May 2026 Loan Round-up June 1, 2026

In May, IFF closed loans totaling approximately $6.2 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.

Greater Auburn Gresham Development Corporation

IFF closed a $614,500 loan that financed Greater Auburn Gresham Development Corporation’s (GAGDC) acquisition of a 5,000-square-foot former bank branch in Chicago’s Auburn Gresham neighborhood. GAGDC promotes the revitalization of communities experiencing systemic disinvestment on Chicago’s South Side and in the city’s south suburbs by utilizing comprehensive community development strategies and initiatives to help maintain healthy, safe, and sustainable neighborhoods where families and businesses can thrive. The organization’s new facility will support this mission by housing a health and wellness hub where women and people with disabilities can access comprehensive, integrated health and support services across all stages of life. To accomplish this, GAGDC will lease 4,000 square feet in the facility to Access Living of Metro Chicago, which specializes in providing services and support to people with disabilities, and will equip the building with universal design features that exceed ADA requirements and improve service delivery for individuals with diverse mobility and cognitive profiles.

The project, which IFF’s Real Estate Solutions team supported in the predevelopment stage, will support broader community revitalization by activating long-time vacant commercial space, advancing strategic goals in the Auburn Gresham Quality of Life Plan, catalyzing additional investment, creating new jobs, and strengthening the corridor’s walkability and economic vitality.

Territory NFP

IFF closed a loan of approximately $347,000 for Territory NFP (Territory) that will enable the nonprofit’s acquisition of a 6,250-square-foot facility in Chicago’s Austin neighborhood. Territory is an urban design studio that empowers young people to transform vacant land into space that supports community development. The organization’s new facility will consolidate design, fabrication, construction skills, maker lab, woodshop, and digital media programs into one expanded location with community gathering and outdoor spaces. The facility will also enable Territory to expand access to hands-on creative and technical programs for post-high school (ages 18-24). The project is advancing Austin’s communal Quality of Life plan by addressing a goal for more accessible youth-centered services in the community.

Wauwatosa STEM

IFF closed a $1.5 million loan that provided Wauwatosa STEM (WSTEM) with the capital needed to renovate 21,640 square feet of office space in Wauwatosa, WI, and to purchase the furniture, fixtures, and equipment needed to operate the public K-5 charter school in the renovated facility. Launched in 2007, WSTEM provides a rigorous, inquiry-based STEM curriculum that focuses on hands-on, real-world learning in science, technology, engineering, and math. The school previously operated as an instrumentality charter school within the local school district and will transition to an independent charter school for the 2026-2027 school, necessitating the new facility. Renovations to the leased office space will provide WSTEM with 12 multi-grade classrooms, labs, and recreation space, providing the school with enough space to increase enrollment from 123 K-5 students to 348 students, while also serving 48 pre-K students for the first time. The school’s new location on the Irgens Innovation Center campus will also benefit students. Directly bordering a large park and part of the broader campus focused on science and innovation research, the new location will provide abundant access to green space and natural environments. This proximity will support WSTEM’s integration of environmental and place-based education into its curriculum, enabling hands-on learning experiences that extend beyond the classroom.