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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. September 14, 2026

    Crain’s Chicago Business: Chicago Has $57 Million for Neighborhoods. Put it to Work.
    Category: Thought Leadership
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  2. September 08, 2026

    IFF’s Home First Celebrates the Completion of Access South Cook Housing Development
    Category: Stories
    Eleven individuals, dressed in business casual attire, celebrate as Mayor Woods cuts a red ribbon with giant scissors.
  3. September 01, 2026

    Mass Transit: From Policy to Projects: Lessons from Chicago’s Equitable Transit-Oriented Development Movement
    Category: Thought Leadership
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  4. August 12, 2026

    U.S. Bank: In Chicago, Long-term Partnership Helps Community Investment Reach More People
    Category: Press
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  5. July 22, 2026

    IFF’s 2026-2030 Strategic Framework
    Category: Stories
    Aerial view of a lively community gathering outside a modern building with people mingling, food truck present, and festive decorations. IFF's logo is overlaid on the image.
  6. July 01, 2026

    June 2026 Loan Round-up
    Category: Stories
    A rendering of a modern red brick building with a glass entrance and colorful mural is depicted, featuring people gathered at the steps and landscaped greenery surrounding the area.
  7. June 30, 2026

    Tangents by Out of Architecture: Redefining Architecture & Building Community Resilience with Kara Boyd
    Category: Press
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  8. June 23, 2026

    Press Release: Illinois Treasurer Michael Frerichs and IFF Unveil New Investment Program
    Category: Press
    Three men stand in front of a bus decorated with a mural. They are smiling on a sunny day, conveying a friendly, celebratory mood.
  9. June 19, 2026

    Rooted in Paseo Boricua, the Puerto Rican Cultural Center Expands Its Footprint to Serve Chicago’s Latine Families
    Category: Stories
    People stand behind a barricade at a parade, holding and waving Puerto Rican flags on a sunny day.
  10. June 01, 2026

    May 2026 Loan Round-up
    Category: Stories
    A large, diverse group of people poses outdoors in front of a graffiti-covered shipping container, with "I Love Austin" prominently displayed.
  11. May 27, 2026

    How IFF’s Lending to CDFIs Powers Small Business Growth Across the Midwest
    Category: Stories
  12. 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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  13. 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
  14. May 01, 2026

    April 2026 Loan Round-up
    Category: Stories
    Construction sign for the Northside Youth and Senior Services Center, featuring logos, a construction vehicle, and surrounding buildings and trees.
  15. 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.
  16. 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.
  17. March 01, 2026

    February 2026 Loan Round-up
    Category: Stories
    An architect's rendering of a modern three-story apartment building with dark blue and light gray siding, large windows, and balconies, surrounded by a parking area and greenery. A person rides a bicycle in front of a parked blue car.
  18. February 21, 2026

    Hoodline: SNAP Squeeze Hits Chicago Heights as Respond Now Pantry Roars Back
    Category: Press
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  19. 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.
  20. February 03, 2026

    Crain’s Chicago Business: These Institutions Already Deliver What Public Banks Only Promise
    Category: Press
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  21. 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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  22. 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
  23. January 02, 2026

    Affordable Housing Finance: Treasury Officials Announce $10 Billion in NMTC Awards
    Category: Press
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  24. 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.
  25. 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.
  26. December 09, 2025

    Crain’s Chicago Business: Public Banks Are An Old Idea Gaining New Currency
    Category: Press
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  27. December 01, 2025

    November 2025 Loan Round-up
    Category: Stories
    Students seated at round tables in a sunlit classroom.
  28. 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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  29. 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.
  30. 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.
  31. 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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  32. 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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  33. 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."
  34. October 14, 2025

    Crain’s Chicago Business: 95th Street’s Long-Awaited Revival May Finally Be Underway
    Category: Press
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  35. 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."
  36. 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
  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
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  41. August 06, 2025

    The Overhead Wire: Technical Assistance for Equitable Transit-Oriented Development
    Category: Press
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  42. 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.
  43. 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
  44. July 29, 2025

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

    Crain’s Chicago Business: IFF CEO Joe Neri Stepping Down at the End of 2025
    Category: Press
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  46. 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.
  47. July 24, 2025

    Chicago Defender: Chicago’s Shelter System to Get Historic Upgrade – What It Means for the Community
    Category: Press
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  48. July 09, 2025

    Block Club Chicago: Amid Trump Cuts, Local Lender Gifts $3 Million to Chicago Arts and Culture Nonprofits
    Category: Press
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  49. 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.
  50. June 25, 2025

    FOX 32 Chicago: Chicago Arts and Cultural Organizations Awarded $3 Million
    Category: Press
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  51. June 21, 2025

    WGN Radio: Supporting Chicago’s Arts Nonprofits, Guiding Chicago’s Youth Toward Entertainment Careers
    Category: Press
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  52. June 12, 2025

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

    Chicago Business Journal: JPMorgan Chase Injects $18 Million into IFF to Boost Nonprofit Real Estate Projects in Midwest
    Category: Press
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  54. 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
  55. June 12, 2025

    Block Club Chicago: Meet the Finalists for the $10 Million Chicago Prize to Revitalize South, West Sides
    Category: Press
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  56. 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.
  57. June 05, 2025

    The Herald-News: Public Housing in Joliet Transformed Again with New Senior Apartments
    Category: Press
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  58. 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.
  59. May 27, 2025

    TCA Health Develops the Recipe for a Healthier Community with New Nutrition, Innovation, and Wellness Center
    Category: Stories
  60. May 23, 2025

