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    CFSI invests in promising new ideas – both nonprofit and for-profit – focused on providing financial services to underbanked consumers.  Since 2004, we have made grants to nonprofit organizations, as well as private equity investments in leading for-profit companies.  Our objective is to partner with pioneering leaders in the financial services industry to infuse the market with innovation and deliver value to consumers.  We are actively engaged with our grantees and portfolio companies, bringing strategic guidance, visibility and an unparalleled network in the underbanked financial services and capital industries

    Nonprofit Grants  

    CFSI supports pioneering nonprofit organizations providing financial services and asset-development opportunities to low-income, underbanked consumers through its Nonprofit Opportunities Fund. The Fund is supported by a grant from the Wal-Mart Foundation, and in 2008, CFSI selected four innovative nonprofits to receive grants totaling $1.25 million. Grantees also receive strategic guidance, technical assistance, visibility, and an unparalleled network in the financial services industry. CFSI believes non-profits are uniquely positioned to play a vital role in bridging the gap between the financial services industry and underbanked consumers. The Nonprofit Opportunities Fund leverages nonprofit strengths in encouraging industry innovation and catalyzing change for underbanked consumers. 

    Over the past four years, CFSI has awarded nearly $2.35 million in grant funding to eleven nonprofit organizations whose work has infused the market with innovation and delivered value to underbanked consumers. CFSI supports innovative projects aimed at underserved consumers that both address these consumers’ short-term financial needs and promote their longer-term financial well-being. 

    To learn more about CFSI’s grantees, please visit www.cfsinnovation.com/grantees.php. 

    For-profit Investments

    In July 2007, CFSI announced the CFSI Catalyst Fund, L.P.  For-profit companies which can demonstrate strong financial returns, high consumer impact and true innovation are reviewed on an ongoing basis by CFSI’s investment team.  We focus on early stage companies in the financial services space, which serve primarily underbanked consumers directly or indirectly.  We focus on financial services offerings for US-based consumers (not international, at this time), but we do not provide lending capital.  With few exceptions, we do not review regulated banks. If you are a community development bank, please visit National Community Investment Fund.  To learn more about CFSI’s investment portfolio, visit http://www.cfsinnovation.com/investees.php.

    Please submit an executive summary for review to Arjan Schütte by email: arjan@cfsinnovation.com.  Successful plans describe a strong management team, a large addressable market, a competitive differentiation, the end-user consumer impact, and an innovative product or service which can generate material returns.

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