Impact Development Fund

09/03/2026

We’re excited to welcome Leslie Sabin to IDF as our new Chief Financial Officer!

Leslie brings nearly two decades of experience in finance, operations, and mission-aligned investing. Most recently, she served as Vice President for Finance, Administration, and Impact Investing at the Gates Family Foundation.

In her new role, Leslie will help turn IDF’s vision into a forward-looking financial strategy, strengthen our financial systems and capital planning, and support thoughtful, sustainable growth.

We asked Leslie about what excites her most about joining IDF. She said:

“I'm excited to join IDF because expanding affordable housing and equitable access to capital is exactly where I want to put my time and energy! I love working in teams that care about each other, the community, and doing the work well, and I've already felt that spirit here. I'm looking forward to building on the strong foundation already in place and working with the team to connect IDF's financial strength with the mission in a way that supports thoughtful growth and reflects the teamwork and drive that make this organization special. I'm ready to bring my finance, investing, and philanthropic experience in a way that helps us reach more communities and do great work together!”

When she’s not at work, Leslie enjoys abstract painting, recently began playing the violin, and spends time with her family, including two cats and two horses.

We are so happy you are here, Leslie. Welcome to the IDF team!

09/01/2026

Last week, our Director of Third-Party Commercial Lending, Ross Valdez, joined partners in Grand Junction to celebrate the groundbreaking of Liberty Apartments, a new affordable housing development from Aspire Residential.

Built with the future in mind, the first phase will bring 72 one- and two-bedroom apartments to the community. The development's net-zero, energy-efficient design means the buildings are constructed to use less energy, helping lower costs while creating more sustainable housing for the long term.

Liberty Apartments will also create more housing choices for people who may earn too much to qualify for some traditional affordable housing programs but still struggle to find a home they can afford at market rates.

IDF provided $2.4 million in construction financing to help turn those plans into something you can officially put a shovel in the ground for! The project also received nearly $8 million in Proposition 123 funding, along with support from several public and private partners.

Congratulations to Aspire Residential and everyone involved in bringing Liberty Apartments to Grand Junction. We are excited to be part of the work happening on the Western Slope!

08/27/2026

We are excited to spotlight a new partnership with East Colfax Community Collective (EC3) and the Dallas Street Apartments in Denver!

The project is still in its early stages, but the vision is an important one. EC3 plans to transform the property into 60 new affordable units, creating high-quality, energy-efficient housing for households earning 50% or less of the area’s median income (AMI).

But this project is about more than renovating a building. Dallas Street Apartments will use the Mixed-Income Neighborhood Trust, or MINT, model, an approach designed to keep housing affordable for the long term. As East Colfax continues to grow and change, projects like this can help create stability and make it possible for more residents to stay in the neighborhood they call home.

There is still plenty of work ahead, and that is exactly why financing at this stage matters. Sometimes the right support early on can help give a good idea the chance to become something more.

We are grateful to collaborate with East Colfax Community Collective early in the process and look forward to seeing their vision for Dallas Street Apartments take shape.

08/25/2026

A little wine, a lot of conversation and some amazing women in affordable housing!

Thank you to Colorado Women's Affordable Housing Network (WAHN) for hosting their Northern Colorado mixer in Fort Collins. A few members from the IDF team were able to join the fun at the OBC Wine Project last week, connect with other women in the affordable housing community, and catch up with some familiar faces.

Thank you to WAHN for bringing together a great group and giving us the opportunity to connect.

08/20/2026

Northern Colorado friends -

IDF will be attending the Ready, Set, Own Homebuyer Event on Saturday, September 19, from 10 a.m. to noon at the Greeley Family FunPlex, hosted by Guild Mortgage Company. Doors open at 9:30 a.m.

Hear from trusted experts about the homebuying process, explore financing options, and learn practical steps to help you prepare for homeownership. Bring your questions and leave with greater clarity and confidence!

This is a free community event, and we’d love to see you there.

Register today: https://social.impactdf.org/jpUZa

Homebuyer event in Greeley, CO. Learn the home-buying process, down payment assistance & local housing resources for first-time homebuyers

08/17/2026

Happy National Nonprofit Day to those who celebrate. 😉

For IDF, being a nonprofit means so much more than honoring our mission. It means putting our people and the communities we serve FIRST. It means being creative, staying adaptable, and looking for new ways to make housing possible. It means knowing that the best solutions often come from working together as we certainly don't do it alone.

We are so fortunate to work alongside so many nonprofit partners across Colorado and beyond who bring their own commitment. Today, we are celebrating the nonprofits who keep showing up and getting the hard work done.

08/17/2026

A huge thank you to Neenan Archistruction for having us out on the course last week!

Nathan Kleist, Aaron Ferguson, Bryn DeMarois, and Cayley Griffin represented IDF for a day of golf, good company, and supporting one of our longtime partners, Fort Collins Habitat for Humanity.

It always a hole-in-one when we can get out of the office, spend time with our partners, and support the work happening in our community. After a day on the course, it's safe to say we'll stick to affordable housing instead of trying for the tour. 😜

08/13/2026

We are proud to celebrate our own Cayley Griffin, IDF’s Strategic Initiatives Coordinator and one of NOCO Style’s Thirty Under 30 honorees!

Cayley has been with IDF for the past two and a half years, most recently spending the past year on our Strategy & Partnerships team. In her current role, her passion lies in the programs behind the funding. She is always looking for new ways to build partnerships, get involved, and connect resources with opportunities across Colorado and beyond.

And that commitment to community doesn’t stop when the workday ends.

A lifelong soccer fan, Cayley has spent the past two years coaching middle school girls and served as an ambassador for For Denver FC, helping build awareness and community support around bringing Colorado its first women’s professional soccer team.

Whether she’s helping shape a new program, building a partnership, or showing up for the soccer community, Cayley brings curiosity, energy, and a genuine desire to get involved.

Check out Cayley on page 28 of NOCO Style’s August issue and meet the rest of this year’s Thirty Under 30!

[Read the full issue] https://social.impactdf.org/qhGM6)

08/12/2026

Not every project follows a straight path. Karl’s Farm Senior Apartments in Northglenn, Colorado is one of those stories.

Designed for residents aged 62 and older, Karl’s Farm brings 164 affordable apartments to seniors with limited incomes, expanding housing options in a community where they are greatly needed. Like many developments across the country, the project was impacted by rising interest rates during construction, which increased costs and ultimately created an unexpected financing gap.

That’s where IDF was able to step in. Through Affordable Housing Investment Fund capital, we provided $1.5 million in financing to help fill the unexpected gap and keep the project moving forward.

Lease-up took longer than initially projected, but by late 2025 the property reached full occupancy. In early 2026, Karl’s Farm successfully transitioned into permanent financing.

Today, Karl’s Farm is complete and providing much-needed housing for seniors in Northglenn. Projects like this are rarely a straight path. They require adaptability, strong partnerships, and the ability to respond when conditions change.

At IDF, we are proud to support developments like Karl’s Farm that create lasting housing opportunities and strengthen communities.

08/06/2026

At its core, flexible capital means we’re able to structure financing around the needs of a project, not the other way around.

Affordable housing deals are COMPLEX. Timelines and priorities shift, funding sources don’t always align, and gaps come up along the way.

That’s where we come in. We can step in early, take on risk that others may not, and help make the numbers work so a project can move forward and attract additional funding.

No two projects are the same, and our approach reflects that.

Have a project in mind or want to learn more? We’d love to connect. 😉