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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 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. June 04, 2026

    Impact Report: Michigan Affordable Housing Loan Program
    Category: Stories
    A crane installs a two-story modular building at a construction site with workers guiding it.
  4. May 28, 2026

    Kansas City Business Journal: IFF Strategic Plan Includes Lending $1 Billion to Regional Nonprofits in Next Four Years
    Category: Press
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  5. May 27, 2026

    How IFF’s Lending to CDFIs Powers Small Business Growth Across the Midwest
    Category: Stories
  6. May 27, 2026

    Audio Story: How Teachers Like Me is Building Community for Black Educators in Kansas City
    Category: Stories
    Two women sit together on a sofa laughing in front of a wall with wooden paneling, a TV, and a colorful painting.
  7. May 19, 2026

    Streetsblog Chicago: Five Years After City of Chicago Signed Off on a Policy Plan, the “State of ETOD in Chicago” Report Notes Progress Creating Transit-Friendly Affordable Housing
    Category: Press
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  8. May 18, 2026

    Common Ground: By Focusing on Energy Efficiency, IFF is Enabling Indiana Nonprofits to Reduce Costs and Increase Community Impact
    Category: Stories
    Rows of solar panels on a flat rooftop under a blue sky with clouds.
  9. May 18, 2026

    IFF Commemorates 20 Years of Community Investment in St. Louis and Missouri
    Category: Stories
    A man stands inside behind a podium speaking into a microphone, in front of a banner that reads, "Championing Nonprofits. Shaping more equitable, vibrant communities," with IFF's logo.
  10. May 13, 2026

    St. Louis Magazine: IFF Has Helped St. Louis Nonprofits for 20 Years—And It’s Doubling Down On That Commitment
    Category: Press
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  11. May 12, 2026

    St. Louis Business Journal: Chicago Nonprofit IFF Marks 20 Years in St. Louis
    Category: Press
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  12. May 07, 2026

    With IFF Lending and Real Estate Support, BandWith Chicago Builds Space for Community
    Category: Stories
    A drumline of youths performs in front of a red ribbon for a seated audience in a well-lit lobby
  13. May 04, 2026

    Press Release: City of Indianapolis and IFF Announce Application Launch of Energy Efficiency Program for Nonprofits in Marion County
    Category: Stories
    Logo with three buildings and the text "Thriving Nonprofits" below.
  14. April 29, 2026

    IFF’s 2025 Annual Report: Standing Together for Midwest Communities
    Category: Stories
    A man speaks at a podium during a ground-breaking event with onlookers and shovels in the foreground.
  15. April 23, 2026

    KSAL.com: Salina Family Healthcare Gets $34 Million Investment
    Category: Press
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  16. April 22, 2026

    State of Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy: Four Michigan Awardees Will Share $500,000 to Advance Green Lending
    Category: Press
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  17. April 17, 2026

    Crain’s Detroit Business: Chicago-Based Community Lender Plans to Make Detroit into a Hub for Investment
    Category: Press
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  18. April 14, 2026

    Common Ground: Improved Child Care Spaces Building Stronger Beginnings for Detroit Families
    Category: Press
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  19. April 10, 2026

    Five Child Care Centers Upgrade Their Facilities Through Third Cohort of PRE4CLE’s Cleveland Early Learning Spaces Program
    Category: Stories
  20. April 01, 2026

    March 2026 Loan Round-up
    Category: Stories
    A modern street with a gray multi-story building and a flower mural next to older brick buildings.
  21. March 30, 2026

    Revitalizing Walter French: How a Former School Became Affordable Homes, Child Care, and a Catalyst for Community Renewal
    Category: Stories
    Exterior view newly renovated Walter French Middle School
  22. March 27, 2026

    Indianapolis Business Journal: Why Quality Facilities are a Mission-Critical Investment for Nonprofits
    Category: Press
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  23. March 25, 2026

    Mirror Indy: How New Doors Will Lead to More Money for Mary Rigg’s Neighbors
    Category: Press
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  24. March 20, 2026

    Capital to Accelerate Nonprofit Impact: A Step-by-Step Guide to IFF’s Lending Process
    Category: Resources
    Wooden blocks spelling "LOAN" on a financial document with a pen and binder clip.
  25. March 18, 2026

