At Grow America, we know that creating lasting change in our communities takes more than passion, it takes practical tools, creative deal-structuring skills, and know-how tailored to the real challenges you tackle every day.
To ensure our curriculum continuously reflects the evolving challenges practitioners face on the ground, we recently brought together a working group of community representatives who actively participate in our training programs. We listened closely to their direct feedback on what was missing from current industry offerings, where skill gaps remained, and how our courses could better serve their daily work.
Their insights were instrumental in reshaping our curriculum. Based on their guidance, we are excited to unveil new updates to our training platform, streamlining our offerings into two distinct certification pathways designed to sharpen your skills, clarify your career options, and expand what’s possible for your community.
1. Choose the Community Impact Finance Professional (CIFP) Pathway
If your day-to-day focus centers on small business lending, access to capital, and financing structures aimed at strengthening local economic growth, the CIFP track is built specifically for you.
This pathway equips practitioners to evaluate, structure, and deploy financing for small businesses and commercial ventures. It includes advanced underwriting and deal structuring, giving you practical models to structure business loans and overcome lending barriers identified by frontline practitioners.
2. Deepen Your Economic & Housing Development Expertise with the EDFP Certification
If your work centers on broad economic development strategies, housing finance, and community revitalization, the EDFP Certification provides the deep, practical skills you need.
Through targeted coursework, you’ll learn how to assemble complex capital stacks, navigate municipal toolkits, and launch initiatives that revitalize neighborhoods and drive job creation.
Informed by Practitioners, Built for Impact
Because these updates were shaped by practitioners who actively take our courses, the new platform delivers:
- Stronger Skills: Focused, real-world instruction designed around the actual challenges and missing links identified by community leaders.
- Clearer Options: A streamlined curriculum structure so you can easily choose the track aligned with your daily work.
- Better Decisions: Actionable knowledge that leads directly to higher-impact projects in your community.
Ready to Elevate Your Impact?
Your work shapes the future of local economies. Join us for an upcoming session by registering for our 2027 CIFP & EDFP Curriculum Update Q&A Webinar.