CDFI Friendly South Bend Region

09/04/2026

This morning Sam Centellas and Paula Gudelia Sours had coffee at Coffea Lounge. It was a chance to formally thank Paula for her years of service on our Board of Directors.

When CDFI Friendly America was first working to get CDFI Friendly South Bend off the ground, Paula was an early supporter. Not much happens in our region around entrepreneurship and small business without Paula finding a way to be involved... and she jumped right in with us from the beginning.

Paula recently finished her final board term (plus a few extra months), and we couldn’t be more thankful for her leadership and support.

During her tenure, CDFI investment facilitated through our work grew from about $250,000 annually in South Bend to several million dollars per year across the region. That growth takes partners, advocates and board members who believe in the work and help push it forward. Paula has been one of those people.

She isn’t going far. Paula will continue coaching a few businesses with us and will stay engaged in a new way.

Thank you, Paula. We appreciate you and look forward to continuing to support local entrepreneurs alongside you through NIMBA, LACC, SPARK, and all the other ways you lend your skills, experience and time to uplift others.

Interested in getting involved with CDFI Friendly South Bend? We have opportunities to serve on committees and support our work: https://www.cdfifriendlysouthbend.org/meet-the-team

09/02/2026

Stop treating Quickbooks like it is a mythylogical beast that can not be tamed!

Join the North Central ISBDC (Indiana Small Business Development Center) and IU South Bend's Center for Innovation & Entrepreneurship - IUSB for a free, two-day QuickBooks Training for Beginners.

📅 September 24–25, 2026
⏰ 9:00 a.m.–3:30 p.m.
📍 IU South Bend, Northside Hall, Room 136
💻 Bring a laptop or tablet with a keyboard

You’ll learn how to set up QuickBooks, manage day-to-day bookkeeping, understand financial statements, improve reporting, and make better business decisions.

The workshop is facilitated by Kari Johnson of Penny Tracker LLC and made available at no cost thanks to Horizon Bank.

Pre-registration is required—reserve your spot today! RSVP Here: https://isbdc.ecenterdirect.com/events/17498

09/01/2026

BUDGETING, FINANCIAL TRACKING, and MORE!

Reminder our friends from Brightpoint Development Fund are in our office today for walk in appointments... or message us and we can get you an appointment. They will be back again on September 14th, swing out to Portage Place and say hello and connect. Their services are FREE and open to anyone in the region.

08/31/2026

Why are we called CDFI Friendly South Bend? 🤔

It’s a question we get all the time and the answer says a lot about what we actually do.

In this week’s CDFI FYI, I break down what “CDFI Friendly” means, why we don’t make loans ourselves, and how we help connect businesses and projects in our community to CDFIs and the capital they provide.

🎥 Take a minute and check it out.

CDFI Friendly America

In this edition of CDFI FYI, I explain what the “Friendly” means......

08/27/2026

What should we ask next?

We’ve been using the window at CDFI Friendly outside of Counterspell Cafe to ask visitors a question and let them leave their answers on a Post-it.

Our latest question was: “What is your favorite thing about shopping at a local store?”

The responses included supporting local growth, keeping dollars local, finding unique items, helping sustain shops that reflect the community, and maybe the most relatable... “I love the local cup because it’s free AND I’M BROKE.” 😂

We love seeing what people add to the wall, so now we need a new question.

What should we ask next? Drop your idea in the comments. 👇

08/23/2026

How is a CDFI different from a traditional bank?

In this week's CDFI FYI: Community Development Financial Institutions (CDFIs) are more than just a lender, they often provide other services like technical assistance, programs, and more. Come visit with staff from the Brightpoint Development Fund who are coming to our space to learn about how they help expand access to capital in communities like ours.

08/17/2026

Next Week! Brightpoint Development Fund will be kicking off open office hours in South Bend.

Brightpoint is a CDFI in Fort Wayne, IN that offers small business lending, technical assistance, and much more. We hosted them in South Bend in March for a workshop on the Community Loan Center (CLC) program they offer employers to help combat predatory payday lending.

Business Owners: We know many of you need help tracking expenses and creating a budget. They can help you organize it all and help your business grow.

Details on their office hours on the flyer, and you can read more about them and their visit in March here: https://www.cdfifriendlysouthbend.org/news/leaders-gather-to-address-predatory-payday-lending

08/13/2026

Fusion Fest vendors have accessed nearly $50,000 in business loans through CDFI Friendly, Allies for Community Business, and the City of South Bend - Municipal Government!

This video from the first Fusion Fest features our friends at A Bite with Mee who have since gotten their food truck! How can we help you? Will you be at Fusion Fest? Reach out today to get started a loan to help you grow.

While the $2,500 loans here are special for Fusion Fest, we can help your business as well with unique loan terms and products. Reach out today!
South Bend Venues Parks & Arts

South Bend's first Fusion Fest was huge! 50 food vendors. 50 perfor...

08/10/2026

What makes a CDFI different from a traditional bank?

CDFIs are lenders with a mission. They can often be more flexible, provide financing designed around a particular business or project, and offer technical assistance alongside the funding.

They are not replacing traditional banks, but they help fill gaps and meet borrowers where they are.

At CDFI Friendly South Bend, we connect local businesses, housing developers, and nonprofits with CDFI financing that can help move their work forward.

What question about CDFIs or business financing should I answer next?

CDFI Friendly America

08/06/2026

We recently welcomed Jesse Van Tol, CEO of the National Community Reinvestment Coalition (NCRC), to South Bend for conversations with regional NCRC members and banking partners about community investment, collaboration, and expanding access to capital.

Jesse also toured the future home of our Capital Access Collaborative, a new space at Portage Place designed to connect local businesses and organizations with lenders, technical assistance, and other resources.

Thank you Arden Shank for leading the meeting, to the Near Northwest Neighborhood, Inc. for hosting us, A Bite with Mee for catering, and everyone who joined these important conversations.

Read the full recap:

NCRC members, community leaders, and regional banking partners gathered at the Near Northwest Neighborhood Community Center for conversations with NCRC CEO Jesse Van Tol. Lunch was provided by A Bite with Mee.