August 2026 Loan Round-up September 1, 2026

In August, IFF closed loans totaling approximately $11.4 million for community-driven projects in the Midwest. We’ve included information below about several of the loans and what the organizations that received them are doing with the capital. To learn more about IFF’s lending, visit our Capital Solutions page.

Detroit Cultivator Community Land Trust

IFF closed a $200,000 loan that provided the Detroit Cultivator Community Land Trust (DCCLT) with the capital needed to develop a single-family home in Detroit, Michigan’s North End neighborhood that will be sold to a buyer earning 80 percent of less of the Area Median Income. By doing so, DCCLT will create an affordable homeownership opportunity in a community experiencing gentrification. DCCLT was established in 2020 by two local Community Development Corporations to preserve affordability in the North End, prevent displacement, support food access and local agriculture, and give residents control over their neighborhood’s development. The two-story, 964-square-foot home will be built using modular construction and include two bedrooms and two and half bathrooms. Residents will benefit from energy efficient appliances and low-flow plumbing fixtures that reduce utility bills, as well as convenient access to shopping, groceries, parks, and public transit. Additional funding for the $478,000 project is being provided by the Knight Foundation and the City of Detroit.

eta Creative Arts Foundation

IFF closed a $150,000 loan for eta Creative Arts Foundation (eta) through the MacArthur Foundation Arts & Culture Loan Fund (ACLF) that provided the nonprofit with a line of credit as it renovates its 16,000-square-foot facility in Chicago’s Grand Crossing neighborhood and implements significant organizational adjustments in alignment with its strategic plan. eta was founded in 1971 to provide training and performance opportunities for youth and adults, with a mission centered on preserving and promoting the African American aesthetic. The organization’s facility includes a 200-seat theater, a gallery, classrooms, and community space, which enables eta to deliver a wide range of arts and education programming that includes theatrical productions, youth and adult arts instruction, community workshops, and a summer performing arts camp for children ages 7-13, among other examples.

Facility renovations will improve the reliability and functionality of eta’s headquarters by replacing outdated heating and cooling systems and upgrading electrical and plumbing infrastructure. These enhancements will enable the organization to expand programming capacity, improve visitor comfort, and ensure long-term operational sustainability. Once complete, the renovated space will support a more vibrant environment for community gatherings, cultural preservation, education, and storytelling, in addition to strengthening the organization’s core programs. IFF’s Real Estate Solutions team supported the project by partnering with eta to develop a scope or work and project budget.

NewPath Child & Family Solutions

IFF closed a loan of approximately $2.1 million that provided NewPath Child & Family Solutions (NewPath) with the capital needed to renovate and expand a 10,000-square-foot facility the nonprofit owns in Cincinnati, OH. Founded in 1829 as an orphanage, NewPath today is a comprehensive behavioral health and educational treatment agency that supports children and their families through programming that includes outpatient services, education/day treatment, residential treatment, medication management, foster care, and supportive independent living programs. The organization currently has 33 licensed beds in the facility and had to turn away nearly 900 referrals last year for its residential program because of limited capacity. Once renovations are completed, NewPath will have 49 beds in the facility, in addition to an upgraded gathering and meeting space and a new ‘milieu,’ which is akin to a central living and therapeutic area for clients. IFF previously provided NewPath with two loans totaling $1.075 million in September 2024 that facilitated the organization’s acquisition of an 86,000-square-foot facility in Cincinnati that similarly expanded its capacity. Learn more about that project here.

NXG Youth Motorsports

IFF closed an $828,600 loan that enabled NXG Youth Motorsports (NXG) to acquire a 6,964-square-foot facility in Indianapolis, IN, that will serve as the nonprofit’s headquarters and youth performance center. Launched in 2006, NXG uses motorsports to cultivate life skills among young people in Indianapolis while teaching STEAM concepts through experiential learning opportunities that also expose them to potential career paths in the auto racing industry. NXG currently serves approximately 300 youth annually using leased and donated space, with programming centered around a youth motorsports academy, a competitive racing series, and a development program for young adults designed to create pathways to educational and professional opportunities.

With a permanent headquarters the organization owns, NXG will be able to increase access to career pathways, strengthen academic readiness among program participants, improve STEAM proficiency for young people facing systemic barriers, build a future-ready workforce aligned with national demand for jobs in digital technologies, and support post-secondary success among its program alumni. IFF’s Real Estate Solutions provided long-term support to NXG to identify a suitable permanent location. Now that NXG has secured control of the new property, IFF’s real estate team will continue to support the nonprofit as it renovates the facility to support its operational and programming goals.

Reestablishing Hope Inc.

IFF closed a $77,400 loan that provided Reestablishing Hope Inc. with the capital needed to complete upgrades to a property in South Holland, IL, that the nonprofit owns. Reestablishing Hope provides evidence based behavioral health services, violence prevention programs, and support resources for individuals who have historically faced barriers to accessing essential care. With an IFF loan closed in August 2025, Reestablishing Hope acquired the property in South Holland to house its offices after previously leasing a facility for the same purpose. In February 2026, IFF closed a second loan for the organization that facilitated renovations to the property that included structural and interior improvements, safety and accessibility upgrades, and the purchase of new HVAC equipment. With the most recent loan, Reestablishing Hope will pave the facility’s parking lot and paint the exterior of the 9,000-square-foot building. The project will complete the nonprofit’s work to revitalize the property, which also provides high-quality space on the facility’s second floor available to be leased by local businesses and community-driven organizations that complement Reestablishing Hope’s mission. In total, the project has created five full-time jobs and four part-time positions.

Steps to The Future Daycare & Learning Center

IFF closed two loans totaling approximately $311,000 that provided Steps to The Future Daycare & Learning Center (Steps to The Future) with the capital needed to acquire the organization’s 1,925-square-foot leased facility in Calumet City, IL. The financing will also enable the organization to refinance and consolidate existing debt incurred for property improvements. Established as a nonprofit in 2022 but serving Chicago’s Southland since 2005, Steps to The Future provides child care and educational services for 75 children ages 12 months to 12 years each year. In addition to early childhood education during the day, the organization offers before and after-school care, summer programs, field trips, and more. By purchasing its longtime home, Steps to The Future will save more than $50,000 annually on occupancy costs.