supporting lasting economic growth. Virginia CDFIs lend over $434M annually to small businesses, nonprofits, and in urban and rural areas across the state. The upcoming Summit will celebrate the accomplishments of Virginia CDFIs and energize community development practitioners through a dynamic program designed to foster collaboration, innovation, and collective impact.
“This is an important moment for those who are working for our communities, and this event gives us a unique opportunity to come together. We formed the VA CDFI Coalition because we believe that we could do more together than any of us could do alone, and we have already seen that happening across Virginia. The VA CDFI Summit is another way we are collaborating and responding to what our Virginia communities need most,” shares Leah Fremouw, Board President of the Virginia CDFI Coalition.
Summit highlights will include:
Opening Conversation with national leaders Donna Gambrell (Appalachian Community Capital), Brendon Miller (Opportunity Finance Network), Ellis Carr (Momentus Capital Partners), and Daniel Davis (Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond), offering a dynamic look at the current landscape of community development finance.
Key Policy Session featuring voices from Opportunity Finance Network, the Latino Economic Development Center, Virginia Bankers Association, and Rochdale Capital, exploring how the state and national political environment is shaping CDFI work.
Innovation in Philanthropy & Impact Investing, spotlighting groundbreaking models, impact metrics, and partnerships reshaping collaboration between philanthropies and CDFIs, featuring speakers from PATH Foundation, The Community Foundation for a Greater Richmond, Coalition for Green Capital, and LOCUS.
Hands-on Workshops exploring case studies and best practices for community finance, including technical assistance, real estate lending, affordable housing development, artificial intelligence (AI, and more.
Plus a special recorded message from Senator Mark Waner.
The Summit emerged from the Virginia CDFI Coalition’s strategic planning process facilitated by Capital One. This process illuminated the importance of gathering together in person to build stronger relationships with our organizations and each other. Capital One has continued its support of the Coalition and Virginia CDFIs.
Additional event details can be found https://www.vacdficoalition.org/events.
For questions and media inquiries, please contact:
Contact:
Leah Fremouw
Board President, Virginia CDFI Coalition
President & CEO, Bridging Virginia
info[at]vacdficoalition.org
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The Virginia CDFI Coalition seeks to offer a collective voice to address issues concerning the unmet financial needs of Virginia communities by advocating for greater awareness of CDFI activities and operations and by supporting the goals of its member organizations with peer support and education. These goals will be implemented by the Coalition members individually and collectively in statewide and local venues with an emphasis on social and racial equity. We do this through advocacy and education, industry best practices & partnerships, storytelling and market education, and with financial products, services, and communities impacted.
To learn more about The Virginia CDFI Coalition, visit here.