Any person eligible to receive benefits or services from the Department of Treasury – Community Development Financial Institutions (CDFI Fund) or its recipients is entitled to those benefits or services without being subject to prohibited discrimination. The Office of Civil Rights and Equal Employment Opportunity (OCRE) enforces various federal statutes and regulations that prohibit discrimination in CDFI Fund financially assisted and conducted programs or activities. If a person believes s/he has been subjected to discrimination and/or reprisal because of membership in a protected group then s/he may file a complaint with: Director, Office of Civil Rights and Equal Employment Opportunity, 1500 Pennsylvania Ave, N.W., Washington, DC 20220 or crcomplaints@treasury.gov.
Upon request, a Spanish translation of the Nondiscrimination and Civil Rights Information web page is available Non-Discrimination Statement and Civil Rights Information | Community Development Financial Institutions Fund (cdfifund.gov). Para solicitar esta información en español, envíe una solicitud a través de cdfihelp@cdfi.treas.gov. To request this information in Spanish, please submit a request to cdfihelp@cdfi.treas.gov.
Information for Applicants of CDFI Fund Federal Financial Assistance
Award applicants must be compliant with federal civil rights requirements in order to be eligible to receive federal financial assistance awards from the CDFI Fund. This requirement applies to award applicants, as well as their prospective sub-recipients that are not direct beneficiaries of federal financial assistance (e.g., Depository Institutions Holding Company and their Subsidiary Depository Institutions).
As a recipient or potential recipient of federal financial assistance, organizations are prohibited from discriminating against program participants because of their race, color, national origin, disability, and age. If the assistance provided by the CDFI Fund is to conduct an educational program, award recipients are also prohibited from discriminating against program participants because of their sex.
To that end, starting with the fiscal year 2023 Small Dollar Loan Program Funding Round, the CDFI Fund is requiring all award applicants complete a Title VI Compliance Worksheet once annually with their applications, as well as their prospective sub-recipients that are not direct beneficiaries of federal financial assistance (e.g., Depository Institutions Holding Company and their Subsidiary Depository Institutions). If an organization applies to multiple programs during the calendar year, they only need to submit one Worksheet annually. The CDFI Fund will utilize the Worksheet to determine whether award applicants to the CDFI Fund are compliant with federal civil rights requirements.
The Worksheet is an online form submitted through the CDFI Fund’s Awards Management Information System (AMIS). Completion of the Worksheet is required for the Bank Enterprise Award Program, Capital Magnet Fund, CDFI Program, Native Initiatives, and the Small Dollar Loan Program. The Title VI Worksheet is not required for the New Markets Tax Credit Program or the CDFI Bond Guarantee Program.
Resources:
- CDFI Title VI Worksheet Webinar is available here.
- An AMIS User Guide for the Worksheet is available here.
- The Title VI Compliance Worksheet Questions are available here.
- A pre-recorded webinar to provide organizations and potential program applicants with an overview of how to submit the Worksheet in AMIS is available here.
- CDFI Title VI FAQ is available here.
Information for Recipients of CDFI Fund Financial Assistance
It is the CDFI Fund's policy that programs or activities receiving Federal financial assistance shall not discriminate on the grounds of race, color, national origin, sex, disability or age.
As a recipient of federal financial assistance, the applicable civil rights laws require you to take measures to ensure compliance with their nondiscrimination provisions, such as signing a Nondiscrimination Assurance Agreement, and notifying the public of the nondiscrimination protections. For more information, access the Department of the Treasury Civil Rights Toolkit.
Information for Beneficiaries of the CDFI Fund’s Assisted and Conducted Programs
Non-discrimination provisions apply to all programs and activities of the CDFI Fund and its recipients and sub-recipients of federal financial assistance. In CDFI Fund programs and activities, discrimination is prohibited on the basis of race, color, sex, national origin, age, disability, or limited English proficiency. Reprisal actions against individuals for their prior civil rights activity are also prohibited.
Information on the CDFI Fund’s Language Access Plan for Limited English Proficient Individuals
The CDFI Fund is committed to providing Limited English Proficient individuals with meaningful access to vital documents and information about relevant CDFI Fund programs and services (Executive Order 13166 and Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964). For more information on the CDFI Funds Language Access Plan please click here. To request more information regarding the CDFI Fund’s translation services, please submit a service request via your organization’s AMIS account.
Filing a Discrimination Complaint
To file a program discrimination complaint, send it to: Director, Office of Civil Rights and Equal Employment Opportunity, 1500 Pennsylvania Ave., N.W., Washington, DC 20220.
Additional Resources:
For more information, please visit the U.S Department of the Treasury website.