The Corporation for Enterprise Development

The Corporation for Enterprise Development is a national nonprofit based in Washington, DC dedicated to expanding economic opportunity for low-income families and communities. CFED uses a “think-do-invest” approach grounded in community practice, public policy and private markets. Here’s how it works.

Think.

We explore ideas and practices that help families and communities more fully participate in the mainstream economy.

Do.

We gather funding partners, local practitioners and policymakers to carry out demonstration programs in communities nationwide.

Invest.

We find investors and policy advocates for ideas that might bring about large scale change.

Purpose

CFED is a multi-faceted organization working at the local, state and federal levels to create economic opportunity that alleviates poverty.

Our Vision

A NEW BIRTH OF ECONOMIC FREEDOM

CFED sees the promise of tomorrow in the world today. We see abundant evidence of the desire and ability of middle and low-income people everywhere to become savers, investors, homeowners, skilled workers and entrepreneurs. We believe that such an opportunity economy would not only produce a fairer, more cohesive and inclusive society, but also a more prosperous, resilient and sustainable one.

CFED believes it is possible and profitable – within a generation – to provide every American, including every child at birth, the opportunity and resources to pursue higher education, start a business, buy a home and save for the future by:

• Providing a reasonable public incentive to every person to save for the future, including every child, starting at birth.
• Ensuring that every family who desires to own a home has the opportunity to do so.
• Providing every person who wants to start a business with the opportunity to access entrepreneurial training and financial resources to generate income and create jobs.

This vision is not new. There are echoes of it throughout history – in universal education, the 30 year mortgage and the GI Bill – all investments in the common genius of the American people. Each of these policies opened the door to the economy to large numbers of people, yet left out or penalized others – notably communities of color and women. Today’s globalizing economy calls for innovative approaches that bring hope and opportunity in new forms. It is CFED’s aim – together with an inspiring array of similarly committed and diverse partners – to develop the 21st century version of these epochal policies to create an economy which offers opportunity to all.