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Catch up on IFF news, read stories about community development projects across the Midwest, and gain insight from our team.

  1. May 18, 2022

    Madison Nonprofits Team Up on Affordable Housing and Early Childhood Education in a Win-Win for Everybody
    Category: Stories
  2. May 18, 2022

    New Neal Math and Science Academy on Track for November 2022 Grand Opening
    Category: Stories
    Architect's Rendering of the new Neal Math and Science Academy
  3. May 18, 2022

    IFF’s 2021 Annual Report | Meeting the Moment: Change, Equity, Impact
    Category: Stories
    Cover of IFF's 2021 Annual Report
  4. May 01, 2022

    April 2022 Loan Round-up
    Category: Stories
    Architect's rendering of Galleria 89 in South Chicago
  5. April 19, 2022

    Nonprofit BUILD Moves Quickly to Disrupt the Status Quo with a Bold Investment in Community Infrastructure on Chicago’s West Side
    Category: Stories
    An architect's rendering of the new BUILD Chicago campus
  6. April 19, 2022

    Photo Tour: A Repurposed School Begins Its Second Act as a Building Block for Revitalization in North St. Louis
    Category: Stories
  7. April 19, 2022

    A Collaborative Approach to Community Building and a Newly Renovated Facility Create a Platform for Transformation in Grand Rapids’ Third Ward
    Category: Stories
    Members of the Grand Rapids Center for Community Transformation stand outside of the group's facility
  8. April 01, 2022

    March 2022 Loan Round-up
    Category: Stories
  9. March 15, 2022

    Kranzberg Arts Foundation’s New 3333 Facility Provides a “Creative Sandbox” for St. Louis’ Arts Community
    Category: Stories
    Paintings in Sophie's Artist Lounge at the Kranzberg Arts Foundation's 3333 facility in St. Louis' Grand Center neighborhood
  10. March 15, 2022

    Patient Capital and “CDFI Plus” Support Provide Indianapolis Charter School with On-ramp to Achieve Growth Goals
    Category: Stories
    Exterior of ACE Prep Academy in Indianapolis
  11. March 15, 2022

    Photo Tour: New Transit-Oriented Affordable Housing Creates an Arts-Centric Gateway for a Local Business District
    Category: Stories
    Exterior Shot of The 801 in Oak Park, IL
  12. March 15, 2022

    Establishing Mutually Beneficial Bank-CDFI Referral Relationships: A Q&A with First Bank of Highland Park Senior Vice President Courtney Olson
    Category: Stories
    Headshot of First Bank of Highland Park Senior Vice President and Managing Director of Business Banking Courtney Olson
  13. March 01, 2022

    February 2022 Loan Round-up
    Category: Stories
    A team of people dressed in purple shirts and hats holds shovels, posing together in a sunny outdoor setting.
  14. February 16, 2022

    Built from Within: PODER Begins Construction of Chicago’s First Immigrant Integration and Job Center
    Category: Stories
    Ceremonial groundbreaking taking place at PODER's future headquarters in the Gage Park neighborhood on Chicago's Southwest Side
  15. February 16, 2022

    Facility Turnaround in Detroit Helps Nonprofit Focus on “The Right Work at the Right Time in the Right Place”
    Category: Stories
    A photo of the St. Suzanne Cody Rouge Community Resource Center in Detroit
  16. February 16, 2022

    Virtual Tour: Two model homes on Chicago’s West Side demonstrate proof of concept for a bold community revitalization strategy
    Category: Stories
    Model homes developed by Lawndale Christian Development Corporation as part of a community revitalization strategy designed to build generational wealth through homeownership
  17. February 16, 2022

    Building a Dream Incubator: 5 Questions for baso Founder and President Claudette Soto
    Category: Stories
    A headshot of baso Founder and President Claudette Soto
  18. January 31, 2022

    January 2022 Loan Round-up
    Category: Stories
    A group of staff and volunteers from Star Farm Chicago standing in front a van the nonprofit uses to distribute locally grown organic produce in and around Chicago's Back of the Yards neighborhood
  19. January 18, 2022

