Fundamentals of the Opportunity Finance Industry
Overview
The Fundamentals of the Opportunity Finance Industry course was designed for practitioners interested in expanding their knowledge of the basics of the opportunity finance industry, which provides financing and financial services to low-income, low-wealth, and other disinvested communities. The course was jointly offered by OFN and the Carsey School of Public Policy at the University of New Hampshire.
Learn more about the program on Carsey School of Public Policy’s website.
Course Objectives
The goal of this certificate course was to develop the knowledge and capacity of community development finance professionals so they can productively contribute to expanding their organizations’ capacity and impact.
- Provide participants with an understanding of the history, models, products, and players in the opportunity finance field
- Expose participants to best practices and trends in financing, capitalization, and operations of community development financial institutions (CDFIs)
- Inform participants about impact measurement and evaluation as well as key policy issues impacting the industry
- Learn about portfolio policies and management, and underwriting loans to CDFI borrowers