Chicago Community Loan Fund (CCLF) was originally conceived as a bridge between people who wanted to put their money to work "in their own backyard" and nonprofit organizations that serve low-wealth families and communities who need those dollars most. The mission of the Chicago Community Loan Fund is to provide flexible, affordable and responsible financing and technical assistance for community stabilization and development efforts and initiatives that benefit low- to moderate-income neighborhoods, families and individuals throughout metropolitan Chicago.

CCLF’s focus on green design is grounded in experience: We have learned that without knowledge and commitment on the part of a developer, green design elements or sustainable solutions are easily overlooked. Yet, more than ever it is clear that well designed projects today must include healthy practices and sustainable features. A project that is not sustainably designed may fail in its primary goal to improve community, potentially having a negative impact on the local built environment.

Our vision is to work with our clients to help them rejuvenate neighborhoods and improve the lives of low-wealth individuals and families who live on those communities. Since 1991, CCLF has closed loans totaling nearly $60 million in financing for community development initiatives in communities across the city and suburbs. This financing has leveraged for our borrowers' projects:

• More than $900 million in additional public and private sector investment
• Homes for more than 6,400 households, over 1,000 jobs and scores of childcare slots
• Over 2.1 million square feet of new or rehabilitated commercial/retail/industrial space and nonprofit facility space

Our work has ultimately benefited tens of thousands of people who live in the communities we care about.

Updated August 2011