A new nonprofit, the Center for USA Lending, has launched to help modernize how the federal government makes loans, provides loan guaranties, and manages its $5 trillion credit portfolio—a key component of U.S. economic policy supporting homeowners, students, businesses, and communities nationwide.
In recent decades, the U.S. government has increasingly embraced lending as a preferred form of financial assistance. Backed by broad bipartisan support for their wide reach and relatively low cost, direct loan and loan guaranty programs have become a key feature of the nation’s financial landscape. Hundreds of billions of dollars in new credit are provided each year through more than 125 programs that play a pivotal role in the financial lives of millions of Americans.
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“Federal credit programs are among the government’s most powerful tools for public investment, but many rely on legacy information technology systems and fragmented approaches that limit their effectiveness,” said Doug Criscitello, founding executive director of The Center for USA Lending. “Our mission is to address these challenges head-on, bringing commercial best practices, modern technology, and clear standards to strengthen performance, reduce fraud, and build public trust.”
To that end, the Center’s work will focus on:
• Advancing outcomes for borrowers, lenders, and taxpayers;
• Strengthening program integrity and combatting fraud through better data, transparency, and risk management;
• Bringing commercial-grade standards and innovations to federal agency credit operations; and
• Improving budgetary procedures and transparency.
Criscitello, a former senior official at two of the largest U.S. lending agencies—the Department of Housing and Urban Development and the Small Business Administration—also served as the founding executive director at the Golub Center for Finance and Policy at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Most recently, he completed a fellowship at Arnold Ventures, where he focused on government program integrity.
Early initiatives at the Center will include developing thought leadership on consistent data definitions, systems approaches, and technological innovation across lending agencies. Additional efforts will explore opportunities for shared administrative services, better budgeting, and stronger collaboration between credit agencies and their private-sector lending partners.
The Center will formally launch at an event in Washington, D.C., on December 12, convening leaders from government, finance, technology, and academia committed to strengthening U.S. credit program management.
“We envision a federal lending system that is as data-powered and technologically advanced as the private lenders it partners with,” Criscitello added. “Modernization isn’t just a technology challenge—it’s essential to good governance and protecting taxpayers.”
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