Agassiz Neighborhood Council (ANC) is a community center that provides arts education to children and adults in the Agassiz neighborhood of Cambridge, Massachusetts, advocates for community improvements, and organizes a free performance series to area school children. Since its inception, the Council was housed in a building that it rented from Harvard University. When the University wished to sell the building in 2002, the Council decided to purchase its home. NFF's $250,000 loan helped ANC purchase the building and make improvements.

"NFF's workshops helped us come to grips with how big our project really was and how much planning there was to do. There aren't many organizations like NFF. They understand that nonprofits have special needs and they address them."  Terry DeLancey Executive Director

The Alvin Ailey Dance Foundation is one of ten participants in the Leading for the Future Initiative (LFF), which is a 5-year program generously supported by the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation. NFF created LFF to address nonprofit mis-capitalization by deploying 'change capital' to help arts organizations adapt their programming, operations and finances in ways that improve their long-term health. NFF is working closely with Ailey's leadership to transform the organization's use of technology in engaging and retaining patrons. Ailey has undertaken an institution-wide re-thinking of ways to serve audiences and forge new connections among several of the core businesses of the organizations: its two companies, school, boutique, and development operation.

On 1,600 acres, the abandoned Bethlehem Plant of the Bethlehem Steel Corporation is the nation's largest brownfield development, located in a severely distressed area in Bethlehem, PA. ArtsQuest, an organization dedicated to arts and culture in the Lehigh Valley, is partnering with the City of Bethlehem to construct an arts, culture and education campus on 4.5 acres within the brownfield. ArtsQuest approached NFF to supply a $10 million New Markets Tax Credits (NMTC) allocation, as part of the overall NMTC transaction structure for the SteelStacks project. For ArtsQuest, the beneficial interest rates and terms of the NMTC loan made possible a mission-driven project that might not have been feasible under any other financing structure, and will allow them to have equity in the project after seven years.

According to the New York City Department of Homeless Services' 2010 Annual Homeless Outreach Population Estimate survey, over 39,000 people reside in shelters nightly and another 3,000 live on New York City's streets and subways. These numbers, which are on the rise, reflect both the continued impact of our national economic crisis, and a City that feels compelled to respond.

Operating for 40 years, the BRC (Bowery Residents' Committee) is one of the most effective housing and social service providers in New York City. Described by The New York Times as one of the city's "most respected charity groups,” BRC offers 27 programs that in the past year served over 8,000 of NYC's neediest individuals. More than 60% of those who leave BRC do so having successfully achieved their goals for housing, employment, stability in health and sobriety, and more.

"This new multi-service center and agency headquarters, with its complementary offerings of transitional housing, case management and treatment services, will enable BRC to help hundreds more needy New Yorkers to break the cycle of homelessness and reclaim lives lost. It will also create over 250 new jobs, and help to restore the city's economy. Thanks to NFF and their investment in BRC and the people we serve, we were able to seize this opportunity and turn a dream into a reality.”  Muzzy Rosenblatt. Executive Director

Callen-Lorde Community Health Center offers comprehensive healthcare services, all delivered by providers with expertise in the needs of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender communities and those living with HIV/AIDS.

NFF has been an ongoing partner to Callen-Lorde as it transitioned from a small grassroots center to a large FQHC with over 70,000 annual patient visits. In 1996, NFF provided a $500,000 loan that was the final piece necessary to close a bond financing for the purchase and construction of their health center. Since then, Callen-Lorde has continued to turn to NFF when it needed working capital and other financing. In 2010, NFF provided Callen-Lorde with a $1.5 million line of credit, in addition to bridge financing for a state-funded HEAL-NY Phase 6 award to renovate a portion of its facility.

Community Health and Social Services Center(CHASS) was established in 1970 to address the growing need for healthcare in southwest Detroit. Over the decades, demand continued to grow, and their facility no longer met the need. CHASS began planning for a larger facility in 2003. Their vision finally will be realized in 2012, when they will move in to their new building, more than tripling their space to 48,000 square feet.

Since the project was first considered, CHASS' historical payer mix has made it difficult for them to demonstrate the ability to service debt. In 2011, with $17 million of NMTC financing, the project was ready to move forward. For the project, NFF provided $10 million in tax credits, Invest Detroit provided $7 million and JPMorgan Chase purchased the tax credits. HRSA provided $652,000 in ARRA Capital Improvement Program (CIP) funds for an electronic medical records system, and LISC, Capital Link and other local foundations provided additional funding.  

“Nonprofit Finance Fund was one of only two CDEs willing to take on our project to bring expanded healthcare to southwest Detroit. We’re excited to be working with NFF to provide healthcare in a meaningful way to people who have few other choices.”    Denise C. Pike, Development Director, CHASS

"We have had the good fortune to work with NFF intensively over the past 17 years. During that time, NFF has broadened its services to the sector by developing many new and robust financial management products. However the one thing about NFF that has not changed is their commitment and ability to meet clients where they are. When this organization started to work with NFF, the organization had posted operating deficits for many years in a row, audits were issued with ongoing concerns, and the future looked shaking at best. Seventeen years later, the organization is consistently posting operating surpluses and working to build a robust balance sheet. I can not speak highly enough about NFF. NFF staff are true capacity builders and leave organizations with an enhanced understanding of the role of finance in service to mission."  Scott Fraser Managing Director

In southeastern Michigan, Judson Center provides adoption services, foster care, counseling, residential care and group homes for more than 1,800 people. Over its 25 years, the center's group homes for children with special needs had deteriorated. In a long-term strategic alliance with United Way, NFF provided a $150,000 capital grant and a $500,000 loan to bridge capital campaign pledges, to support the renovation and expansion project.

On the Boards (OtB) is recognized as a leader in contemporary performance. As with so many nonprofits that expand, growing pains were inevitable. In 1998, a wonderful performance space was for sale, and OtB found the support to purchase and renovate it. Though their audiences loved it, revenue couldn't cover the increased expenses of the new facility. 

“As a direct result of the MPO Initiative, we are 100% debtfree, we have significant operating and building reserve funds, we have a long-term strategy for the management of our facility, and we have developed a culture that allows us to think proactively about investments in our artistic activities. We gained a tremendous amount through the NFF technical support; in particular the systems replacement plan, the program profitability, and the tailored dashboard are tools that have changed and are changing our base practices. It is not an exaggeration to say that the MPO Initiative allowed us to move from an organization that was struggling to exist to one that is healthy, stable, and has the capacity to implement our artistic mission.”  Sarah Wilke Managing Director

The Clay Studio serves 40,000 people annually in Philadelphia through its gallery, studio, school lecture series and outreach programs. The Clay Studio has worked with NFF in a variety of ways. In addition to receiving a loan to finance classroom and gallery space, it has received grants from NFF to help plan expansion and develop a new business plan. After attending NFF's "Linking Mission to Money" workshop, the Studio began to explore new ways to generate revenue.

"Our line of credit with Nonprofit Finance Fund has enabled us to operate all of our programs at maximum capacity with confidence and without interruption. Thanks to NFF, the Food Trust is able to provide nutrition education, operate 26 farmers markets, and bring stores selling healthy, fresh food to impoverished neighborhoods in the Philadelphia region."  Daniel Rawleigh Director of Finance & Administration

"Our financing process was incredibly complex, which made it essential that the participants be flexible and ready to work through issues for the betterment of the project. With Nonprofit Finance Fund, there was never any question that they had the best thing for the theatre at heart. Every time a new need or problem arose, NFF was the first place we turned."  Troy Siebels Executive Director