Chief Financial and Investment Officer, CED LOAN FUND

Overview

About the Community Economic Defense Project (CEDP) and CED Loan Fund: Our mission is to partner with low-income and working people to build economic and racial equity by confronting economic abuse and investing in community wealth. We use a evolving set of legal, economic and advocacy tools to challenge and dismantle unjust systems, aiming for a world where all people have what they need to live and thrive.

Our Organization: The Community Economic Defense Project (CEDP) is a Colorado-based nonprofit. Launched in 2020 as the COVID-19 Eviction Defense Project, our organization was formed to keep neighbors housed during the pandemic. We work with clients to address eviction, foreclosure and homelessness prevention, centering the legal and financial needs of housing-insecure families and using a variety of tools to keep them housed.

Our team now serves more than 1,000 people per month, bringing together housing lawyers, economists, data analysts, policy experts, organizers, and technologists to serve our clients. We have served more than 50,000 low-income Coloradans across 45 counties, distributing over $200 million in emergency assistance. CEDP’s model has been cited as a best practice by White House, HUD, Urban Institute, and in the media. In 2025, we launched a new entity called CED Loan Fund to solve service-delivery challenges for governments and non-profits and increase access to capital and basic needs for everyday people. The Fund offers credit and technology products to increase access to social services and affordable housing and works with CEDP’s Ventures team to incubate and launch new non-profit social enterprises and technologies. The Fund will also participate in shaping state and local policy around access to credit, housing, and basic needs.

More about the role

The Chief Financial and Investment Officer (CFIO) is responsible for building the Fund and leading, managing, and coordinating all financial and investment matters. We are seeking a seasoned CFIO and builder who will have an entrepreneurial role alongside functional oversight in finance, investments, and grants management for the Fund. The position will grow the organization’s seven-figure loan fund to eight or nine figures and build the team and infrastructure to accomplish that mission, working with executive leadership to fundraise from public, private, and foundation sources. The CFIO will provide critical financial perspective and strategy to strengthen the Fund’s financial position and advance access to credit for social services and basic needs. Reporting to the Loan Fund CEO, they will also serve as a strategic thought partner to the executive leadership team and the investment committee of the Board of Directors.

Responsibilities

• Entrepreneurship and leadership: Build the fund’s long-term strategic investments in social services that advance the organization’s mission to build racial and economic equity, including investments in underserved communities, non-profits, and governments, such as working capital, affordable housing investments, rapid payment systems, and improved banking solutions.
• Product Development: Help plan and launch a Community Development Financial Institution offering working capital loans and other products to support social service providers and low-income and working people.
• Lead impact investment and fundraising: Advise the President & CEO and Board of Directors on impact investment strategies, support the Investments Committee, and develop a comprehensive multi-year development strategy including grants, donations, and loan capital.
• Capital Markets: Develop capital market solutions to expand financing activities, create new programs and initiatives, and build relationships with banks, foundations, and other financial institutions for impact investment partnerships.
• External Relations: Represent the Fund to financial partners, negotiate investment agreements, and manage investor relationships while aligning with the organization’s capitalization needs and minimizing regulatory burden.
• Capital Management: Optimize capital structure and funding strategies to support growth and manage relationships with banks and investors to secure funding.
• People and System Development: Recruit and develop talent, structure teams for efficiency, and provide inspiring leadership.
• Financial Management & Operations: Oversee treasury management, cash flow forecasting, investment management, budgeting, accounting, internal controls, risk management, and solvency.
• Data-driven strategic advisor: Advise the CED Loan Fund leadership with analytical rigor to inform core decisions.
• Regulatory Leadership: Maintain up-to-date knowledge of IRS, CDFI, nonprofit audit matters, GAAP rules, and relevant regulations.
• Compliance and Risk: Ensure regulatory and tax compliance and effective oversight of finances and audits.
• Cross-Functional Collaboration: Work with CEDP’s executive team to align loan fund activities with organizational goals.

Position requirements

Ideal candidates will possess many of the following professional and personal abilities, attributes, and experiences:

• 10+ years of professional experience in community banking, community lending, or finance, preferably in a CDFI.
• 3+ years as a CFO or similar leader in a CDFI, loan fund, or community bank.
• Strong desire to innovate and grow a community loan fund into a permanent institution, including hiring a team and building systems.
• Experience building new programs or funds.
• Strong understanding of nonprofit accounting, grant management, cost allocation concepts, and other nonprofit accounting practices.
• Ability to distill and simplify complex financial information for diverse audiences.
• Experience raising loan capital in the financial services sector is a plus.
• Experience with grant and proposal writing is a plus.
• Knowledge of financing small business, residential and multi-family housing, nonprofit community facilities, and consumer loans.
• Significant experience with nonprofit accounting, including fund and grant accounting, compliance, and reporting.
• Experience with external auditors, compliance management, and regulatory oversight; knowledge or training in federal audit standards and GAAP accounting is required.
• Bachelor’s degree from an accredited four-year university; CPA is a plus.

Why Us?

• We are a social enterprise with a sustainable business model focused on keeping people in their homes and maintaining access to affordable housing.
• Opportunity for local involvement with statewide and national impact.
• Co-founders have collaborated for 5+ years and are committed to building a company where everyone loves to work.
• Unlimited growth potential within the organization.
• The opportunity to join a new organization five years after its founding and play a substantial role in its growth.

Additional Details

• Candidates must reside in Colorado or be willing to move, ideally within the greater Denver Metro area. The position includes competitive pay, flexible time off, benefits package (medical, dental, vision), and 401k.
• Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis with a deadline of September 15, 2025.
• Estimated recruitment timeline: completion by October 15, 2025.
• Base salary: $125,000–$192,000 per year, plus a $1,000 per year hybrid employee salary adjustment.
• All employees receive a technology stipend of $720 per year.
• As in-person work is sometimes required, all employees are expected to maintain current vaccination status in keeping with CDC recommendations.