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

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

    Achieving Greater Impact with an Ecosystem Approach to Community Development Technical Assistance
    Category: Thought Leadership
  63. May 01, 2025

    April 2025 Loan Round-up
    Category: Stories
    Five people in helmets participating in a groundbreaking ceremony with shovels.
  64. 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."
  65. April 28, 2025

    Austin Weekly News: A New Arts Hub for Austin
    Category: Press
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  66. April 28, 2025

    Press Release: 77 Chicagoland Arts and Culture Organizations Receive Gift through Culture Forward Chicago
    Category: Press
  67. April 21, 2025

    Aurora Beacon-News: VNA Clinic Officially Opens in Bloomhaven on Near East Side of Aurora
    Category: Press
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  68. 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
  69. 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.
  70. 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.
  71. March 24, 2025

    Home Sweet Homan Initiative Gains Momentum as First Five Modular “Smart” Homes Are Sold
    Category: Stories
    Aerial view of a community gathering near modern townhouses with a food truck and a tent set up, people are assembled in small groups outdoors.
  72. March 12, 2025

    MacArthur Foundation: Investing in Arts and Culture Organizations’ Financial Resiliency
    Category: Press
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  73. March 01, 2025

    February 2025 Loan Round-up
    Category: Stories
    A group of people standing behind weaving looms in a room with textile samples on the wall.
  74. March 01, 2025

    WGN Radio: Bridging the Wealth Gap in Chicago, Supporting Local Nonprofits
    Category: Press
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  75. February 27, 2025

    Block Club Chicago: Chicago BIPOC Arts Nonprofits Can Get Up To $60,000 In Funding With New Grant
    Category: Press
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  76. February 26, 2025

    “L”-evating Chicago Neighborhoods Through Equitable Transit-Oriented Development
    Category: Stories
  77. January 01, 2025

    December 2024 Loan Round-up
    Category: Stories
  78. December 06, 2024

    Austin Weekly News: From Grassroots to Corporate Support – Highlighting the Partnerships Making the Aspire Center Possible
    Category: Press
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  79. December 06, 2024

    Stronger Nonprofits Initiative Concludes Latest Chicago Cohort
    Category: Stories
    SNI Chicago cohort members pose in front of sign reading "Stronger Nonprofits Initiative Chicago"
  80. December 01, 2024

    November 2024 Loan Round-up
    Category: Stories
  81. November 19, 2024

    Crain’s Chicago Business Recognizes IFF’s José Cerda III as 2024 Notable Latino Leader
    Category: Stories
  82. November 01, 2024

    October 2024 Loan Round-up
    Category: Stories
  83. October 29, 2024

    Negocios Now: JPMorganChase Invests Nearly $11M in Chicago’s South and West Sides for Economic Growth
    Category: Press
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  84. October 25, 2024

    It Takes a Village Family of Schools Celebrates Expansion to New Campus on Chicago’s South Side
    Category: Stories
  85. October 08, 2024

    Coming Soon: Home First’s Access South Cook
    Category: Stories
  86. October 01, 2024

    September 2024 Loan Round-up
    Category: Stories
  87. September 30, 2024

    News is Out: Ambitious Arts Initiative Uncovers ‘Treasures’ Created by LGBTQ+ and BIPOC Chicagoans
    Category: Press
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  88. September 18, 2024

    Black Entrepreneur Experience Podcast: Grantmaking to Preserve Cultural Heritage with Victoria Lakes-Battle and Dr. Jeffreen Hayes
    Category: Press
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  89. September 18, 2024

    Windy City Times: Ambitious Arts Initiative Uncovers ‘Treasures’ Created by BIPOC Chicagoans
    Category: Press
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  90. September 04, 2024

    Chicago Defender: It Takes a Village Leadership Academy’s Bronzeville Campus Celebrates Successful First Day of School
    Category: Press
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  91. August 30, 2024

    IFF Joins FHLBank Chicago, Illinois Housing Development Authority, and Rep. Sean Casten for Discussion Focused on Housing Solutions for Illinois’ 6th Congressional District
    Category: Stories
  92. August 29, 2024

    Federal Home Loan Bank of Chicago: FHLBank Chicago Convenes IFF, Illinois Housing and Development Authority and Rep. Sean Casten to Discuss Housing Solutions for Illinois 6th District
    Category: Press
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  93. August 01, 2024

    July 2024 Loan Round-up
    Category: Stories
  94. July 16, 2024

    Foundation for Homan Square Celebrates Past, Present, and Future Housing Opportunities
    Category: Stories
    A gathering of people are standing outside in front of two homes. There is a tent and balloons and it looks to be a celebration.
  95. July 12, 2024

    Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago Panel Discussion: Child Care Innovations from the 7th District
    Category: Stories
  96. July 10, 2024

    Weekly Citizen: Celebrating Community Champions – LISC Chicago Announces Winners of the 30th Annual Chicago Neighborhood Development Awards
    Category: Press
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  97. July 09, 2024

    City of Chicago: Mayor Brandon Johnson Announces Major Accomplishments Since Launch of Cut the Tape Initiative
    Category: Press
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  98. July 08, 2024

    Newcity: Chicago Cultural Treasures Receives $3 Million Funding
    Category: Press
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  99. July 01, 2024

    June 2024 Loan Round-up
    Category: Stories
  100. June 28, 2024

    IFF’s Home First Celebrates the Completion of 20 Units of Accessible, Scattered-Site Supportive Housing
    Category: Stories