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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. June 05, 2020

    Letter: Community Reinvestment Act Addresses Racism
    Category: Thought Leadership
    a Black girl and an Asian boy playing with a water table at the Chicago Children's Museum
  2. June 04, 2020

    Medium: The Fed and Main Street: The Value of Community Voices During the Pandemic
    Category: Press
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  3. June 03, 2020

    A message from IFF CEO Joe Neri and IFF Board Chair Guadalupe Preston
    Category: Thought Leadership
  4. May 27, 2020

    2019 Annual Report
    Category: Stories
  5. May 27, 2020

    Nonprofit Quarterly: Study: Black-Owned Businesses Closed at 2X the Rate of Total COVID Closures
    Category: Press
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  6. May 21, 2020

    Next City: This Nonprofit Helps Small Business Aid Go Where it Usually Doesn’t
    Category: Press
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  7. April 30, 2020

    Nonprofit Quarterly: A Moment of Choice: Racial Equity, CDFIs, and the PPP Lending Fiasco
    Category: Press
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  8. April 30, 2020

    ShelterForce: Let’s Interrupt History: Racial Equity in a Time of Crisis
    Category: Press
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  9. April 29, 2020

    Reuters: Minority businesses worry they are locked out of payroll lending program
    Category: Press
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  10. April 23, 2020

    New York Fed: The Fed and Main Street During the Coronavirus Pandemic
    Category: Press
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  11. April 15, 2020

    Racial Equity in Times of Crisis: Let’s Interrupt History
    Category: Thought Leadership
    3 paper silhouettes of people hold hands with one reaching across a gap as if to hold hands with 3 other paper silhouettes.
  12. April 08, 2020

    Community Reinvestment Act (CRA): IFF’s Letter to Comptroller Otting and Chairman McWilliams
    Category: Thought Leadership
    a Black girl and an Asian boy playing with a water table at the Chicago Children's Museum
  13. March 30, 2020

    Chronicle of Philanthropy: Financing During a Pandemic: How to Adapt to a Crisis
    Category: Press
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  14. March 06, 2020

    Architectural Digest: Inside a Historic Detroit Charter School That Takes Cues From Wes Anderson
    Category: Press
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  15. March 02, 2020

    Profile: Denise Smith, Hope Starts Here Implementation Director
    image of Denise Smith
  16. March 02, 2020

    Detroit breaks ground on $15 million early education center that will serve as national model
    Category: Stories
    Image of groundbreaking ceremony at Marygrove College
  17. March 02, 2020

    The Ticker: Local Child Care Study Outlines Shortcomings
    Category: Press
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  18. March 02, 2020

    Detroit Prep revives century-old school building to serve up to 500 students in Pingree Park
    Category: Stories
    Interior image of Detroit Prep classroom with children
  19. March 02, 2020

    Experienced child care provider expands to serve 6x more children on Detroit’s east side
    Category: Stories
    Interior image of Blessed Beginnings Learning Center classroom
  20. February 27, 2020

    Affordable Housing Finance: Housing and Finance Organizations Receive Capital Magnet Funds
    Category: Press
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  21. February 27, 2020

    WGN: Lightfoot announces $6 million investment in West Side community health improvements
    Category: Press
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  22. February 26, 2020

    Chicago Tribune: There’s a 16-year gap in life expectancy between Chicago’s West Side and the Loop. Here’s what local hospitals are doing about it.
    Category: Press
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  23. February 14, 2020

    You, Me, and Your Top Three Podcast: Becoming a Multiplier with Chris Uhl, Executive Director – Eastern Region
    Category: Press
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  24. February 12, 2020

    Can we finally change our sexist funding policies for early care and education?
    Category: Thought Leadership
  25. February 04, 2020

    What does $1 billion in community lending look like?
    Category: Stories
    Montage of images from projects contributing to the $1 billion of loans
  26. February 03, 2020

    Chicago Construction News: Affordable housing replaces vacant lots in Maywood
    Category: Press
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  27. February 03, 2020

    Village Free Press: New Handicap Accessible Affordable Housing Completed In Maywood, 12 More Units Coming
    Category: Press
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  28. February 03, 2020

    Advancing Communities Podcast: IFF CEO Joe Neri
    Category: Press
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  29. January 29, 2020

    CEOs of Four National CDFI Loan Funds Comment on CRA Rulemaking
    Category: Thought Leadership
    a Black girl and an Asian boy playing with a water table at the Chicago Children's Museum
  30. January 27, 2020

    St. Louis Post-Dispatch: YouthBridge to commit 25% of endowment to local investments
    Category: Press
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  31. January 24, 2020

