Skip to main content

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

  1. May 09, 2019

    The Appraisal Bias: How more equitable underwriting can increase capital in communities of color
    Category: Thought Leadership
    map of redlined neighborhoods
  2. March 12, 2019

    Exploring the continuum: Why community development projects need so much more than capital
    Category: Thought Leadership
  3. December 15, 2025

    Reflecting on a Career Spent Strengthening Nonprofits and the Communities They Serve: Q&A with IFF CEO Joe Neri
    Category: Stories
    A man in a suit and tie speaks at a transparent podium with a microphone in a dimly lit room with a geometric patterned background.
  4. December 12, 2025

    Crain’s Cleveland Business: Ohio’s Community Lenders Grapple with Ongoing CDFI Fund Uncertainty
    Category: Press
    IFF Media Icon
  5. December 09, 2025

    Crain’s Chicago Business: Public Banks Are An Old Idea Gaining New Currency
    Category: Press
    IFF Media Icon
  6. December 02, 2025

    The Michigan Chronicle: Dream Studio Detroit Opens New Community Hub in Cody Rouge to Expand Family Economic Mobility
    Category: Press
    IFF Media Icon
  7. November 23, 2025

    Nodaway News Leader: Community Food Providers Unite to Strengthen Food Access
    Category: Press
    IFF Media Icon
  8. November 22, 2025

    Chicago Sun-Times: Green Era’s Food Waste Processor Creates Compost and Renewable Energy in Auburn Gresham
    Category: Press
    IFF Media Icon
  9. November 21, 2025

    FIintside: Volunteers of America Michigan’s Mission Made Possible by Social Enterprise Thrift Stores; Support from IFF
    Category: Press
    Category: Stories
    IFF Media Icon
  10. November 19, 2025

    A “94-Year-Old Startup” High School Secures Its Future Through Campus Ownership
    Category: Stories
    Aerial view of a school campus in a suburban area with houses and a distant city skyline.
  11. November 19, 2025

    Three IFF-Sponsored Projects Awarded Grant Funding Through FHLBank Chicago’s Affordable Housing Program
    Category: Stories
    A digital rendering of a modern two-story building with a mix of brick and beige horizontal siding. The front left corner features a red brick facade with a flat canopy above a glass entrance door. The building's facade includes several rectangular windows with red panels between them. The surrounding landscape is neatly maintained, featuring green grass, shrubs, and a small tree. In the background, part of the side wall displays a colorful mural. Two silhouetted figures are walking along the sidewalk in the foreground, with a detached house visible further to the left against a bright blue sky.
  12. November 19, 2025

    St. Louis Magazine: How the Brickline Greenway Can Drive Sustainable Development in North St. Louis
    Category: Press
    IFF Media Icon
  13. November 15, 2025

    Detroit Free Press: Unlicensed Child Care Providers Fill Gap for Detroit Families Struggling to Find Care
    Category: Press
    IFF Media Icon
  14. November 04, 2025

    Inside INdiana Business: CDFI Friendly Evansville Region Working to Connect Underserved Communities to Capital
    Category: Press
    IFF Media Icon
  15. October 31, 2025

    Soapbox Cincinnati: CDFI Support Enables NewPath to Expand, Celebrate New Chapter in Changing Futures of Youth
    Category: Press
    Category: Stories
    IFF Media Icon
  16. October 30, 2025

    Federal Home Loan Bank of Chicago: FHLBank Chicago Awards $5.9 Million for Developer Program to Empower Emerging Leaders in Affordable Housing
    Category: Press
    IFF Media Icon
  17. October 29, 2025

    Seed St. Louis Grows Gardens and Communities Through a Long-Term Partnership with IFF
    Category: Stories
    A group of people posing in a lush community garden with raised beds and various plants.
  18. October 29, 2025

    Carmen Schools of Science and Technology Builds for the Future with a $55 Million Home for STEAM Success
    Category: Stories
    An architect's rendering of a modern three-story building at a street intersection with cars and crosswalks. A sign on the building says, "Carmen Schools of Science and Technology "
  19. October 29, 2025

    Four Ways to Make Early Learning Spaces More Accessible for All Children
    Category: Resources
    An early childhood education space with children engaged in activities and large windows providing natural light.
  20. October 27, 2025

