27th
March

2026

Register for OFN’s 2026 Small Business Finance Forum in Austin, TX

March 27, 2026 –

More than 500 mission-driven small business lenders and partners will gather this June 10-12 for OFN’s 13th annual SBFF.

Read time: 6 minutes

Small businesses are the backbone of the American economy. Led by passionate, hardworking entrepreneurs representing the best of our country, they also contribute to vibrant, flourishing, safe communities that we all deserve to call home.

Today, small businesses are navigating a genuinely difficult moment — tariffs, labor shortages, rising costs, and a shifting federal support landscape have created pressures that fall hardest on businesses in underinvested communities with the least margin for uncertainty. CDFIs and mission-driven financial institutions are feeling that pressure too, even as demand for their capital and coaching has never been greater. Yet CDFIs have a long history of stepping up as indispensable partners to entrepreneurs that mainstream finance overlooks — and 2026 is no exception. d

Join more than 500 CDFI industry peers and partners in Austin, Texas from June 10-12 for three days of peer learning and practical exploration at the 2026 Small Business Finance Forum. Together we’ll explore policy and market trends, operational innovation, and strategies designed to strengthen small business financing for our nation’s most underinvested entrepreneurs.

Agenda Highlights

The 2026 forum will feature over 30 interactive breakout sessions across seven distinct tracks, opportunities for peer learning and networking, and a Small Business Partner Expo spotlighting tools, resources, and organizations that help CDFI small business lenders do their jobs more efficiently and effectively and maximize impact. l

Attendees can also opt to arrive a day early to take advantage of our pre-forum training day on June 10. OFN will offer training opportunities on a variety of topics ranging from Generative AI to Financial Planning and Impact Measurement & Management.

Welcome reception (evening of June 10)
3 inspiring plenaries
Small Business Partner Expo featuring exhibitors with products and services geared toward small business lenders
30+ interactive breakout sessions spread across 7 distinct tracks
5 pre-event training opportunities (June 10)
Local tour on Thursday evening that celebrates Austin’s inventive and creative local food businesses (June 11)

REGISTER

Haven’t attended an OFN Small Business Finance Forum? Check out the recap from our 2025 event.

Session Tracks

Strategies for Entrepreneurial Success 
Scaling & Sustaining Loan Portfolios 
Policy in Action 
Optimizing Operations & Strategy 
Data-Driven Impact 
Innovating for the Future 
State of Small Business

Featured Breakout Sessions

Using Small Business Storytelling for Policy and Community Change
Customer-Centered Design: Lessons from Building Shared CDFI Systems
Good Data, Bad DataViz: A Data Visualization Gallery Walk
From Crisis to Continuity: Strategies for Disaster-Driven Business Interruption
The Financial Lives of Small Employer Firms
Mission-Driven Collections: Operationalizing a Culture of Repayment in Challenging Times
The CDFI Tech Blueprint: Evaluating, Implementing, and Scaling with Confidence
Beyond the Balance Sheet: Capital Strategies for Growth and Risk Management

See the registration site for the full list of sessions and stay tuned for plenary announcements!

Training

The forum will feature the following training opportunities on June 10: 

Impact Measurement & Management (IMM) Workshop
Financial Planning Workshop
Small Business Lending 101
New! Generative AI Workshop: Organizational Transformation

These workshop-style courses will provide more comprehensive, interactive learning than our standard breakout sessions. Learn more about each training on the forum registration site.

Please note training availability is limited and there is a separate registration fee.

Get Ready for SBFF with Virtual Training

To help attendees deepen their knowledge of CDFIs before SBFF, this year we’re offering two virtual, foundational trainings ahead of the forum:

CDFI 101: Orientation to the Industry | Wednesday, May 20, 1:30 – 4:30 pm ET
CDFI Financial Statements 101 | Wednesday, June 3, 1:30 pm – 4:30 pm ET

CDFIs in Action Tour

Austin, TX is known for its unique and “weird” culture. It’s also become increasingly known as a destination for inventive and creative dining. With the rising costs of downtown retail space, entrepreneurs have found themselves forced outside the city and out of traditional brick and mortar locations. CDFIs play an important role in providing capital and technical assistance to help these entrepreneurs thrive and grow despite these challenges.

On this tour, our local CDFI member cohosts will bring the tastes of these restaurants to you. You’ll be able to sample their delicious food, sip creative drinks and meet these inspiring entrepreneurs of the Austin food scene. Food and adult beverages from OFN member clients are included in the cost of the tour.

Transportation: Tour bus
Timing: 5:30 – 8:00pm CT on Thursday, June 11, 2026
Pricing: $150 Member / $200 General

Please note space on the tour is limited and there is a separate registration fee.

Book Your Hotel

Register for SBFF and then book your hotel room through our discounted room block! The room block will close on May 19 at 5 p.m. CT or once it’s sold out — whichever comes first.

Avoid hotel booking scams: Be on the lookout for hotel booking scams. There are companies that call or email potential forum attendees and sponsors claiming to work with OFN. These scams can lead to overcharging or outright theft. Only book your room through OFN’s official booking link. Do not interact with or respond to hotel room reservation solicitations, especially those that claim to be from forum hotel partners.

Please note you must register for the event and your hotel room separately. Registering for the event does not guarantee you a hotel room, and booking a hotel room does not guarantee your ticket to the event. i

REGISTER

Thanks to Our Sponsors!

Save the Date

Join us from October 20-23 in New Orleans, LA for the 42nd annual OFN Conference!

Stay Connected

Subscribe to receive regular updates straight to your inbox and check out our blog for the latest coverage from OFN and the CDFI industry.

Follow us on social media.