Community Development Financial Institution (CDFI) program evaluation: a luxury but not a necessity?

Community development financial institutions (CDFIs) are an integral component of US community economic development policy. These organizations differ in structure and client base, but they all seek to promote sustainable and equitable growth at the local level. By injecting capital into under-served markets, CDFIs facilitate development that may not otherwise occur. Attempts to measure and evaluate CDFI performance have often yielded disparate...