    Crain’s Chicago Business: Development in Chicago Still Looks Lopsided. Can the City Even It Out?
    Category: Press
    IFF Media Icon
  21. October 24, 2025

    St. Louis Magazine: How Nonprofit Lender IFF Helped Save St. Mary’s
    Category: Press
    IFF Media Icon
  22. October 23, 2025

    IFF CEO Joe Neri Honored with Opportunity Finance Network’s 2025 Executive Leadership Award
    Category: Stories
    Two men in suits standing together, one holding an award, against a backdrop reading "THE OPPORTUNITY HONORS."
  23. October 17, 2025

    Cleveland’s Iconic West Side Market Gets a $70 Million Overhaul
    Category: Stories
    Interior of a historic market hall with arched brick ceilings and vendor stalls.
  24. October 14, 2025

    Crain’s Chicago Business: 95th Street’s Long-Awaited Revival May Finally Be Underway
    Category: Press
    IFF Media Icon
  25. October 14, 2025

    Crain’s Detroit Business: Future of Key Local Development Funding Tool Uncertain as Trump Administration Lays Off Staff
    Category: Press
    IFF Media Icon
  26. October 07, 2025

    James S. McDonnell Foundation: Building Joyful Spaces: How IFF Is Helping to Transform St. Louis’s Early Childhood Ecosystem
    Category: Press
    IFF Media Icon
  27. October 01, 2025

    September 2025 Loan Round-up
    Category: Stories
    A group of nine adults standing outside a building with yellow bricks, behind a green sign that says, "Brickton Montessori School."
  28. October 01, 2025

    Model D: Investing in America Child Care Partnership – Building a Stronger Future for Families and Employers
    Category: Press
    Category: Stories
    IFF Media Icon
  29. September 25, 2025

    A Community-Driven Nonprofit Transforms a Blighted Property into a “Beacon of Light” in Milwaukee
    Category: Stories
    A modern building with large glass windows and "SHECHEM" sign illuminated in yellow.
  30. September 22, 2025

    IFF’s Home First Awarded Tax Credits for a New Housing Development in Illinois’ Metro East Region
    Category: Stories
    Digital rendering of a three-story residential building with blue and beige façade, set against a blue sky.
  31. September 16, 2025

    IFF Maintains Top Aeris® Ratings for 12th Consecutive Year
    Category: Press
  32. September 15, 2025

    Columbus Monthly: Yohannan Terrell is Working to Boost Columbus’ Reputation as a Fashion and Design Hub
    Category: Press
    IFF Media Icon
  33. September 12, 2025

    Crain’s Detroit Business: Kresge Foundation to Move HQ Back to Detroit as Part of $180M Investment
    Category: Press
    IFF Media Icon
  34. September 12, 2025

    Federal Home Loan Bank of Chicago: FHLBank Chicago, IFF, Impact Seven, and Cinnaire Celebrate Groundbreaking of Trailview Cottages
    Category: Press
    IFF Media Icon
  35. September 05, 2025

    Party in the Garden: Celebrating the Close-out of the Chicago’s Cultural Treasures Initiative
    Category: Stories
    A woman on a small round stage in a room full of people reads from a book in her hand with her other arm raised
  36. September 02, 2025

    9&10 News: Housing North to Host Summit Focused on Community-Driven Housing Solutions
    Category: Press
    IFF Media Icon
  37. September 01, 2025

    August 2025 Loan Round-up
    Category: Stories
    A multi-story building with colorful panels and large windows next to a modern extension with a translucent facade.
  38. August 27, 2025

    From Vacant to Vibrant: A Revitalized Community Asset Sets the Stage for Austin’s Next Chapter
    Category: Stories
    A group of people at a ribbon-cutting ceremony in front of a modern building.
  39. August 27, 2025

    With Real Estate Support from IFF, Chicago Makes a Transformational Investment in the City’s Shelter System
    Category: Stories
    A diverse group of thirteen people posing in front of a "Saint Leonard's Ministries" banner.
  40. August 27, 2025

