Metrics that Matter: Improving Financial Analysis of CDFI Small Business Lenders

CDFI boards, leadership teams, investors, and regulators have long relied on a familiar set of financial metrics to assess organizational performance. While measures such as delinquency, loan loss rates, self-sufficiency, and net asset ratios remain important, they often provide an incomplete picture of how effectively a CDFI small business lender is deploying capital, managing risk, serving its target market, and positioning itself for long-term sustainability. In the present moment, navigating the most effective strategies and solutions is more important than ever. This session — hosted by the the Aspen Institute’s Business Ownership Initiative on August 26, 2026 — explores an emerging framework that seeks to move beyond compliance-oriented reporting toward a more integrated view of organizational performance. Participants examine how decisions related to risk, pricing, capitalization, deployment, and operating costs influence both mission outcomes and financial strength and discuss what metrics may better support real-time decision-making for leadership teams, boards, funders, and investors.Our speakers include BOI Senior Director Joyce Klein and Aspen Institute Senior Fellow Brett Simmons, principal at Blue Aster Advising.For more information about this event, including a transcript, speaker bios, and additional resources, visit our website. For highlights from this discussion, subscribe to our YouTube channel. Or subscribe to our podcast to listen on the go.