    Photo Tour: North Lawndale Employment Network’s First Permanent Campus
    Category: Stories
  20. January 18, 2022

    Photo Tour: The Paddocks Bring Affordable Workforce Housing to Rural Indiana Community
    Category: Stories
  21. January 18, 2022

    Photo Tour: Seeds of Health’s Tenor High School Opens New Campus in Historic Milwaukee Location
    Category: Stories
  22. January 18, 2022

    Photo Tour: The Marygrove Early Education Center Puts Young Learners at the Center of Community Revitalization
    Category: Stories
  23. December 31, 2021

    December 2021 Loan Round-up
    Category: Stories
  24. December 14, 2021

    Grand Avenue Market: A 20-Year Quest to Re-establish a Local Grocery Store in Rural Kansas
    Category: Stories
    Grand Avenue Market sign in Plains, Kansas
  25. December 14, 2021

    Full Circle Communities and Christian Community Health Center Take on Link Between Health and Housing in South Suburban Chicago
    Category: Stories
  26. December 14, 2021

    Indianapolis Social Enterprise Begins Construction of $13 Million Workforce Development Complex for Returning Citizens
    Category: Stories
    RecycleForce Groundbreaking
  27. December 14, 2021

    “If you want better, you have to change your narrative”: A Q&A with Dr. Nicole Howell-Scott, Founder and CEO of the American Association of Single Parents
    Category: Stories
    Headshot of Dr. Nicole Howell-Scott, Founder of the American Association of Single Parents
  28. December 01, 2021

    November 2021 Loan Round-up
    Category: Stories
  29. November 16, 2021

    Birth Detroit Reimagines Maternal and Infant Care with Plan for Community-Based, Black-led Birth Centers
    Category: Stories
    A child plays at the Birth Detroit Care facility while a staff member watches him
  30. November 16, 2021

    Financial Literacy and Career Readiness Come to Life in Junior Achievement of Greater Kansas City’s New Facility
    Category: Stories
    Sign outside Junior Achievement of Greater Kansas City's Youth Learning Lab
  31. November 16, 2021

    Understanding that we are a collective: How vision became reality for the Chatham Education & Workforce Center
    Category: Stories
    A multi-purpose room at the Chatham Workforce Education & Workforce Center
  32. November 16, 2021

    Bridging the Gap Between Communities of Color and the Health Care System: A Q&A with UniteWI Founder and Executive Director Bria Grant
    Category: Stories
    UniteWI Founder and Executive Director Bria Grant sitting for a posed photo
  33. October 31, 2021

    October 2021 Loan Round-up
    Category: Stories
  34. October 13, 2021

    Family Christian Health Center Responds to Pandemic by Leaning Further into Its Mission
    Category: Stories
    Ribbon Cutting for Family Christian Health Center's Maternal Health Clinic
  35. October 13, 2021

    The Night Ministry’s “The Crib” Designed with Both Its Clients and Community in Mind
    Category: Stories
  36. October 13, 2021

    Transforming the Emergency Food System with an Eye on Equity: A Q&A with Greater Chicago Food Depository’s Nicole Robinson
    Category: Stories
    Nicole Robinson Greater Chicago Food Depository
  37. October 13, 2021

    XS Tennis Hosts Venus Williams, WTA for Chicago Tennis Festival – A Historic First
    Category: Stories
    XS Tennis' facility with the Chicago skyline in the background
  38. October 01, 2021

    September 2021 Loan Round-up
    Category: Stories
    RecycleForce Groundbreaking
  39. September 15, 2021

    Trailblazing Early Learning Center Opens Doors on Marygrove Campus in Detroit
    Category: Stories
    Marygrove Early Education Center
  40. September 15, 2021

    Equitable Community Development in Action: The Redevelopment of North Chicago’s Neal Math and Science Academy
    Category: Stories
    Neal Math and Science Academy External Rendering
  41. September 15, 2021

