About Us

MISSION

Chicago Community Loan Fund (CCLF) is a social investment intermediary providing low-cost, flexible financing to community development organizations engaged in affordable housing, social service and economic development initiatives that benefit low- and moderate-income families and neighborhoods throughout metropolitan Chicago. CCLF was founded in 1991 by a group of visionary social-investment advocates. Their aim was to create a nimble, flexible nonprofit lender who would fill the community development credit gaps as they emerged across the city and region. In particular, CCLF was created to ensure that Chicagoland community developers (including small and emerging groups) would have a lender to turn to for harder-to-underwrite projects and enterprises.

HOW IT WORKS

Individual and institutional investors concerned about the social dividend of their investments place funds in CCLF at or below market-rate, creating a pool of loan capital dedicated to improving the lives of people in disinvested communities. CCLF, in turn, re-lends this capital at a rate close to or at prime to finance community organizations’ development projects.

INVESTMENT MANAGEMENT

CCLF manages our investors’ capital according to stringent guidelines established by the Opportunity Finance Network, the leading network of community development financial institutions. Security is provided by the pooled risk that a fund provides, loan loss reserves, permanent equity and subordinated debt investments.

CCLF is a federally certified community development financial institution (CDFI) and is rated by CARS™, the CDFI Assessment and Rating System, a comprehensive, third-party analysis that provides guidance to investors and donors.