    AltCap: KC CDFI Coalition Shares Impacts of Mission-Driven Lending with Kansas Lawmakers
    Category: Press
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  26. March 11, 2026

    City of Bloomington: City Offers Grant Funding Up to $25,000 for Solar, Energy Efficiency, & Lighting
    Category: Press
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  27. March 11, 2026

    Press Release: Thriving Nonprofits Initiative Successfully Completes First Cohort, Delivering Energy Savings and Infrastructure Upgrades to 10 Marion County Nonprofits
    Category: Press
    A large commercial kitchen with metal tables, trash bins, and kitchen equipment.
  28. March 10, 2026

    Ann Arbor Area Community Foundation: Strengthening Our Roots Through Impact Investing
    Category: Press
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  29. March 01, 2026

    February 2026 Loan Round-up
    Category: Stories
    Digital rendering of a three-story residential building with blue and beige façade, set against a blue sky.
  30. February 27, 2026

    How Banks and CDFIs Can Partner to Serve Nonprofits: Q&A with Merchants Bank Vice President Marquisha Bridgeman
    Category: Stories
    A smiling woman with short dark hair wearing a black blazer over a white blouse. The background is gray.
  31. February 27, 2026

    Crain’s Detroit Business: Kresge, State Offer Subsidized Benefits to Northwest Detroit Child Care Workers
    Category: Press
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  32. February 26, 2026

    The St. Louis American: Stephen Westbrooks, Connecting Capital and Community Needs
    Category: Press
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  33. February 21, 2026

    Hoodline: SNAP Squeeze Hits Chicago Heights as Respond Now Pantry Roars Back
    Category: Press
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  34. February 13, 2026

    Milwaukee’s Tenor High School Brews New Opportunities for College and Career Readiness
    Category: Stories
    Three people wearing black aprons stand behind a counter holding cups, with wooden cabinets and white tile in the background.
  35. February 05, 2026

    Webinar Recaps: Achieving Readiness for Nonprofit Community Development Projects
    Category: Resources
    Street view with a modern building labeled "LATINOS PROGRESANDO" and nearby brick storefronts.
  36. February 03, 2026

    Crain’s Chicago Business: These Institutions Already Deliver What Public Banks Only Promise
    Category: Press
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  37. February 02, 2026

    Block Club Chicago: Historic Roseland Church, Once on Verge of Demolition, to Become Black-Women-Led Medical Center
    Category: Press
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  38. February 01, 2026

    January 2026 Loan Round-up
    Category: Stories
    A large group of children and adults posing on grass in front of a pavilion with banners.
  39. January 29, 2026

    Maximizing Grant Writing Success: A Roadmap for Nonprofits
    Category: Resources
    Wooden blocks spelling "GRANTS" with a red piggy bank blurred in the background.
  40. January 27, 2026

    Michigan Business Network: CDFIs in Michigan Receive $310M for Economic Growth
    Category: Press
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  41. January 24, 2026

    Ottawa News Network: Officials Pitch Small Homes to Help Solve Housing Shortage
    Category: Press
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  42. January 21, 2026

    NPR Kansas City: Kansas City Parents Say Child Care Made All the Difference in Their Lives. Finding It Was Not Easy.
    Category: Press
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  43. January 21, 2026

    Press Release: 10 Detroit Early Childhood Education Providers to Join New Professional Development Program
    Category: Press
  44. January 20, 2026

    St. Louis Magazine: Q&A with Stephen Westbrooks, IFF
    Category: Press
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  45. January 16, 2026

    Press Release: IFF Receives $85 Million New Markets Tax Credit Allocation from the U.S. Department of the Treasury’s CDFI Fund
    Category: Press
    academy of global citizenship
  46. January 10, 2026

    Audio Story: How an Owner’s Representative Helped a Kansas City Nonprofit Develop a New HQ
    Category: Stories
    A man and woman sit on a couch in front of two microphones, smiling at each other
  47. January 02, 2026

    Affordable Housing Finance: Treasury Officials Announce $10 Billion in NMTC Awards
    Category: Press
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  48. January 01, 2026

    December 2025 Loan Round-up
    Category: Stories
    Two people in a workshop glassblowing, with one holding a rod and the other assisting.
  49. December 29, 2025

