CSDC Direct / Mountain West Charter Schools Fund

For more than a decade, CSDC has played a pivotal role in delivering innovative financing and critical development services (technical assistance) to new and young charter schools serving low-income families - leading to certification as a Community Development Financial Institution (CDFI) in 2010. As a CDFI Loan Fund, CSDC proactively invests in K-12 public charter schools in educationally and economically underserved communities that often become the nexus around which those communities begin to revitalize, with a concentration on new and early-stage schools (those in their first three-five years of operation).

CSDC is a proud member of the Opportunity Finance Network® (OFN),the nation's leading network of high-performing CDFIs.  As the only CDFI in the country focused exclusively on the facility and financing needs of charter school organizations, CSDC helps charter school entrepreneurs and leaders finance, build, expand and replicate their school models, turning educational visions into reality, with the goal of ultimately improving student achievement by increasing school choice and catalyzing competition within the American public education system

For charter schools located in Colorado, New Mexico, Utah or Wyoming, CSDC offers financing through its Mountain West Charter Schools Fund (MWCSF).  The MWCSF is a separate fund within CSDC Direct created by a partnership with, and the generous support of, the Daniels Fund of Denver, CO.   

Whether you're borrowing from CSDC Direct or MWCSF, we offer the following loan products: 

• Short to Medium-term loans for the acquisition, development, construction, renovation or expansion of educational facilities
• Furniture, Fixtures and Equipment ("FF&E") Financing
• Debt Refinancing
• Leasehold Improvement Loans
• Operational/Working Capital ("Cash Flow Notes")

CSDC can provide senior financing or subordinate/ mezzanine loans, either solely or as part of a larger financing package. CSDC's lending guidelines generally adhere to the following terms:

• Minimum loan size - $100,000
• Maximum loan size - N/A
• Term - 1-5 years
• Amortization - up to 25 years
• Interest only period - Yes
• Interest rates - Competitive and fixed at closing

To find out more about CSDC Direct and our other programs, and to find out which one is right for you, visit our FAQ page. To contact CSDC about your specific project, complete out our School Prequalification Form.

CSDC Direct received initial funding in part from the Calvert Foundation and the Communities at Work Fund, a $200 million fund launched in 2010 by Citi Bank, the Calvert Foundation and the Opportunity Finance Network.

Prospective and current clients can confidently rely on CSDC's expertise in identifying and addressing their particular challenges and circumstances.  CSDC's tailored development services increase each school's capacity to plan and manage their finances to  meet their facility needs while maximizing the dollars available for classroom teaching and learning. 

The CDFI Fund, a bipartisan Congressional initiative administered by the U.S. Treasury, was established to expand the capacity of financial institutions to provide credit, capital, and financial services to underserved populations and communities in the United States for the purpose of promoting economic revitalization and community development. CDFI Loan Funds have a 30-year history of serving as effective channels for creating economic opportunities in underserved communities while providing positive financial results. CDFI Loan Funds provided $1.4 billion in financing in 2008 and have loaned $15.9 billion cumulatively. For more information, go to www.cdfifund.gov.