Madison Coggin

Founded in 2008, CommunityWorks (CW) is a non-profit, US Treasury-certified Community Development Financial Institution (CDFI) with a dual focus on affordable housing and small business development. We offer a variety of lending and coaching opportunities to help communities grow their financial assets. We serve a Target Market of low-wealth and underserved families and communities across South Carolina, with a focus on people and communities of color.

At CW, diversity, equity, and inclusion are at the core of who we are. We are committed to operating with compassion, integrity, and respect. Our organization is made up of dedicated advocates who recognize our responsibility to combat a history of racism and economic injustice. We seek and create solutions anchored in social justice that provide accessible financial products and services to communities of color, women, and other historically disadvantaged groups.

Since our founding, we have served 9,276 unique clients, generating over $403M in total economic impact. We have served over 900 small businesses with a total of $6.4M in lending, provided $18.5M in affordable housing financing, and provided 713 homebuyers with down payment assistance. We operate our Business Center, which has helped 1,008 entrepreneurs access coaching and financing to get their small businesses off the ground. In 2023, over half of CW beneficiaries were low-wealth, 70% were Black, 79% were women, and 100% were underserved by traditional financial institutions.