    Start at Zero Establishes a New Early Childhood Development Hub in Kansas City
    Category: Stories
    A group of adults and children interacting in an educational indoor setting with a woman holding a book.
  50. 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.
  51. December 12, 2025

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

    Crain’s Chicago Business: Public Banks Are An Old Idea Gaining New Currency
    Category: Press
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  53. December 08, 2025

    Flintside: Volunteers of America Michigan’s Mission Made Possible by Social Enterprise Thrift Stores; Support From IFF
    Category: Stories
    Exterior of a Volunteers of America Thrift Store with a blue awning and "Thrift Store" sign, with two people standing in front of the store.
  54. December 02, 2025

    The Michigan Chronicle: Dream Studio Detroit Opens New Community Hub in Cody Rouge to Expand Family Economic Mobility
    Category: Press
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  55. December 01, 2025

    November 2025 Loan Round-up
    Category: Stories
    Students seated at round tables in a sunlit classroom.
  56. November 23, 2025

    Nodaway News Leader: Community Food Providers Unite to Strengthen Food Access
    Category: Press
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  57. November 22, 2025

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

    FIintside: Volunteers of America Michigan’s Mission Made Possible by Social Enterprise Thrift Stores; Support from IFF
    Category: Press
    Category: Stories
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  59. 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.
  60. 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.
  61. November 19, 2025

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

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

    Inside INdiana Business: CDFI Friendly Evansville Region Working to Connect Underserved Communities to Capital
    Category: Press
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  64. November 01, 2025

    October 2025 Loan Round-up
    Category: Stories
    A single-story building with a green metal roof and white exterior sits in a park-like setting. A curving driveway and pathway lead to the entrance. Cloudy sky above.
  65. October 31, 2025

    Soapbox Cincinnati: CDFI Support Enables NewPath to Expand, Celebrate New Chapter in Changing Futures of Youth
    Category: Press
    Category: Stories
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  66. 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
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  67. 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.
  68. 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 "
  69. 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.
  70. October 27, 2025

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

    St. Louis Magazine: How Nonprofit Lender IFF Helped Save St. Mary’s
    Category: Press
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  72. 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."
  73. 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.
  74. October 14, 2025

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

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

    James S. McDonnell Foundation: Building Joyful Spaces: How IFF Is Helping to Transform St. Louis’s Early Childhood Ecosystem
    Category: Press
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  77. 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."
  78. October 01, 2025

    Model D: Investing in America Child Care Partnership – Building a Stronger Future for Families and Employers
    Category: Press
    Category: Stories
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  79. 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.
  80. 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.
  81. September 16, 2025

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

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

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

    Federal Home Loan Bank of Chicago: FHLBank Chicago, IFF, Impact Seven, and Cinnaire Celebrate Groundbreaking of Trailview Cottages
    Category: Press
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  85. 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
  86. September 02, 2025

    9&10 News: Housing North to Host Summit Focused on Community-Driven Housing Solutions
    Category: Press
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  87. 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.
  88. 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.
  89. 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.
  90. August 27, 2025

    Chicago Defender: Meet the Standout Nonprofit Leaders Changing Chicago and the Chicagoland Area
    Category: Press
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  91. August 26, 2025

    DBusiness Magazine: MiSide Names Four New Board Members
    Category: Press
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  92. August 15, 2025

    WRTV: Empowering Nonprofits, Indianapolis Launches New Energy Efficiency Program
    Category: Press
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  93. August 12, 2025

    St. Louis Business Journal: Backers Buy Catholic High School Property with Plans to Stay Independent
    Category: Press
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  94. 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.
  95. August 06, 2025

    The Overhead Wire: Technical Assistance for Equitable Transit-Oriented Development
    Category: Press
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  96. August 01, 2025

    MITechNews.com: Invest Detroit Closes $32 Million in Four Detroit Projects with New Markets Tax Credit
    Category: Press
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  97. 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.
  98. July 31, 2025

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

    Second Wave Michigan: Preserving Homes, Changing Lives
    Category: Press
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  100. July 29, 2025

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

    Crain’s Chicago Business: IFF CEO Joe Neri Stepping Down at the End of 2025
    Category: Press
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  102. 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.