Woodlands Community Lenders Inc.

Woodlands Community Lenders Inc. is a tax-exempt nonprofit organization and certified Community Development Financial Institution (CDFI) based in Elkins, West Virginia, that has been registered with the federal government since December 2011. The organization specializes in providing financial products, services, technical assistance, and capacity-building support to low-income communities and individuals in underserved rural and urban markets who lack adequate access to affordable financial resources. Through its federal grant awards, Woodlands Community Lenders Inc. serves as a prime awardee delivering economic development and community revitalization services across the Appalachian region and rural areas nationwide.

Woodlands Community Lenders Inc. has received a substantial portfolio of federal grant awards from multiple agencies over the past five years, demonstrating consistent recognition of its capacity and impact. The organization has been awarded multiple Project Grants totaling over $3.4 million from the Appalachian Regional Commission (ARC) under the Appalachian Area Development program (CFDA 23.002), with awards in October 2024 for $2,751,507 and October 2025 for $171,291, supporting economic development, infrastructure improvements, workforce training, business development, and regional economic diversification across the Appalachian region through December 2027. Additionally, Woodlands Community Lenders Inc. has received repeated Project Grants from the Rural Business Cooperative Services under the SEC. 6022 RMAP (Rural Micro-Enterprise Assistance Program) initiatives, including Rural Micro Development Organizations Grants and Rural Develop Grants, awarded in September 2022, September 2023, January 2024, September 2024, and September 2025, with completion dates extending through September 2027. The organization has also been a prime awardee for the Community Development Financial Institutions Fund under both its financial assistance program (CFDA 21.022) and technical assistance program, receiving awards in September 2022 and September 2024 to build organizational capacity and promote economic revitalization through CDFI services. Furthermore, Woodlands Community Lenders Inc. received a $497,000 CDFI Rapid Response Program (CFDA 21.024) award from the Department of the Treasury in June 2021 to address the economic impacts of COVID-19 in its local community. All awards have been structured as direct prime grants with no subrecipients listed, indicating that Woodlands Community Lenders Inc. serves as the primary implementer of these federally funded initiatives focused on financial inclusion and community development.