    St. Louis Post-Dispatch: Treasury awards $4.4 million in funds to help St. Louis organize low-income banking services
    Category: Press
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  32. January 06, 2020

    Traverse City Record Eagle: Dann’s House doubles up
    Category: Press
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  33. January 06, 2020

    St. Louis Post-Dispatch: St. Louis CDFI’s Awarded $4.4M in Federal Grants
    Category: Press
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  34. December 24, 2019

    The Ticker: Women’s Resource Center, Dann’s House Expanding
    Category: Press
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  35. December 12, 2019

    Chalkbeat: Researchers say Detroit could become a national leader in pre-K
    Category: Press
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  36. December 02, 2019

    Part 2: Reaching more leaders of color with the financing tools they want
    Category: Thought Leadership
  37. November 26, 2019

    Forest Park Review: New housing for those with disabilities opens soon
    Category: Press
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  38. November 22, 2019

    Associated Press: New state-of-the art Early Childhood Education center breaks ground on Marygrove campus
    Category: Press
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  39. November 22, 2019

    Crain’s Detroit Business: $15 million Early Childhood Education Center breaks ground on Marygrove campus
    Category: Press
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  40. November 22, 2019

    The Detroit News: Early childhood education focus at Marygrove center’s groundbreaking
    Category: Press
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  41. November 18, 2019

    Chalkbeat: After years of fundraising and legal battles, a Detroit charter celebrates its new home
    Category: Press
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  42. November 18, 2019

    Austin Weekly News: How to preserve the black middle class
    Category: Press
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  43. November 18, 2019

    American School & University Magazine: Detroit charter moves into vacant elementary
    Category: Press
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  44. November 11, 2019

    Profile: Rick Velasquez shares lessons learned from over four decades of work with Illinois’ children and families
  45. November 11, 2019

    Ask a Real Estate Expert #4: How do you choose an architect and general contractor?
    Category: Resources
  46. November 11, 2019

    United Methodist Community House reimagines itself — and Grand Rapids’ Southeastern Community
    Category: Stories
  47. November 11, 2019

    Chicago Tribune: Longstanding preschool in Highland Park celebrates new home: ‘We just were not going to let it die’
    Category: Press
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  48. October 30, 2019

    Crain’s Detroit Business: JPMorgan Chase investing $675,000 to help 20 nonprofits led by or serving people of color
    Category: Press
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  49. October 29, 2019

    Chicago Tribune: Starbucks gives $10 million to help boost small business in Chicago’s neighborhoods
    Category: Press
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  50. October 29, 2019

    Crain’s Chicago Business: Starbucks investing $10 million to boost small business
    Category: Press
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  51. October 25, 2019

    Part 1: Reaching more leaders of color with the financing tools they want
    Category: Thought Leadership
  52. October 25, 2019

    Intro: Two community investors, two Midwest cities, two approaches to reaching more leaders of color with the financing tools they want
    Category: Thought Leadership
  53. October 10, 2019

    People Helping People Podcast with IFF’s Joe Neri and Omar Elhagmusa
    Category: Press
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  54. October 09, 2019

    IFF clients give advice on how to spread awareness during Domestic Violence Awareness Month
    Category: Stories
  55. October 09, 2019

    Acting on the wisdom of Black communities: A conversation with William Jackson, PhD
  56. October 09, 2019

    Ask a Real Estate Expert #3: Is getting a building for $1 a good thing?
    Category: Resources
  57. October 08, 2019

    New YMCA in Kentucky’s west Louisville neighborhood reimagines public health through an equity lens
    Category: Stories
  58. September 26, 2019

    Using data to drive investment and impact
    Category: Thought Leadership
  59. September 04, 2019

    Ask a Real Estate Expert #2: What is predevelopment?
    Category: Resources
  60. September 04, 2019

    Lincoln Park Community Services triples its capacity to serve Chicagoans experiencing homelessness
    Category: Stories
  61. September 04, 2019

    Chicago’s North Lawndale Employment Network to transform former bank building into community hub
    Category: Stories
  62. September 04, 2019

    Raising Quality, Promoting Equity: An Analysis of Location, Performance, and Challenges Facing Tulsa Public Schools
  63. September 04, 2019

    Raising Quality, Promoting Equity: An Analysis of Location, Performance, and Challenges Facing Oklahoma City Public Schools
  64. August 07, 2019

    Changing the Narrative with Ilsa Flanagan
  65. August 06, 2019

    Eight standout arts organizations complete MacArthur Foundation-funded workshop series on financial management
    Category: Stories
  66. August 06, 2019

    Small health care center in rural Indiana steps up to meet big community need
    Category: Stories
  67. August 06, 2019

