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. CCLF's mission is to provide low-cost, flexible financing and free/low-cost technical assistance to nonprofit community development organizations for affordable housing, economic development and social service initiatives in low- and moderate-income neighborhoods throughout the Chicago metropolitan area.

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