We recently had the pleasure to attend our client’s, Responsible Finance, 2025 impact report launch event. It was hosted at NatWest Group’s London headquarters. There were over 200 attendees from across the UK’s financial inclusion landscape, including policymakers, UK leading bank executives, journalists, members of community development finance institutions (CDFIs) and other sector partners.
Our team felt extremely proud of designing the impact report and accompanying infographics. These visually appealing and accessible formats highlight important data and people’s stories.
Research Retold team attending the launch of Responsible Finance’s 2025 impact report.
If the term CDFI is new to you, you’re not alone, it was new to us too! But after designing the impact report and infographics, attending Responsible Finance’s event, hearing from experts in the field, and having insightful conversations with people working directly in this space, we now feel confident explaining what CDFIs are and the crucial role they can play in community transformation.
CDFIs and their impact in 2024
Community Development Finance Institutions (CDFIs) are mission-driven lenders that provide fair and affordable finance to individuals, small businesses and social enterprises who are unable to get loans from mainstream funding resources. They also offer expert advice to help lenders build financial resilience and grow their businesses.
Their main goal is not profit but to drive community development through financial inclusion.
Whether it’s a small business requiring a loan to hire new employees, an individual with a family emergency, or a social enterprise needing capital to grow, CDFIs step in where traditional finance is unable to. The impact report noted that it has been a landmark year for the sector with lending reaching an all-time high of £322.6 million, a 56% increase in the number of loans from 2023.
Read Responsible Finance’s LinkedIn post to learn about the impact generated by CDFIs in 2024!
Building a movement of financial resilience
The event aimed not only to celebrate the sector’s past achievements but also to build on this momentum. That’s why Responsible Finance featured compelling impact stories of people whose lives have been transformed by access to fair finance. It was accompanied with panel discussions bringing together voices from government, banking, media and civil society.
Responsible Finance showcasing Ada’s story of growing her business through CDFIs.
Notable highlights included:
- George Ross, Head of Specialty Finance, NatWest Group and Tom Le Quesne, Head of Sustainable Business, Lloyds Banking Group called for greater participation between traditional banking and CDFIs.
- Emma Reynolds, MP and Economic Secretary to the Treasury, emphasised the government’s commitment to supporting small and medium enterprises (SMEs) and financial inclusion, including ensuring that banks refer rejected SMEs to CDFIs via online platforms.
- Discussions around gender disparity, the importance of financial literacy, and the need for a regulated consumer lending framework underscored the sector’s role in preventing loan sharking and ensuring fair and affordable lending.
- Insights from Patrick Jenkins, Deputy Editor of the Financial Times highlighted the urgent need for greater awareness, cohesion and brand recognition across the CDFI space.
Panel discussion featuring influencial voices in the field of finance and inclusion.
Our takeaway
Responsible Finance’s event made us realise the need for financial inclusion in general and CDFIs in particular. It also reinforced the importance of our role in translating complex impact into clear, compelling communication. We’re honoured to have worked on this collaboration and excited to see how the sector continues to soar to new heights.