Every two years, the 12 Federal Reserve Banks survey community development financial institutions (CDFIs) about industry conditions. During this Connecting Communities webinar, participants learned more about what CDFIs have shared, including:

• How demand for CDFI's products and services changed over the past year and how it might evolve in the future,
• How CDFIs leverage public funding to accomplish their work, and
• What challenges CDFIs encountered in meeting demand and delivering on their mission.

In addition to sharing the CDFI Survey results, Federal Reserve staff connected with community development leaders and financial institutions to gain a deeper understanding of economic conditions affecting a broad range of consumers, individuals, and businesses. Attendees hear more about this outreach, including how the Federal Reserve engages with local community development lenders and what we've learned from several CDFI success stories.

2025 CDFI Survey Key Findings Report: https://www.richmondfed.org/region_communities/regional_data_analysis/surveys/cdfi/survey_results/cdfi_survey_key_findings_2025

CDFI Survey Results Over Time: https://www.richmondfed.org/region_communities/regional_data_analysis/regional_matters/2025/cdfi_survey_results_over_time

This Connecting Communities podcast explores key findings from the 2025 Community Perspectives Survey, which was conducted in April and May 2025. The survey captured the current conditions and future outlook of low- and moderate-income (LMI) communities across a range of critical issues, including:

Economic mobility

• Labor market trends
• Housing
• Financial stability
• Small business conditions
• Health
• Digital access
• Education

The session also explored the capacity and needs of organizations that serve LMI communities – focusing on their ability to deliver services, access resources, maintain staffing, and managing expenses.

How resilient is your community's workforce?

A strong, adaptive workforce is a key driver of community stability. During this Connecting Communities webinar, Bill Rodgers, vice president of Community Development Research at the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis, presented on current trends in the labor market. A panel of workforce experts and practitioners delved into actionable strategies that you can implement to proactively build and maintain a more resilient workforce in your community.