The U.S. Treasury Department's Community Development FinancialInstitutions Fund has reopened the 2009 applications period forcredit union and other CDFIs to obtain money appropriated in therecent economic stimulus package.

The fund announced that the additional $90 million from thestimulus plan has given it a total of $145 million to distributethrough the Financial Assistance awards program. So called FAawards include money for equity investments and a wide variety ofother programs. They and the Technical Assistance awards are theprimary kinds of awards that credit union CDFI's obtain. TA awardsfund the purchase of new equipment or training in new skills.

The Fund said it would increase the size of the largest FA awardpossible from a $1 million cap to $2 million and will giveorganizations which already filed an application for funding achance to amend the application to increase their grant request.The funding round for this year had previously closed in October oflast year.