Company History
In 1992 the Susquehanna Valley Community Development Loan Fund was founded by economic development leader James W. Hyson and a faith-based coalition of community leaders who recognized the need for capital access in underserved comm-unities. In 1996 the name was changed to Community First Fund and since then it has become the premier economic development organization serving central Pennsylvania.
Community First Fund has a 15-year history of 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. With offices in Lancaster, York, Harrisburg, Reading, and Exton, Community First Fund serves 13 counties in Central Pennsylvania and has closed more than 600 loans exceeding $16 million.
Community First Fund is a Community Development Financial Institution (CDFI), an SBA guaranteed lender, and has received a high rating by the CDFI Assessment Rating System (CARS®). Community First Fund’s work creates community impact and a positive economic effect that is set into motion each time a loan is made, resulting in increased opportunities. And these opportunities ripple throughout an entire community — creating jobs, generating income, and enabling home-ownership; all of which leads to lasting economic growth and prosperity.
Our Mission
Community First Fund creates lasting economic growth for our communities by providing equitable financial services, technical knowledge, and advocacy for its customers.
Our Vision
Community First Fund envisions a future where opportunities for economic prosperity are available to everyone in the communities we serve.
Core Values
Equity: Community First Fund advocates and supports initiatives that create access for equitable economic opportunities in our communities.
Justice: Community First Fund is dedicated to the promotion of economic and social justice in order to improve the quality of life for our communities.
Permanence: Community First Fund continuously improves its business model to ensure sustainability of our services.
Commitment: Community First Fund is dedicated to superior customer service for clients.
Excellence: Community First Fund is dedicated to maintaining a highly effective organization by fostering professional development for employees.
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Daniel Betancourt has been President and CEO of Community First Fund since May of 1999. He has more than eighteen years experience in microenterprise and small business development including thirteen years of banking experience, including positions as an assistant vice-president of commercial lending at a large regional bank. Under Dan’s leadership Community First Fund has grown to a very successful Community Development Financial Institution (CDFI). During the last fiscal year, Community First made 95 loans totaling over $5.2 million and brought the total capital under management to over $15 million.
Dan is the Chair of the Association for Enterprise Opportunity (AEO) Board of Directors, the national lead-ership association for Micro-enterprise and also serves on AEO’s finance and executive committees. Dan is a member of the Pennsylvania Micro-Enterprise Coalition and co-chairs its Strategic Planning Committee. Additionally, Dan serves on the Federal Home Loan Bank of Pittsburgh Advisory Board, and is the current Chair of the Lancaster Spanish American Civic Association (SACA) a board member of SACA Development Corporation.
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In 2003 Dan was named one of the “Top Forty Under Forty Business Leaders” in Central Pennsylvania by the prestigious Central Penn Business Journal. In 2004 he received the PA Latino Pride Award for Economic Development from the Governor’s Advisory Comm-ission on Latino Affairs. In 2005 Dan received the Eastern Pennsylvania Minor-ity Small Business Champion of the Year Award from the U.S. Small Business Admini-stration. Dan was a finalist in the “Nonprofit Leadership Excellence” category of Central Penn Business Journal’s 2007 Nonprofit Innovation Award.
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