Community First Fund Information

In 1992, Community First Fund was founded by economic development leader James W. Hyson and a faith-based coalition of community leaders who recognized the need for capital to provide opportunities for the revitalization of cities and neighborhoods. Since then Community First Fund has become the premier economic development organization serving central and eastern Pennsylvania and has been recognized on the local, state and national level.Community First Fund has more than 20 years experience in providing loans, business training, and one-on-one counseling to entrepreneurs of all sizes, affordable housing and commercial real estate developers, and community groups in under-served communities in central Pennsylvania. We serve 13 counties in central and eastern Pennsylvania from offices in Lancaster, York, Harrisburg, and Reading. We are a Community Development Financial Institution (CDFI), an SBA guaranteed lender, and have received a AAA+2 rating from Aeris, an independent CDFI rating system. Our targeted financing is starting and growing businesses, creating affordable housing, commercial real estate development and expanding community facilities. Since inception we have made more than 1300 loans and investments totaling nearly $100 million. This translates into job creation that is lasting, quality homes for affordable prices, sustainable community service programs for low-income neighborhoods, and restored downtown neighborhoods that are attractive and enduring.