West Regional Meeting Highlights from Seattle
Sarah Weintraub, OFN Senior Associate, Peer Learning
Read time: 8 minutes
Pioneer Square, one of Seattle’s oldest neighborhoods and a hub of community investment, set the stage last week for Opportunity Finance Network’s 2026 West Regional Meeting. Over 60 attendees representing regional CDFIs, mission-driven financial institutions, foundations, and industry partners gathered to share ideas, learn from OFN experts, and explore what’s next for OFN and the CDFI industry.
Seattle is a city of contrasts, home to a booming tech sector, rising economic inequality, long-established immigrant communities, and a deep Indigenous history. It offered a fitting backdrop for exploring the West’s small business, housing, and community investment landscape, which is defined by both complexity and opportunity.
Setting the Stage: A View from the Northwest
Elisabeth Zeller, CEO of OFN member Craft3, opened the meeting by describing the community development landscape of Seattle and the broader Northwest region. She reflected on Seattle’s rich Indigenous history and the ways CDFIs and mission-driven partners are advancing inclusive capital strategies to reduce economic inequities and strengthen regional resilience. Through borrower stories, Zeller brought Craft3’s regional impact to life and recognized the work of the Washington State CDFI Coalition, and collaborative policy efforts underway across the state.
Morning Sessions: Data, Resources, and the Policy Moment
Brent Howell, VP of Research at OFN, presented a deep dive into financial data of OFN’s West region membership covering balance sheets, lending activity, capital stacks, portfolio performance, and trends in OFN investments. The presentation gave attendees a grounded, evidence-based picture of where the field stands and how OFN continues to provide financial resources in support of its members.
Seth Julyan, OFN’s Chief Network Officer, walked attendees through the full continuum of services available to members and the broader CDFI community, from training opportunities and a resource library material to the beta Career Meets Purpose Hub and OFN’s Innovation Initiative. For practitioners looking to strengthen their organizations, the breadth of available support was a reminder that OFN’s value extends well beyond convening.
Dafina Williams, OFN’s Chief Public Policy Officer and Head of Government Affairs, delivered a timely and substantive policy update. Beginning with an overview of the 2026 political landscape, she noted that the upcoming midterm elections will compress the congressional calendar, making early engagement with lawmakers especially important. Williams reported that FY25 CDFI Fund awards remain delayed and encouraged attendees with pending FA applications to complete the relevant form. She also shared that the CDFI Fund would maintain level appropriations for FY26, and that the FY27 appropriations process is already underway, and highlighted several recently introduced policy proposals with implications for CDFIs, including the AFFORD Act and the 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act.
Taking the Pulse of the Field
The OFN Member Updates session featured an interactive opportunity for participants to share their sentiments and experiences at their organizations. Using live polling, participants addressed what is top of mind at their organizations, from topics like capitalization challenges and skillset gaps, to the ideas they think the industry needs to rethink. The exercise gave attendees a chance to recommend new services or resources that OFN could provide to the membership and the wider CDFI industry, making it a genuine two-way conversation about where the field needs to go.
Afternoon Sessions: Leadership, Innovation, and Peer Exchange
Harold Pettigrew, OFN’s President and CEO, shared his perspective on the state of the CDFI ecosystem and OFN’s evolving role within it. The conversation ranged widely, touching on OFN’s Innovation Initiative, strategies for connecting with and supporting Native CDFIs, and how OFN is working to find new ways to serve its members and strengthen the broader industry.
The Ideas in Action segment was an opportunity to showcase the on-the-ground innovation of OFN member organizations. Representatives shared how they are incorporating new technologies, launching new loan products, exploring earned income streams, implementing CRM systems, and finding smarter ways to structure even the most routine operations. The range of ideas, from the transformative to the practical, underscored the creativity and adaptability that defines the CDFI field. Following the presentations, attendees split into roundtable discussion groups organized around five topics: Capitalization and Funding Strategies, Financing Products, People and Talent, Technology and Data, and Policy and Advocacy. The small-group format gave practitioners space for candidate peer-to-peer exchange. After an hour of discussion, each group reported their top-line takeaways and shared the questions still on the table, which was a fitting close to a day built around collective learning.
Community Investment in Action
The formal program concluded with a happy hour at a vibrant wine and cocktail bar supported by OFN member Business Impact NW and made possible in part by CDFI financing. The venue itself served as a reminder of what mission-driven capital can make possible—helping neighborhoods grow and small businesses thrive. The energy in the room reflected the connections formed throughout the day and the shared purpose that continues to bring our community together.
Unlocking Philanthropic Capital: Donor-Advised Funds and CDFIs
The West Regional Meeting also offered a timely moment to explore a growing opportunity for the CDFI field: donor-advised funds (DAFs).
DAFs have become one of the largest and fastest-growing philanthropic vehicles in the U.S. — but most of that capital has yet to reach the communities CDFIs serve. OFN recently partnered with DAFgiving360™, one of the country’s largest DAF sponsors, to better understand what donors and advisors need to confidently direct philanthropic dollars toward CDFIs. The findings point to a real and largely untapped opportunity.
For CDFIs, the case is straightforward: a grant from a DAF donor isn’t a one-time gift — it’s capital that gets leveraged, lent, and recycled. Every philanthropic dollar a CDFI receives can generate up to $9 in community financing, creating compounding benefit for small businesses, affordable housing, and essential community services year after year.
If your organization works with donors who hold DAFs, or if you’re looking to position your CDFI as a destination for philanthropic capital, OFN can help connect you with the right resources and relationships. Visit ofn.org/daf to learn more.
Spotlight: In-Person Training Opportunities
The West Regional Meeting week also included a series of in-person training sessions hosted at the Seattle Public Library, offering CDFI practitioners another avenue for skill-building and peer connection.
On Tuesday, OFN offered CDFI 101: Orientation to the Industry for staff from CDFIs across the region — an accessible entry point for newer practitioners building their foundational knowledge. On Thursday and Friday, OFN hosted two more advanced programs: CDFI Financial Statements 101, which develops practical skills in reading and interpreting CDFI financial statements, and the Financial Management Workshop, focused on leading practices for monitoring, analyzing, and assessing organizational financial health.
Together, the three sessions reflected OFN’s commitment to building a stronger, better-equipped CDFI workforce — and provided yet another opportunity for practitioners to learn and network throughout the week.
Looking Ahead
The West Regional Meeting was the second of the year, but there are more opportunities ahead to connect with OFN staff, leadership, and peers across the country. In May, the Northeast Regional Meeting comes to New York City, and in July, OFN heads to Minneapolis for the Midwest & Native CDFI Regional Meeting — held in collaboration with the Native CDFI Network (NCN).
OFN extends thanks to Craft3 for providing local context and curating recommendations of CDFI-funded businesses ahead of the meeting. Their partnership helped highlight the local businesses and community investments that reflect the impact of CDFIs across the region.
For upcoming virtual and in-person training opportunities, visit the OFN website here.
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