Question PM28 asks Applicants to describe the activities of any Affiliate subject to the Primary Mission test (i.e., a covered Affiliate, as described in Question 14) and how the Affiliate’s mission and activities support and/or are consistent with the community development mission of the Applicant.
Affiliates that are not themselves Certified CDFIs or Certified CDEs are not required to have a community development mission for the purposes of CDFI Certification. However, if a covered Affiliate’s mission is not specifically focused on community development, it must demonstrate that it has a mission currently in place that supports and/or is consistent with that of the Applicant’s.
The intent of this provision is to limit potential backdoor access to the benefits of CDFI certification by organizations with missions or activities that do not demonstrate broader alignment with the goals of the statute. An Applicant with a covered Affiliate that does not have a mission that supports and/or is consistent with that of the Applicant’s would be determined ineligible for CDFI Certification.
See Question 16 for examples of Affiliate missions subject to the Primary Mission test.