The National Credit Union Administration (NCUA) has announced that more than $3.4 million in funding will be available to low-income-designated (LID) credit unions through the Community Development Revolving Loan Fund (CDRLF) for 2025. The agency expects to award approximately $3,465,000 to between 85 and 115 LID credit unions during this grant round. In 2024, the average CDRLF grant was $26,000.
The application period for these grants opens on October 15, 2025 at noon Eastern time and closes on December 16, 2025 at 11:59 p.m. Eastern time. Details about the opportunity can be found in the Notice of Funding Opportunity published in the Federal Register.
For the upcoming cycle, NCUA is making changes to its process to offer more options for LID credit unions applying for grants. While each eligible credit union may receive only one award, they are permitted to apply under two separate initiatives. If a credit union applies but does not receive a grant, it can choose to convert its application into a CDRLF loan application.
Grants will be distributed across six categories:
- Impact Through Innovation Pilot Initiative (up to $100,000), which provides Phase III funding for previous recipients.
- New Charter Capacity Building (up to $50,000), aimed at helping new credit unions grow their capacity.
- Underserved Outreach (up to $50,000), designed to help expand access and improve financial well-being in underserved communities.
- Student Internships (up to $25,000), supporting internships for high school and college students.
- Technology, Cybersecurity, and Artificial Intelligence (up to $25,000), allowing greater access to digital financial products and AI services.
- Training (up to $25,000), covering activities like succession planning and leadership development.
To qualify for these grants, a credit union must have low-income designation status and an active registration with the System for Award Management (SAM). Existing SAM registrations must be recertified annually at no cost.
Guidelines and frequently asked questions about the grant program are available on the NCUA’s Grants page. Questions can also be directed by email to CUREAPPS@ncua.gov.
According to information from NCUA's official website https://www.ncua.gov/about-ncua/what-we-do , NCUA is an independent federal agency created by Congress that regulates federal credit unions and manages insurance coverage through the National Credit Union Share Insurance Fund for over 143 million account holders nationwide.