We specialize in providing affordable financial products and services for people and businesses in low-to-moderate income and marginalized communities.
Open an accountCDFI stands for Community Development Financial Institution. It means we’re designed to make loans in communities mainstream lenders often overlook—and to work with you, not just your credit score.
Financial assistance and support may be available for first-time homebuyers—or for those who haven’t owned a home in the last 3 years.
We look beyond credit scores—but a strong application still matters. Get clear steps to improve your chances before you apply.
Get supportive, judgment-free guidance for your money questions. Confidential and free.
access to affordable financial products and services, especially in communities left behind by mainstream finance. The Viewpoint Project produced this 7min video about Alternatives for PBS stations around the country.
Video: Pursuing Our MissionUtilize our free member resources to help you achieve your financial goals.
Your relationship with money didn’t start with your first paycheck. It started long before that — in the messages you heard (or didn’t hear) growing […]
A living wage isn’t just a number. It’s the difference between getting by and getting ahead. The Tompkins County Workers’ Center just released the 2026 […]
Join our Financial Education Team to learn the basics of saving. Set goals, create a spending and saving plan, and start to build an emergency […]
As a Community Development Financial Institution (CDFI), Alternatives believes in economic justice and embraces the racial, ethnic, socioeconomic, sexual, gender, and religious diversity in our community.