In recognition of his long-term leadership at IFF and his profound impact on the community development finance industry, CEO Joe Neri was honored this week by Opportunity Finance Network (OFN) with the organization’s Executive Leadership Award. The award was presented to Neri during a ceremony at the OFN41 conference in Washington, D.C., which brought together more than 2,100 practitioners, investors, policymakers, researchers, students, and more to learn, collaborate, and celebrate the work Community Development Financial Institutions (CDFIs) do to expand economic opportunity across the United States.
“Throughout my career, I have grappled with CDFIs’ existential question. Are we a movement or are we an industry? I believe that we must stand with a foot in both. Aligning capital with justice is this movement’s heart and soul.”
The Executive Leadership Award is presented each year to a CDFI executive whose vision and perseverance have driven transformative capital into communities underserved by mainstream finance. Neri first joined IFF in 1997 and took the helm as CEO in 2011. During his impressive tenure, he established IFF’s real estate consulting and research businesses, led the organization’s expansion to 10 states, created Home First, a housing development corporation for persons with disabilities, and grew IFF’s on-balance sheet loan portfolio to more than $600 million with nearly $1.1 billion in managed assets. In 2023, under Neri’s leadership, IFF had its most impactful year to date, closing 153 loans that provided $233.9 million in capital to nonprofit changemakers. As Neri prepares for his retirement as IFF’s CEO on December 31, 2025, the award is well-deserved recognition for an exemplary career devoted to strengthening communities.
“Throughout my career, I have grappled with CDFIs’ existential question,” said Neri during the OFN awards ceremony. “Are we a movement or are we an industry? I believe that we must stand with a foot in both. Aligning capital with justice is this movement’s heart and soul. Otherwise, we’re just banks. It compels us to address what Dr. King called life’s most persistent question, ‘what are you doing for others?’ We are warriors against a status quo where access to capital enriches the few instead of uplifting the many.”
Neri was recognized for his accomplishments alongside several colleagues in the CDFI industry:
- LiftFund, based in San Antonio, TX, was awarded the Outstanding CDFI Award, which recognizes a CDFI that has gone above and beyond within the last 18 months in serving their communities and driving the CDFI industry forward.
- Northwest Access Fund, based in Shoreline, WA, received the Emerging Growth CDFI Award, which honors a small or emerging CDFI that has demonstrated exceptional growth and service to their community over the last three years.
- The Adina Abramowitz Impact Award for Organizational Growth and Change was awarded to Latino Community Credit Union, based in High Point, NC. This award honors a CDFI that embodies the transformational growth and change principles championed by Adina, while also honoring her extraordinary legacy of building the capacity of CDFIs for over 30 years.
- Affiliated Tribes of Northwest Indians Financial Services (ATNI-EDC), based in Portland, OR, received the inaugural Native CDFI Leadership Award. This award recognizes a Native CDFI demonstrating strong leadership in advancing economic opportunity in Native communities.
Additionally, OFN presented the Vanguard Award, which is presented each year to an organization based in the conference location whose mission is consistent with OFN’s core purpose of aligning capital with opportunity. In 2025, OFN honored two organizations with an award: The Stop Oppressive Seizures Fund, which prevents home loss and resident displacement in Baltimore, and Homes for Hope, Inc., a Washington, D.C. nonprofit that aims to provide permanent housing and support to people as they transition from homelessness to independence.
