Impact Lenders Podcast

The political climate has made diversifying capital sources a priority for many CDFIs.  At the same time, younger investors are increasingly focused on impact. How can your loan fund capitalize on that trend? In this episode, Johan Matthews discusses the insights he and his colleagues have gleaned from interviews with dozens of millenial investors as […]

Impact lenders serving low-income communities are often working to mitigate the consequences of structural racism–but race is rarely brought to the forefront of discussions in the industry.  Living Cities decided that it wanted to change that, and has embarked on a years long journey to get things right internally as they simultaneously seek to explicitly […]

Measuring and tracking impact is one of the persistent challenges of impact lending.  We all want to know what our work is really accomplishing, both to improve our programs and to effectively report out to investors and donors.  Community Housing Capital is innovating how they measure impact by adopting the U.N.’s Sustainable Development Goals as […]

Peter Schaeffing, President of High Impact Financial Analysis, discusses topics in underwriting in this week’s podcast.  The episode offers lessons to newer underwriters and reminders that will help more experienced underwriters stay sharp.  Specific topics include leasehold mortgages (starting at the 1:25 mark), financial analysis of consolidated organizations (5:28), pension plans (8:30), and underwriting low […]

The Impact Lenders Podcast goes live at the National Charter Schools Conference in Austin, Texas in this episode.  We speak with some of the leaders of the charter school financing sector to get their take on the trends and risks shaping the industry today.  Tune into this episode to learn from the people who work […]

Ami Pascual Spear joins the Impact Lenders Podcast to discuss inclusion in the impact lending industry.  As a past founder, employee, and current board member of various impact lending institutions, Ami has broad experience in the field that she draws on as she discusses the importance of inclusion and how the industry could improve.  Ami’s […]

The CDFI Women’s Network was launched in 2016 to foster opportunities for a diverse and inclusive group of women in community development finance to connect, share, and learn from each other to advance their professional development.  It has grown into an industry-wide initiative that brings together women from CDFIs, foundations, banks, government entities, and other […]

Vacant properties encourage crime, create safety hazards, and erode pride in communities.  In this episode, we talk with the President of the New York Land Bank Association to discuss what the land bank solution to vacant properties is and what financing challenges exist for land banks and their property buyers.  Anyone interested in creative solutions […]

Small staff sizes, limited resources, and varied borrower needs can make growing an impact lending program a real challenge.  The Leviticus 25:23 Alternative Fund has grown by 46% in three years and has over $30 million of capital under management today.  Its Executive Director, Greg Maher, joins us for episode two to describe how the […]

In our first episode, we explore how foundations can expand their mission by becoming impact lenders.  March Gallagher, President & CEO of Community Foundations of the Hudson Valley, tells us how she implemented a lending program in partnership with local CDFIs to amplify her institution’s impact. Today’s Guest: March Gallagher is responsible for the overall […]

New to the Impact Lenders Podcast? Get up to speed on what it’s all about with our introductory episode.