FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
June 30, 2025
CDFI Friendly Tulsa Winds Down Its Operations, While Continuing to Support Housing Initiatives in Tulsa
Tulsa, Okla. — CDFI Friendly Tulsa (CFT), a nonprofit founded to expand access to community development financing, announced today that it will wind down its operations effective June 30, 2025. Since its launch in January 2023, CFT has worked to connect local borrowers with regional and national Community Development Financial Institutions (CDFIs), facilitating over $100 million in financing requests. These efforts helped drive equitable development in historically underinvested areas—particularly in North Tulsa and among BIPOC-led projects—across various sectors, including affordable housing, commercial real estate, and small business development.
CDFI Friendly Tulsa’s Impact at a Glance: Among its accomplishments are:
105 financing inquiries, with 93% from BIPOC borrowers and 89% from North Tulsa residents
Over $100 million in total financing requests
Facilitated $14 million in loans approved to date, with $60 million projected by the end of 2025
$8 million in real estate projects financed by CDFI partners
$6 million in small business capital facilitated
Strategic partnerships with national and local CDFIs, including:
TEDC Creative Capital
MetaFund
Capital Impact Partners
Communities Unlimited
Community Reinvestment Fund
“I am incredibly proud of everything CDFI Friendly Tulsa has accomplished in such a short time,” said Dr. Joyce McClellan, Chair of the CFT Board. “In just a few years, we built a trusted, community-centered platform that helped unlock over $100 million in financing opportunities for North Tulsa and other historically under-resourced communities throughout Tulsa. Our work has laid a strong foundation for lasting impact, and I am confident that the values we’ve championed will continue through the Tulsa Housing Partnership initiative.”
Originally supported by The Anne & Henry Zarrow Foundation, CFT was created to increase equitable access to capital in historically excluded communities. The Foundation’s early investment was catalytic—enabling the launch of a locally governed, mission-driven organization that built trust and credibility in the community and proved the need for CDFI activity in Tulsa. The success of CFT enabled the foundation to make further investments in CDFI financing, with generous investments in the Housing Partnership Network (HPN) and Mercy Housing, two leaders in the affordable housing and CDFI industries.
As CFT concludes its independent work, members of CFT’s board will continue to collaborate with HPN through its Tulsa Housing Partnership initiative, ensuring CFT’s mission and impact live on through a broader, more integrated approach to affordable housing investment.
“The Board of Directors of CDFI Friendly Tulsa has made the thoughtful decision to sunset the organization, confident that HPN’s Tulsa Housing Partnership will build on our progress and deepen the impact of CDFIs in Tulsa,” said Dr. McClellan. “This next chapter allows for even greater alignment of resources and national expertise to serve Tulsa's housing needs, particularly in underserved communities.”
Effective immediately, housing-related inquiries will still be directed to Isaiah Coleman, HPN’s Director, Tulsa Housing Partnership at coleman@housingpartnership.net, or to HPN’s new VP/Tulsa Housing Partnership, Anthony Scott, at ascott@housingpartnership.net. Inquiries from small businesses, nonprofits, and other community development organizations will be referred to partner organizations equipped to provide ongoing support.
Media Contact:
Dr. Joyce McClellan
Chair, Board of Directors
CDFI Friendly Tulsa
Joyceanita.McClellan@gmail.com
About CDFI Friendly Tulsa
CDFI Friendly Tulsa was created to connect local borrowers—especially from BIPOC and historically underserved communities—to national and regional community development lenders. As a community-centered nonprofit, CFT helped bridge the gap between local opportunity and mission-driven capital.