(a) General. An Applicant or Recipient may use its retained earnings to match a request for a financial assistance grant from the CDFI Fund. An Applicant or Recipient that proposes to meet all or a portion of its matching funds requirements by committing available retained earnings from its operations shall be subject to the restrictions described in this section. Retained earnings shall be calculated as directed by the CDFI Fund in the applicable Notice of Funds Availability, the financial assistance application, and/or related guidance materials. The CDFI Fund shall make the final determination of the eligible amount of retained earnings that an Applicant or Recipient has available as matching funds.

(b) Applicants other than Insured Credit Unions, State-Insured Credit Unions and Insured Depository Institutions. In the case of an Applicant or Recipient that is not an Insured Credit Union, State-Insured Credit Union or Insured Depository Institution, retained earnings that may be used for matching funds purposes shall consist of:

(1) The increase in retained earnings (meaning, for purposes of §1805.504(b), revenue minus expenses less any dividend payments) that has occurred over the Applicant's or Recipient's fiscal year as set forth in the applicable Notice of Funds Availability; or

(2) The annual average of such increases that occurred over the Applicant's or Recipient's three consecutive fiscal years as set forth in the applicable Notice of Funds Availability.

(c) Insured Credit Unions, State-Insured Credit Unions, and Insured Depository Institutions.

(1) In the case of an Applicant or Recipient that is an Insured Credit Union, State-Insured Credit Union or Insured Depository Institution, retained earnings that may be used for matching funds purposes shall consist of:

(i) The increase in retained earnings that has occurred over the Applicant's or Recipient's fiscal year as set forth in the applicable Notice of Funds Availability;

(ii) The annual average of such increases that has occurred over the Applicant's or Recipient's three consecutive fiscal years as set forth in the applicable Notice of Funds Availability; or

(iii) The entire retained earnings that have been accumulated since the inception of the Applicant or Recipient, provided that the Assistance Agreement shall require that:

(A) The Recipient shall increase its member shares, non-member shares, outstanding loans and/or other measurable activity as defined in and by an amount that is set forth in an applicable Notice of Funds Availability;

(B) Such increase must be achieved by a date certain set forth in the applicable Notice of Funds Availability;

(C) The level from which the achievement of said increases will be measured will be as of the date set forth in the applicable Notice of Funds Availability; and

(D) Financial assistance shall be paid by the CDFI Fund only as the amount of increases described in paragraph (c)(1)(iii)(A) of this section is achieved.

(2) The CDFI Fund will allow an Applicant or Recipient to utilize the option described in paragraph (c)(1)(iii) of this section for matching funds only if it determines, in its sole discretion, that the Applicant or Recipient will have a high probability of success in achieving said increases to the specified amounts.