    Chicago Defender: Meet the Standout Nonprofit Leaders Changing Chicago and the Chicagoland Area
    Category: Press
    IFF Media Icon
  41. August 26, 2025

    DBusiness Magazine: MiSide Names Four New Board Members
    Category: Press
    IFF Media Icon
  42. August 15, 2025

    WRTV: Empowering Nonprofits, Indianapolis Launches New Energy Efficiency Program
    Category: Press
    IFF Media Icon
  43. August 12, 2025

    St. Louis Business Journal: Backers Buy Catholic High School Property with Plans to Stay Independent
    Category: Press
    IFF Media Icon
  44. August 08, 2025

    Federal Reserve Bank of New York Event Explores Expansion Strategies to Scale CDFI Impact
    Category: Stories
    Corner of a stone building engraved with text that says "Federal Reserve Bank of New York" beside a busy urban street with pedestrians and a Dunkin' Donuts storefront.
  45. August 06, 2025

    The Overhead Wire: Technical Assistance for Equitable Transit-Oriented Development
    Category: Press
    IFF Media Icon
  46. August 01, 2025

    MITechNews.com: Invest Detroit Closes $32 Million in Four Detroit Projects with New Markets Tax Credit
    Category: Press
    IFF Media Icon
  47. August 01, 2025

    July 2025 Loan Round-up
    Category: Stories
    Aerial view of a school campus in a suburban area with houses and a distant city skyline.
  48. July 31, 2025

    Press Round-up: Culture Forward Chicago’s Funding for Arts and Culture Organizations
    Category: Stories
    Three people sit in chairs at a TV studio, with "Good Day Chicago" on a screen behind them
  49. July 29, 2025

    Second Wave Michigan: Preserving Homes, Changing Lives
    Category: Press
    IFF Media Icon
  50. July 29, 2025

    Chicago Business Journal: IFF CEO Joe Neri to Retire
    Category: Press
    IFF Media Icon
  51. July 29, 2025

    Crain’s Chicago Business: IFF CEO Joe Neri Stepping Down at the End of 2025
    Category: Press
    IFF Media Icon
  52. July 29, 2025

    Press Release: IFF Announces Upcoming CEO Transition
    Category: Press
    Two circular portraits with the IFF logo between them on a yellow to orange gradient background.
  53. July 28, 2025

    Predevelopment Financing from IFF Helps an Indiana Developer Address the State’s Senior Housing Squeeze
    Category: Stories
    An architect's rendering of a four-story modern residential multifamily building with white siding, dark windows, and a brick base.
  54. July 28, 2025

    A 10-Step Plan to Create Better Nonprofit Budgets
    Category: Resources
    The image shows a close-up of a workspace where multiple hands are actively engaged in examining various documents and materials on a table. The table is covered with charts, graphs, and printed papers, as well as a smartphone displaying a screen of text. A calculator and an open notebook are also visible. One person is pointing at a graph with green bars, while another has their hand resting on a document featuring a chart with blue sections. A black clipboard with a printed document is placed under another person’s hands. The setting suggests a collaborative work environment, possibly focusing on financial or strategic planning.
  55. July 28, 2025

    The Daily Journal: Kankakee Housing Authority Unveils $14M Housing Development
    Category: Press
    IFF Media Icon
  56. July 24, 2025

    Chicago Defender: Chicago’s Shelter System to Get Historic Upgrade – What It Means for the Community
    Category: Press
    IFF Media Icon
  57. July 11, 2025

    Michigan Business Network: Governor Whitmer Announces Funding to Build and Preserve 484 Affordable Rental Homes
    Category: Press
    IFF Media Icon
  58. July 09, 2025

    The St. Louis American: McDonnell Foundation Supports Tornado Recovery Effort
    Category: Press
    IFF Media Icon
  59. July 09, 2025

    Block Club Chicago: Amid Trump Cuts, Local Lender Gifts $3 Million to Chicago Arts and Culture Nonprofits
    Category: Press
    IFF Media Icon
  60. July 08, 2025

    Indianapolis Recorder: City and IFF Launch Thriving Nonprofits to Help Local Orgs Cut Energy Costs
    Category: Press
    IFF Media Icon
  61. July 07, 2025

