IFF (CDFI)

We're excited to unveil IFF's 2023 Annual Report, which celebrates a historic year of investment in local changemakers across the Midwest! Specifically, we: ⭐ Closed a record 153 loans providing $233.9 million in capital to nonprofit changemakers; ⭐ Leveraged $1.28 billion in total community investment through our lending and supported the development of 4.97 million square feet of real estate; ⭐ Consulted on 90 nonprofit facilities projects; ⭐ Completed two community-driven development projects in the Chicago Metro area, with additional projects underway in Detroit, Grand Rapids, and St. Louis; and more! Learn how this translated to tangible impact for nonprofits and the communities they serve: https://lnkd.in/gUNKg3SH

Earlier this month, a team from IFF had the opportunity to give a presentation on our Thriving Spaces Milwaukee program to the Greater Milwaukee Foundation’s (GMF) Community Impact Committee. Funded by GMF, Thriving Spaces aims to create high-quality learning environments for children in Milwaukee’s Brewer’s Hill, Halyard Park, and Harambee neighborhoods by supporting improvements to early childhood education facilities. We’re grateful for the foundation’s partnership and support for Thriving Spaces Milwaukee. To date, the program has meaningfully enhanced child care providers’ facilities, increased children’s access to quality care and education, and reduced barriers families face while balancing child care with the need to work and provide for their children. Pictured, from left to right: Ellen Gilligan (president and CEO, GMF); Rilla Williams (director, Pristine Child Care Center); Stephanie Mackevich Love (program manager, IFF); Kareem Cousar (senior owner’s representative, IFF); Darian Luckett, MBA (director of lending – Wisconsin and Iowa, IFF); Mollie Dowling (vice president of resource development, IFF); and Jeannie Fenceroy (senior program manager – education, GMF).

Next up for our state highlights from IFF's 2023 Annual Report is #Ohio! Last year, we opened our second Ohio office - in Cleveland - as we continued to deepen our statewide presence through lending, real estate consulting, and partnerships with organizations like the Greater Cincinnati Development Fund, The George Gund Foundation, and The Columbus Foundation. Over the course of the year, we provided #nonprofits across the state with $14.9 million in flexible capital for facilities projects, while also supporting the development of almost 92,000 square feet of real estate. Learn more about IFF's 2023 impact in Ohio in the annual report: https://lnkd.in/dbuKNJVA

Currently under construction, Samaritas of Spring Lake will provide 53 affordable rental units in a community with limited options for affordable housing. The development will also be the first multifamily passive house project to be certified in the state of Michigan, adhering to rigorous standards for energy usage that will contribute to a more sustainable community. IFF was thrilled to partner with Samaritas and support the project with a $2.3 million loan. Is your #nonprofit looking for flexible capital or real estate support for a project with a #sustainability component? Learn how IFF can help: www.iff.org/sustainability

Join us in congratulating IFF Chief Equity and Diversity Officer, Nakea West, for her recent appointment to the Illinois Humanities Board! Serving all of Illinois, the #nonprofit activates the humanities through free programming, grants, and educational opportunities that spark conversation, foster reflection, build community, and strengthen civic engagement. Learn more about Illinois Humanities and Nakea's recent appointment here: https://lnkd.in/gWvPrQ5Y

An IFF research study completed last fall found that more #earlychildhoodeducation (ECE) slots are needed in Battle Creek, MI, to meet existing demand. With support from the W.K. Kellogg Foundation, our Real Estate Solutions team is now working with six ECE providers to complete feasibility studies designed to guide decision-making about the possibility of expansion to create additional ECE slots in the city, while also supporting the exploration of opportunities to repurpose existing facilities in the community to house new child care providers and more. Learn more in this story from Second Wave Media: https://lnkd.in/g2Asf6md

As we celebrate a historic year with the recent launch of IFF's 2023 Annual Report, we're taking a closer look at highlights from various states across the Midwest. First up, #Indiana! In 2023, we deepened our presence in Indiana by appointing Amandula Anderson as the Indiana Region's first executive director, to lead and grow our work across the state and in the Louisville metro area. From providing $13.1 million in loans for #nonprofits, to supporting the development of 401,541 square feet of real estate, IFF's team in Indiana has been hard at work championing local changemakers. Learn more about IFF's 2023 impact in Indiana in the annual report: https://lnkd.in/dbuKNJVA

As the federal government invests $27 billion to combat the climate crisis through the Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund, CDFIs are poised to play a crucial role in ensuring that communities that have experienced disinvestment benefit from what is the single largest investment in #cleanenergy, #environmentaljustice, and carbon pollution reduction in American history. Learn how in this article by IFF's executive director for the Southern Region, Stephen Westbrooks, which was published recently by the Institute for Sustainable Communities: https://lnkd.in/gK5XXbPG For additional information about how IFF is supporting #nonprofits seeking to increase #energyefficiency in their facilities and reduce greenhouse gas emissions, click here: https://lnkd.in/gzEXHzcu

IFF was well represented yesterday at the J.P. Morgan Corporate Challenge in #Chicago, with members of the team completing a 3.5-mile race that benefited Hope Chicago! Hope Chicago is a multigenerational economic mobility initiative focused on creating debt-free pathways to postsecondary education for graduates of five community high schools on Chicago's south and west sides. To date, the initiative has increased postsecondary enrollment at the schools by 30%—providing more than 1,200 young people with the opportunity to continue their education at Illinois-based partner institutions!

It's been an honor to administer Michigan Department of Lifelong Education, Advancement, and Potential's Caring for MI Future Facilities Improvement Fund (FIF)! The Caring for MI Future FIF has provided $59 million to more than 1,100 early childhood education programs to fund more than 3,500 renovation and upgrade projects, expanding access to safe, quality, and affordable child care across #Michigan. Learn more in this story from the Michigan Chronicle: https://lnkd.in/dw_XUweK