Mi Gente Loan Fund Earns CDFI Certification

The Tulsa-area microloan fund received federal Community Development Financial Institution certification from the U.S. Department of the Treasury.

Updated on Nov. 10, 2026 in Hispanic

Mi Gente Loan Fund Earns CDFI Certification

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Mi Gente Loan Fund received certification as a Community Development Financial Institution from the U.S. Department of the Treasury. The fund, which began in 2020 as a Growing Together Tulsa initiative, aims to provide microbusiness loans and technical assistance in low- and moderate-income communities in the Tulsa region.

Why it matters

CDFI status is expected to expand the organization's access to responsible financing for small businesses in underserved areas of Tulsa. The certification also positions Mi Gente to attract additional resources for its work with Latino entrepreneurs.

Mi Gente has deployed more than $2.3 million in microloans to 252 entrepreneurs and businesses since 2022, building on an initial $431,100 distributed with local philanthropic support. The extraction does not specify how CDFI status will alter lending capacity or terms.

The players

Mi Gente Loan Fund

A Tulsa-area microloan fund that provides microbusiness loans and technical assistance to entrepreneurs in low- and moderate-income communities.

Avanzando Juntos

A Tulsa organization founded in 2022 that manages Mi Gente Loan Fund and supports its mission of expanding access to business financing.

U.S. Department of the Treasury

The federal department that grants Community Development Financial Institution certification to qualifying lenders.

The details

Mi Gente Loan Fund pursued CDFI certification beginning in 2023, with the goal of becoming the second certified CDFI in Tulsa. The organization, managed by Avanzando Juntos since 2022, provides clients with business education, mentoring and connections to local resources.

2020: Mi Gente Loan Fund began as a Growing Together Tulsa initiative.
2022: Avanzando Juntos was founded and assumed management of the fund.
2023: The organization began pursuing CDFI certification.
November 10, 2026: Mi Gente received federal CDFI certification.

Culture Shift

Mi Gente's federal CDFI certification places a Tulsa microlender within the Treasury's CDFI program, which channels federal recognition to community lenders serving low-income borrowers. The move reflects a broader pattern of Latino-led small business lending gaining formal financial institution status.

Tulsa-area entrepreneurs seeking microbusiness loans may gain access to a certified CDFI offering responsible financing and technical assistance. Business owners in low- and moderate-income neighborhoods can connect with Mi Gente for education, mentoring and local resource referrals.

The takeaway

Access to responsible microloans and business mentoring can be a practical first step for Tulsa entrepreneurs building a small business. Checking whether a local lender holds CDFI certification can help borrowers identify community-focused financing options.