    Photo Tour: A ‘cathedral to youth tennis’ on Chicago’s South Side
    Category: Stories
  68. August 02, 2019

    IFF’s Home First racks up recognition through local, state, and national awards
    Category: Stories
    Kirby, Dena, and Lisa receive Home First award at US Capitol
  69. July 24, 2019

    Why community developers should care more about early childhood education
    Category: Thought Leadership
  70. July 20, 2019

    Do you really need a policies & procedures manual?
    Category: Resources
  71. July 20, 2019

    What should you track on your dashboard?
    Category: Resources
  72. July 20, 2019

    Who sets the budget?
    Category: Resources
  73. July 20, 2019

    Want to build a strong future? Build LUNA.
    Category: Resources
  74. July 15, 2019

    The Detroit News: Plans unveiled for early childhood center at Marygrove
    Category: Press
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  75. July 08, 2019

    ‘We’re touching more neighborhoods with families in need’: A conversation with Stronger Nonprofits Initiative participant Christa Hamilton
    Category: Stories
  76. July 08, 2019

    Erie Family Health Centers doubles its footprint in Evanston/Skokie, increasing access to high-quality, affordable health care
    Category: Stories
  77. July 08, 2019

    Photo Tour: Chicago Artists Coalition embraces its new home in the Kinzie Industrial Corridor
    Category: Stories
  78. July 02, 2019

    Next City: How Community Development Lenders Work Around the Legacy of Redlining
    Category: Press
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  79. June 24, 2019

    Block Club Chicago: North Lawndale Employment Network Moving All Its Beekeeping, Mechanic Training And Jobs Programs Under One Roof
    Category: Press
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  80. June 10, 2019

    Ask a Real Estate Expert #1: What is deferred maintenance?
    Category: Resources
  81. June 07, 2019

    Addressing health disparities in the LGBTQ community
    Category: Stories
  82. June 07, 2019

    ‘Leveling Up’ with Maya-Camille Broussard: A conversation with one of The Hatchery’s first resident food entrepreneurs
  83. June 07, 2019

    Milwaukee’s Lindsay Heights welcomes ‘dream’ housing development
    Category: Stories
  84. June 06, 2019

    ‘Let people show you who they are’: A conversation with Chicago200 participant and IFF Development Associate Lydia Collins
    Category: Stories
    Chicago200 participants pose for a group photo
  85. May 29, 2019

    Press Release: Kresge, Kellogg and PNC foundations announce $2.5 million to bolster Detroit childcare facilities
    Category: Press
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  86. May 22, 2019

    Nonprofit Quarterly: An Illinois CDFI Leader Explains Why Appraisals Reinforce Structural Racism
    Category: Press
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  87. May 20, 2019

    Shelterforce: Can Using a Racial Equity Lens Increase Capital in Communities of Color?
    Category: Press
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  88. May 16, 2019

    BadCredit.org: IFF Loans Enable Nonprofit Agencies to Purchase Facilities and Deliver Social Services to Low-Income Communities Across the Midwest
    Category: Press
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  89. May 10, 2019

    RE Journals: LISC Chicago honors top community development projects at 25th annual Chicago Neighborhood Development Awards
    Category: Press
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  90. May 09, 2019

    The Appraisal Bias: How more equitable underwriting can increase capital in communities of color
    Category: Thought Leadership
    map of redlined neighborhoods
  91. May 07, 2019

    ImpactAlpha: Hacking community lending to interrupt racial bias in ‘appraised value’
    Category: Press
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  92. May 06, 2019

    Access and Quality for Illinois Children: Statewide Early Childhood Education Needs Assessment
    Category: Stories
  93. May 03, 2019

    A home of his own – The story of one Home First resident
    Category: Stories
  94. May 01, 2019

    Managing limited resources, constant change, and restrictive funding: A conversation with nonprofit consultant Dana Britto
  95. May 01, 2019

    Three leaders to watch share takeaways from the Stronger Nonprofits Initiative
    Category: Stories
  96. May 01, 2019

    De-stigmatizing mental health care through integration, specialized support, and space design
    Category: Stories
  97. April 30, 2019

    WTTW: The Hatchery Chicago Cooking Up Food and Jobs on the West Side
    Category: Press
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  98. April 12, 2019

    Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Only one in five Milwaukee families has access to licensed child care for their pre-K kids
    Category: Press
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  99. April 11, 2019

    IFF’s 2018 Annual Investors Report
    Category: Stories
  100. April 05, 2019

    Crain’s Chicago Business: To tackle a lack of affordable housing, nonprofits become developers
    Category: Press
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