    Paramount Schools of Excellence Charts New Path in Indiana with Statewide Expansion
    Category: Stories
  42. August 31, 2021

    August 2021 Loan Round-up
    Category: Stories
    A table reading at the Remy Bumppo Theatre Company in Chicago, IL
  43. August 16, 2021

    Transformational New Facility Unlocks Potential for Early Childhood Learners in Kansas City
    Category: Stories
  44. August 16, 2021

    Columbus Nonprofit Revives Community Asset as Permanent Facility for Teen Mentorship
    Category: Stories
  45. August 16, 2021

    Q&A with BDO FMA Managing Director Dana Britto: Building Financial Capacity Post-Pandemic
    Category: Stories
    Dana Britto BDO FMA
  46. August 16, 2021

    CDFI Friendly Bloomington a Prototype for Successful Community Development in Small Markets
    Category: Stories
  47. July 31, 2021

    July 2021 Loan Round-up
    Category: Stories
  48. July 14, 2021

    Red Clay Dance Company Brings “Artivism” to Chicago’s Woodlawn Community
    Category: Stories
  49. June 30, 2021

    June 2021 Loan Round-up
    Category: Stories
  50. June 28, 2021

    2020 Annual Report
    Category: Stories
  51. June 14, 2021

    A New Facility in Milwaukee Has Eco-Friendly Blue Skies Landscaping Seeing Green
    Category: Stories
  52. June 14, 2021

    $2.5 Million in IFF Loans Strengthen CDFI Industry and Support Small Businesses in the Midwest
    Category: Stories
  53. June 14, 2021

    Stronger Nonprofits Initiative Spotlight: InsideOut Literary Arts Executive Director Suma Karaman Rosen
    Category: Stories
  54. June 14, 2021

    Long-term Relationships and Trust Underpin COVID-19 Vaccination Success in Homan Square
    Category: Stories
  55. May 31, 2021

    May 2021 Loan Round-up
    Category: Stories
  56. April 29, 2021

    Muncie’s 8twelve Coalition – Building Community One Cup of Coffee at a Time
    Category: Stories
  57. April 28, 2021

    IFF and Children’s Home & Aid Bolster East St. Louis Child Care Providers with COVID-19 Relief Grants
    Category: Stories
  58. April 28, 2021

    Covenant House Illinois Doubles Down on Ending Youth Homelessness with More Beds and Services in East Garfield Park
    Category: Stories
  59. April 13, 2021

    Commongrounds Cooperative Puts Community First in Traverse City
    Category: Stories
  60. March 31, 2021

    March 2021 Loan Round-up
    Category: Stories
  61. February 28, 2021

    February 2021 Loan Round-up
    Category: Stories
  62. January 31, 2021

    January 2021 Loan Round-up
    Category: Stories
  63. October 12, 2020

    Partnerships, Equity & the CDFI Way: How 159 Midwest nonprofits received PPP loans through IFF
    Category: Stories
  64. May 27, 2020

    2019 Annual Report
    Category: Stories
  65. March 02, 2020

    Detroit breaks ground on $15 million early education center that will serve as national model
    Category: Stories
    Image of groundbreaking ceremony at Marygrove College
  66. March 02, 2020

    Detroit Prep revives century-old school building to serve up to 500 students in Pingree Park
    Category: Stories
    Interior image of Detroit Prep classroom with children
  67. March 02, 2020

    Experienced child care provider expands to serve 6x more children on Detroit’s east side
    Category: Stories
    Interior image of Blessed Beginnings Learning Center classroom
  68. February 04, 2020

    What does $1 billion in community lending look like?
    Category: Stories
    Montage of images from projects contributing to the $1 billion of loans
  69. November 11, 2019

    United Methodist Community House reimagines itself — and Grand Rapids’ Southeastern Community
    Category: Stories
  70. October 09, 2019

    IFF clients give advice on how to spread awareness during Domestic Violence Awareness Month
    Category: Stories
  71. October 08, 2019

