The Wells Fargo NEXT Awards for Opportunity Finance celebrate the CDFI industry—its creativity, accomplishments, and enduring importance.

Launched in 2007, the Wells Fargo NEXT Awards have celebrated the innovation of 30 of the nation’s most promising CDFIs by awarding $41.75 million through a competitive awards process over the last five years. The program is continuing for another five years with a theme of expanding CDFI coverage in underserved communities.

The Wells Fargo NEXT Awards is the nation’s largest awards program for CDFIs and will award $8.35 million dollars annually from 2012-2016 to high performing CDFIs to expand their coverage strategies. Each year the Wells Fargo NEXT Awards culminates in a ceremony at Opportunity Finance Network’s Annual Conference to spotlight awardees and the entire CDFI industry.

The Wells Fargo NEXT Awards are presented by the Opportunity Finance Network with generous support from Wells Fargo, the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation, and The Kresge Foundation.