Press
For the 13th consecutive year, IFF was awarded the highest possible ratings by Aeris®, which assesses Community Development Financial Institutions (CDFIs) and other private impact loan funds. Developed in 2004 as an independent project of Opportunity Finance Network, the CDFI Assessment and Rating System reflects CDFIs’ impact management, financial strength, and performance, enabling investors to more fully evaluate opportunities that meet their impact goals.
“Maintaining Aeris’ highest ratings demonstrates that IFF has the financial strength, data-informed rigor, and impact framework needed to leverage investments thoughtfully and collaboratively to drive catalytic change in communities across the Midwest.” – IFF CEO Kirby Burkholder
“IFF’s strategic framework calls for us to deploy $1 billion in loans by 2030 to strengthen communities, which is only possible when we build deep partnerships with capital providers who share our vision,” says IFF CEO Kirby Burkholder. “Maintaining Aeris’ highest ratings demonstrates that IFF has the financial strength, data-informed rigor, and impact framework needed to leverage investments thoughtfully and collaboratively to drive catalytic change in communities across the Midwest.”
IFF’s official Aeris® ratings include:
Impact Management Performance: Four Stars maintained since December 31, 2013
The CDFI has exceptional alignment of its impact mission, strategies, activities, and data that guide its lending, programs, and planning. It fully and effectively uses its resources, both directly and indirectly, in pursuit of its impact mission. Its processes and systems accurately track comprehensive data on an ongoing basis, including both output and longer term outcome metrics, and it can provide data showing positive changes in achieving its impact goals. Board and management consistently use the data to adjust strategies and activities to improve its effectiveness.
Policy Plus:
Policy change is an integral part of this CDFI’s strategies. The CDFI leads initiatives to change government policy to benefit the community development finance industry or disadvantaged people and communities. The CDFI can provide evidence of its leadership role in recent policy changes that produced benefits beyond additional resources for the Loan Fund itself, and management can clearly articulate the CDFI’s leadership role in current policy activities.
Financial Strength and Performance: AAA as of December 31, 2025
The CDFI has exceptional financial strength, performance and risk management practices. Any weaknesses are minor and can be handled in a routine manner by the board of directors and management. The CDFI is resilient to significant changes in its operating environment.
For more information about Aeris®, visit aerisinsight.com.