    New YMCA in Kentucky’s west Louisville neighborhood reimagines public health through an equity lens
    Category: Stories
  72. September 04, 2019

    Lincoln Park Community Services triples its capacity to serve Chicagoans experiencing homelessness
    Category: Stories
  73. September 04, 2019

    Chicago’s North Lawndale Employment Network to transform former bank building into community hub
    Category: Stories
  74. August 06, 2019

    Eight standout arts organizations complete MacArthur Foundation-funded workshop series on financial management
    Category: Stories
  75. August 06, 2019

    Small health care center in rural Indiana steps up to meet big community need
    Category: Stories
  76. August 06, 2019

    Photo Tour: A ‘cathedral to youth tennis’ on Chicago’s South Side
    Category: Stories
  77. August 02, 2019

    IFF’s Home First racks up recognition through local, state, and national awards
    Category: Stories
    Kirby, Dena, and Lisa receive Home First award at US Capitol
  78. July 08, 2019

    ‘We’re touching more neighborhoods with families in need’: A conversation with Stronger Nonprofits Initiative participant Christa Hamilton
    Category: Stories
  79. July 08, 2019

    Erie Family Health Centers doubles its footprint in Evanston/Skokie, increasing access to high-quality, affordable health care
    Category: Stories
  80. July 08, 2019

    Photo Tour: Chicago Artists Coalition embraces its new home in the Kinzie Industrial Corridor
    Category: Stories
  81. June 07, 2019

    Addressing health disparities in the LGBTQ community
    Category: Stories
  82. June 07, 2019

    Milwaukee’s Lindsay Heights welcomes ‘dream’ housing development
    Category: Stories
  83. June 06, 2019

    ‘Let people show you who they are’: A conversation with Chicago200 participant and IFF Development Associate Lydia Collins
    Category: Stories
    Chicago200 participants pose for a group photo
  84. May 06, 2019

    Access and Quality for Illinois Children: Statewide Early Childhood Education Needs Assessment
    Category: Stories
  85. May 03, 2019

    A home of his own – The story of one Home First resident
    Category: Stories
  86. May 01, 2019

    Three leaders to watch share takeaways from the Stronger Nonprofits Initiative
    Category: Stories
  87. May 01, 2019

    De-stigmatizing mental health care through integration, specialized support, and space design
    Category: Stories
  88. April 11, 2019

    IFF’s 2018 Annual Investors Report
    Category: Stories
  89. April 03, 2019

    Illinois Action for Children: 50 Years of Impact
    Category: Stories
  90. April 03, 2019

    Wayne Metro’s new ‘impact center’ helps fill gaps in Highland Park
    Category: Stories
  91. April 03, 2019

    Artspace and IFF: Teaming up since 2011 to increase affordable housing options in the Midwest
    Category: Stories
  92. April 03, 2019

    ‘Serving communities always comes down to location:’ A conversation with Chicago artist and activist Tonika Johnson
    Category: Stories
  93. March 14, 2019

    Stronger Nonprofits Initiative: 20 organizations served, countless ideas and connections sparked
    Category: Stories
  94. March 06, 2019

    Young, self-sufficient, and in a nursing home – The story of one Home First resident
    Category: Stories
  95. March 06, 2019

    Humboldt Park’s La Casa Norte answers question: ‘What are all the things someone needs to be well?’
    Category: Stories
  96. March 06, 2019

    Empowering Chicago nonprofits through capital, know-how, and networking
    Category: Stories
  97. February 05, 2019

    One of the nation’s best schools takes a deep dive in Indianapolis – breathing life into historic Naval structure
    Category: Stories
  98. February 05, 2019

    St Louis’s Center of Creative Arts: Bridging the divide through the arts
    Category: Stories
  99. February 05, 2019

    Creative match-making leads to new early childhood education center on Detroit’s East Side
    Category: Stories
  100. January 18, 2019

    Top 10 Pieces of Advice in 2018
    Category: Stories