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IFF

We’re a mission-driven lender, real estate consultant, and developer that strengthens nonprofits and the communities they serve.

Grounded in equity and deep sector expertise, IFF champions nonprofits to shape more equitable and vibrant communities through community-centered lending, development, and real estate consulting. Since 1988, we have been working at the intersection of facilities and finance to help nonprofits serving a variety of sectors increase their financial stability and programmatic offerings, and achieve th

eir missions. We do that by bringing together a powerful combination of financial solutions, real estate and development expertise, sector knowledge, and research and evaluation capacity to accelerate positive social impact and systems change. Headquartered in Chicago, with regional offices in Cleveland, Columbus, Detroit, Grand Rapids, Indianapolis, Kansas City, Milwaukee, and St. Louis, we serve nonprofits and communities throughout the Midwest. IFF is a Community Development Financial Institution (CDFI) certified by the U.S. Department of the Treasury and one of only a few nationally to hold the top-ranked Aeris four-star rating for impact management and AAA rating for financial strength and performance.

08/28/2026

The skies were clear and the sun was out yesterday for our Home First team's Access South Cook ribbon cutting in Park Forest, IL! The new features 44 rental homes, a shared green space, and a community building. It is also located on the Park Forest village campus, providing residents with easy access to retail options, banks, government offices, and more.

Access South Cook marks the tenth project developed by Home First, IFF's in-house development group. Led by Dena Bell, Leticia Valencia, and Lily Yalowitz, Home First's mission is to develop community integrated, affordable, and accessible housing for people with disabilities. Over the past 15 years, Home First has developed more than 320 homes across the state of Illinois.

Special thanks to the partners who helped make Access South Cook a reality, including WJW Architects, Blackwood Group/Crane Construction, the Illinois Housing Development Authority and the Illinois Department of Human Services, ComEd, First Merchants Bank, PNC Bank, and the FHLBank Chicago!

To learn more about Home First: https://iff.org/services/home-first/

08/21/2026

As members of our team gear up for this year's hosted by Habitat for Humanity Chicago, we're excited to highlight who they are and why they're participating!

Featured this week is Kelly Highum, a senior lender on our affordable housing team and a former AmeriCorps member with Habitat for Humanity. As the leader of Team Pain in the Glass, Kelly wants more women to feel capable of taking on home projects and is looking forward to using power tools and spending time with colleagues!

To help Kelly and Team Pain in the Glass achieve their fundraising goal: https://my.habitatchicago.org/WomenBuild2026/kellyhighum

08/20/2026

We were excited to bring new members of the IFF team together in July for One IFF University, which covers foundational knowledge about IFF, community development financial institutions, and more. The cohort included 15 colleagues from our Chicago, St. Louis, and Indianapolis offices, and we're excited to have them on board!

Interested in joining our team? Check out our open positions here: https://iff.org/contact-us/careers/

08/19/2026

IFF had a great time at OPEN Center for the Arts in Little Village during our latest Propel event! We connected with funders, bankers, and community partners who are all working to make Little Village an even stronger, more vibrant community.

Propel events are a great way for nonprofits to talk one on one with our lenders and our Real Estate Solutions team. Interested in attending one? Our next events will be taking place in South Shore (Chicago) and Detroit. Click here to learn more about Propel and to register for our upcoming events: https://iff.org/services/capital-solutions/propel/

08/13/2026

to last year's , an annual event hosted by Habitat for Humanity Chicago that brings women together to raise money and help build a house to make homeownership a reality for women purchasing homes through the organization's Affordable Homeownership Program.

This year, IFF is excited to participate with two teams of women from across the organization who will be working in the West Pullman community! Over the next few weeks, we'll be sharing what inspired each team member to participate in this project as they work to achieve their fundraising goal ahead of the build day!

To support Team Stud Finders: https://my.habitatchicago.org/WomenBuild2026/StudFinders

To support Team Pain in the Glass: https://my.habitatchicago.org/WomenBuild2026/PainInTheGlass

08/12/2026

We are very proud to share that IFF's Chief Regional and Markets Officer, Vickie Lakes-Battle recently received the Champion of Social Justice award at Chicago African Americans in Philanthropy (CAAIP)'s Connecting Philanthropy and Community event.

Speaking at the Obama Presidential Library, Vickie shared her thoughts on how you can understand a person, institution, and society by what it invests in as capital is a moral language that reveals what and who we value, and believe is worth investment.

To learn more about CAAIP: https://caaip.org/

08/07/2026

Members of our Real Estate Solutions team had a great time recently visiting the Greater Chicago Food Depository’s warehouse!

We’re excited to be working with GCFD to help them partner with food pantries and support facility infrastructure investments to increase food access, including at the American Association of Single Parents, Inc's Free-N-Deed Market in Dolton, IL, New Life Centers’ location in Chicago’s Little Village neighborhood, and Grow Greater Englewood's location on the city’s South Side.

To learn more about GCFD's work: https://www.chicagosfoodbank.org/

To learn more about IFF's Real Estate Solutions work: https://iff.org/services/real-estate/

08/06/2026

For nonprofits and community changemakers, navigating the convoluted path of construction logistics, funding compliance, and contractor vetting can quickly become overwhelming during facilities projects.

Far too often, these challenges become the responsibility of project architects who, wanting the best for their client and the project, stand in the gap. However, when architects find themselves stepping outside their core disciplines to act as project managers, financial guides, and compliance advisors just to keep a vital community project moving forward, boundaries blur and the full potential of the project becomes much harder to realize.

We recently sat down with Zager Architecture's Owner and Principal Architect, Sarah Zager, to discuss how partnering with an intermediary, like IFF, can help architects stay focused on design while ensuring nonprofits receive the guidance needed to navigate complex development projects.

To read our conversation with Sarah: https://iff.org/why-architects-partner-with-iff-qa-with-zager-architecture-owner-sarah-zager/

08/03/2026

IFF's affordable housing lending team was excited to attend the recent groundbreaking for the first phase of redevelopment at the Clinton-Peabody Apartments in St. Louis!

With Preservation of Affordable Housing serving as the developer, the St. Louis Housing Authority is spearheading an effort to create a mixed-use development that reflects the community's vision and honors past, current, and future residents of the historic property. Planned renovations will enhance community spaces, amenities, and services that help residents thrive, while also creating high-quality mixed-income housing.

In the project's first phase, 89 new one, two, and three-bedroom apartments will be built as part of the broader effort to preserve long-term affordability, improve housing quality, strengthen neighborhood connections, and support resident well-being through thoughtful, community-focused design. We're excited to support the project with financing and look forward to the completion of the first phase of the project!

To learn more: https://clintonpeabodystl.org/

07/30/2026

Propel is coming to La Villita! Join us on August 7, from 9:30 to 11:30 am at OPEN Center for the Arts for a free networking breakfast event. You'll be able to connect one on one with IFF's lenders and real estate services representatives, and other nonprofits.

Click here to RSVP: IFF.org/Propel

Address

333 S Wabash Avenue, Ste 2800
Chicago, IL
60604

Opening Hours

Monday	9am - 5pm
Tuesday	9am - 5pm
Wednesday	9am - 5pm
Thursday	9am - 5pm
Friday	9am - 5pm

Telephone

(312) 629-0060

Website

http://www.iff.org/

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