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On March 7, 2025, community builders, entrepreneurs, developers, investors, and practitioners gathered in East Lansing, Michigan for Changing the Paradigm: Mobilizing Community Investment Funds Conference. Supported by Michigan State University’s EDA-funded Regional Economic Innovation (REI) University Center, this convening explored the promise of community investment funds (CIFs) as tools to democratize access to capital, drive wealth creation, and strengthen local resilience.
Through expert-led workshops, engaging discussions, and peer learning, participants connected over shared goals of advancing equitable economic development. A clear takeaway emerged: communities across the country are eager to mobilize their own CIFs, and need accessible tools to get started.
Introducing the CIF Starter Workbook...
As one of the next steps from the conference, NC3 has provided a Community Investment Fund Starter Workbook. This practical guide walks communities through the foundational steps of building a CIF, including:
- Defining your vision, mission, and values
- Identifying a team that reflects community perspectives
- Selecting an initial project to launch your fund
- Mapping stakeholders, champions, and collaborators
- Exploring fund compliance strategies and entity structures
- Outlining capital raising options and launch steps
The workbook is designed to help communities begin turning conversations into action, equipping local leaders with frameworks, guiding questions, examples to spark fund development, and the potential to join a community of folks around the country building CIFs through NC3's accelerator program.
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