    The Lakeshore: Dwelling Place Expands Affordable Homeownership Through Community Land Trust
    Category: Press
    IFF Media Icon
  62. July 03, 2025

    WFYI Indianapolis: Thriving Nonprofits Initiative Identifies First Cohort of Organizations
    Category: Press
    IFF Media Icon
  63. July 01, 2025

    Press Release: City of Indianapolis and IFF Announce Organizations Selected to Participate in New Energy Efficiency Initiative
    Category: Press
    Logo with three buildings and the text "Thriving Nonprofits" below.
  64. July 01, 2025

    June 2025 Loan Round-up
    Category: Stories
    An architect's rendering of a bright pottery studio with tables, stools, pottery wheels, and large shelves filled with ceramics.
  65. June 25, 2025

    Boston Square Embraces the Future: New ECE Center Nurtures Young Minds and Empowers Families
    Category: Stories
    Sign for Boston Square Early Learning Center with building labeled HUB 07 in the background.
  66. June 25, 2025

    IFF’s Flex Loan Program Expands to Increase Nonprofits’ Access to Capital Across the Midwest
    Category: Stories
    A group of children and adults on a stage, dressed in school uniforms and various costumes, with a theater backdrop.
  67. June 25, 2025

    Achieving Real Estate and Capital Readiness for Nonprofit Facilities Projects
    Category: Resources
    A group of ten people at a groundbreaking ceremony, each holding a golden shovel in front of an old building.
  68. June 25, 2025

    FOX 32 Chicago: Chicago Arts and Cultural Organizations Awarded $3 Million
    Category: Press
    IFF Media Icon
  69. June 23, 2025

    Canton Repository: ABCD’s Annual Meeting June 26
    Category: Press
    IFF Media Icon
  70. June 23, 2025

    Crain’s Detroit Business: Invest Detroit to Open $48 Million Innovation Hub in Former School
    Category: Press
    IFF Media Icon
  71. June 21, 2025

    WGN Radio: Supporting Chicago’s Arts Nonprofits, Guiding Chicago’s Youth Toward Entertainment Careers
    Category: Press
    IFF Media Icon
  72. June 18, 2025

    Impact Report: Michigan Affordable Housing Loan Program
    Category: Stories
    A group of people stand outside under a blue tent that says "Building on Your Vision." They are holding shovels standing in a pile of dirt.
  73. June 12, 2025

    Crain’s Chicago Business: JPMorgan Chase Commits $18 Million to Chicago Nonprofit Lender
    Category: Press
    IFF Media Icon
  74. June 12, 2025

    Chicago Business Journal: JPMorgan Chase Injects $18 Million into IFF to Boost Nonprofit Real Estate Projects in Midwest
    Category: Press
    IFF Media Icon
  75. June 12, 2025

    Press Release: JPMorganChase Commits $18 Million to IFF to Increase Access to Capital For Nonprofits in Chicago and the Greater Midwest
    Category: Press
  76. June 12, 2025

    Block Club Chicago: Meet the Finalists for the $10 Million Chicago Prize to Revitalize South, West Sides
    Category: Press
    IFF Media Icon
  77. June 12, 2025

    548 Development Breaks Ground on Chicago’s Largest Building Incorporating Passive House Design Standards
    Category: Stories
    A large crowd gathers at an outdoor groundbreaking ceremony with speakers, cameras, and a yellow excavator in the background.
  78. June 11, 2025

    Michigan Business Network: MiLEAP Announces $1 Million Awarded to Regional Child Care Coalitions
    Category: Press
    IFF Media Icon
  79. June 10, 2025

    theSTL: Caring for the Caregivers
    Category: Press
    IFF Media Icon
  80. June 05, 2025

    The Herald-News: Public Housing in Joliet Transformed Again with New Senior Apartments
    Category: Press
    IFF Media Icon
  81. June 01, 2025

    May 2025 Loan Round-up
    Category: Stories
    Entrance sign for Riverside Village apartments, with shrubs and a residential building in the background.
  82. May 29, 2025

    Detroit Free Press: Mackinac Policy Conference Left Early Childhood Education Off This Year’s Agenda | Opinion
    Category: Press
    IFF Media Icon
  83. May 27, 2025

