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

Stories
Architect's rendering of the Academy for Global Citizenship at the Cultivate Collective hub
June 21, 2022
Chicago’s Academy for Global Citizenship Anchors New State-of-the-Art Learning, Sustainability, and Wellness Hub Catered to Community Needs
Read More
Stories
June 21, 2022
Meeting the Moment: 3 Nonprofit Leaders Reflect on Serving More, Serving More Effectively, and Serving More Equitably
Read More
Stories
People standing inside a Volunteers of America Michigan thrift store
June 01, 2022
May 2022 Loan Round-up
Read More
Stories
May 18, 2022
Photo Tour: $15 Million Adaptive Reuse of Historic Church Campus Enables Chicago Charter School’s Expansion
Read More
Stories
Photo of Chicago artist and educator Faheem Majeed
May 18, 2022
The Role of Cultural Assets in Community Development: A Q&A with Floating Museum Co-Director Faheem Majeed
Read More
Stories
May 18, 2022
Madison Nonprofits Team Up on Affordable Housing and Early Childhood Education in a Win-Win for Everybody
Read More
Stories
Cover of IFF's 2021 Annual Report
May 18, 2022
IFF’s 2021 Annual Report | Meeting the Moment: Change, Equity, Impact
Read More
Stories
Architect's rendering of Galleria 89 in South Chicago
May 01, 2022
April 2022 Loan Round-up
Read More
Stories
An architect's rendering of the new BUILD Chicago campus
April 19, 2022
Nonprofit BUILD Moves Quickly to Disrupt the Status Quo with a Bold Investment in Community Infrastructure on Chicago’s West Side
Read More
Stories
April 19, 2022
Photo Tour: A Repurposed School Begins Its Second Act as a Building Block for Revitalization in North St. Louis
Read More
Stories
Members of the Grand Rapids Center for Community Transformation stand outside of the group's facility
April 19, 2022
A Collaborative Approach to Community Building and a Newly Renovated Facility Create a Platform for Transformation in Grand Rapids’ Third Ward
Read More
Resources
April 19, 2022
Ask a Nonprofit Lender: Why Should a Nonprofit Consider Debt for a Facility Project?
Read More
Stories
April 01, 2022
March 2022 Loan Round-up
Read More
Stories
Paintings in Sophie's Artist Lounge at the Kranzberg Arts Foundation's 3333 facility in St. Louis' Grand Center neighborhood
March 15, 2022
Kranzberg Arts Foundation’s New 3333 Facility Provides a “Creative Sandbox” for St. Louis’ Arts Community
Read More
Stories
Exterior of ACE Prep Academy in Indianapolis
March 15, 2022
Patient Capital and “CDFI Plus” Support Provide Indianapolis Charter School with On-ramp to Achieve Growth Goals
Read More
Stories
Exterior Shot of The 801 in Oak Park, IL
March 15, 2022
Photo Tour: New Transit-Oriented Affordable Housing Creates an Arts-Centric Gateway for a Local Business District
Read More
Stories
Headshot of First Bank of Highland Park Senior Vice President and Managing Director of Business Banking Courtney Olson
March 15, 2022
Establishing Mutually Beneficial Bank-CDFI Referral Relationships: A Q&A with First Bank of Highland Park Senior Vice President Courtney Olson
Read More
Stories
Ceremonial groundbreaking taking place at PODER's future headquarters in the Gage Park neighborhood on Chicago's Southwest Side
February 16, 2022
Built from Within: PODER Begins Construction of Chicago’s First Immigrant Integration and Job Center
Read More
Stories
Model homes developed by Lawndale Christian Development Corporation as part of a community revitalization strategy designed to build generational wealth through homeownership
February 16, 2022
Virtual Tour: Two model homes on Chicago’s West Side demonstrate proof of concept for a bold community revitalization strategy
Read More
Thought Leadership
Press
IFF Media Icon
February 11, 2022
Crain’s Chicago Business: We need to hack appraisal-based lending
Read More
Stories
A group of staff and volunteers from Star Farm Chicago standing in front a van the nonprofit uses to distribute locally grown organic produce in and around Chicago's Back of the Yards neighborhood
January 31, 2022
January 2022 Loan Round-up
Read More
Stories
January 18, 2022
Photo Tour: North Lawndale Employment Network’s First Permanent Campus
Read More
Stories
January 18, 2022
Photo Tour: The Paddocks Bring Affordable Workforce Housing to Rural Indiana Community
Read More
Stories
January 18, 2022
Photo Tour: Seeds of Health’s Tenor High School Opens New Campus in Historic Milwaukee Location
Read More
Stories
January 18, 2022
Photo Tour: The Marygrove Early Education Center Puts Young Learners at the Center of Community Revitalization
Read More
Stories
December 31, 2021
December 2021 Loan Round-up
Read More
Stories
Grand Avenue Market sign in Plains, Kansas
December 14, 2021
Grand Avenue Market: A 20-Year Quest to Re-establish a Local Grocery Store in Rural Kansas
Read More
Stories
December 14, 2021
Full Circle Communities and Christian Community Health Center Take on Link Between Health and Housing in South Suburban Chicago
Read More
Stories
RecycleForce Groundbreaking
December 14, 2021
Indianapolis Social Enterprise Begins Construction of $13 Million Workforce Development Complex for Returning Citizens
Read More
Stories
December 01, 2021
November 2021 Loan Round-up
Read More