    TCA Health Develops the Recipe for a Healthier Community with New Nutrition, Innovation, and Wellness Center
    Category: Stories
  84. May 27, 2025

    Strengthening the Fabric of a Cleveland Community with Expanded Arts and Culture Programming
    Category: Stories
    A diverse group of people holding colorful woven textiles in a workshop with yarn and tools visible.
  85. May 23, 2025

    Block Club Chicago: $65 Million United Yards Development Now Open in Back of the Yards
    Category: Press
    IFF Media Icon
  86. May 21, 2025

    IFF’s 2024 Annual Report: Investing in People, Places, and Possibilities
    Category: Stories
  87. May 15, 2025

    St. Louis Business Journal: Proposed CDFI Fund Reduction by Trump Could Devastate St. Louis-Area Lenders Serving Underserved Businesses
    Category: Press
    IFF Media Icon
  88. May 15, 2025

    Achieving Greater Impact with an Ecosystem Approach to Community Development Technical Assistance
    Category: Thought Leadership
  89. May 07, 2025

    Press Release: City of Indianapolis and IFF Launch New Energy Efficiency Program for Nonprofits in Marion County
    Category: Press
    Logo with three buildings and the text "Thriving Nonprofits" below.
  90. May 07, 2025

    WFYI Indianapolis: City to Offer Energy Assistance to Nonprofits Through New Thrive Program
    Category: Press
    IFF Media Icon
  91. May 01, 2025

    April 2025 Loan Round-up
    Category: Stories
    Five people in helmets participating in a groundbreaking ceremony with shovels.
  92. April 28, 2025

    A New Headquarters and Workforce Development Center Amplifies the Positive Community Impact of an Ohio Nonprofit
    Category: Stories
    A person standing next to a wall sign attached to a building made of dark bricks. The person is wearing a checked jacket over a pink shirt. The sign is rectangular, featuring a triangular logo with stylized figures and colorful letters "ABCD" within it. Below the logo, there is text in large, raised letters that reads, "The Will Dent Center for Community Economic Development."
  93. April 28, 2025

    Planning Future Places: Across the Midwest, Nonprofits Level Up with Facility Feasibility Analyses
    Category: Stories
    A group of nine people smiling and posing in front of a colorful wall with the text "YOU ARE MORE THAN ENOUGH."
  94. April 28, 2025

    Austin Weekly News: A New Arts Hub for Austin
    Category: Press
    IFF Media Icon
  95. April 28, 2025

    77 Chicagoland Arts and Culture Organizations Receive Gift through Culture Forward Chicago
    Category: Stories
  96. April 23, 2025

    Crain’s Grand Rapids Business: Amplify GR Gears Up to Open Community Hub, Break Ground on Second Mixed-Use Building
    Category: Press
    IFF Media Icon
  97. April 21, 2025

    Aurora Beacon-News: VNA Clinic Officially Opens in Bloomhaven on Near East Side of Aurora
    Category: Press
    IFF Media Icon
  98. April 16, 2025

    Press Release: New Loan Funds for Select Cook County Nonprofits Will Help Ensure Remaining Federal COVID Recovery Funding Stays in the Region
    Category: Press
  99. April 15, 2025

    Soapbox Cincinnati: How IFF and CDFIs Provide Tangible Investments and Grow Nonprofits for Cincinnati Neighborhoods
    Category: Press
    Category: Stories
    IFF Media Icon
  100. April 10, 2025

    Fox 2 St. Louis: Mayor-elect Cara Spencer Announces Staff Hires, Transition Team
    Category: Press
    IFF Media Icon
  101. April 03, 2025

    Press Release: IFF Announces New Board Chair, Sakura Takano, CEO of Rotary Charities of Traverse City
    Category: Press
    A woman with long, dark hair styled smoothly over one shoulder, wearing a light-colored blazer and a dark top. They are smiling, looking slightly towards the right. The background consists of a wall made of bricks in various shades of brown and beige, providing a neutral and textured backdrop.
  102. April 01, 2025

    March 2025 Loan Round-up
    Category: Stories
    A building with beige and red brick facades, featuring the Jane Pauley Community Health Center logo on the right. A mural of a Native American headdress is on the adjacent red brick wall.