Investing in Low-Income and Underserved Communities
The National Community Investment Fund (NCIF) is a 501(c)(4) nonprofit investment trust dedicated to empowering communities through impact investing. NCIF invests in mission-oriented financial institutions, such as minority banks and credit unions, to increase access to products and services and catalyze economic development in low-income and underserved communities. Since inception, NCIF has invested in 45 banks and credit unions, resulting in over $10 billion of loan originations in LMI areas. Let’s take a closer look at how NCIF is helping low-income and underserved communities thrive.
What is Impact Investing?
Impact investing involves making investments with the goal of generating measurable social or environmental benefits alongside a financial return. NCIF uses this innovative approach to invest in mission-oriented financial institutions that prioritize community development and access to capital for entrepreneurs living in low-income and underserved communities. In addition to investing directly into these institutions, NCIF also leverages New Market Tax Credit (NMTC) allocations to promote projects that create jobs, build infrastructure, expand access to healthcare services, increase affordable housing options, revitalize commercial districts, bring fresh food markets into food deserts, establish early childhood education centers, etc., all within LMI areas. To date, NCIF has leveraged more than $300 million in NMTC allocations for over $1 billion worth of projects creating 10,000+ jobs!
The Benefits of Accessible Capital
By increasing access to capital for entrepreneurs living in low-income and underserved communities—many of whom are minorities—NCIF helps close the racial wealth gap by providing much needed financing for projects that may not otherwise be funded by traditional sources. Accessible capital can be used for anything from launching business ventures or recovering from natural disasters to buying a home or starting college savings accounts for children. With greater access to capital comes greater opportunity for economic mobility; something that everyone deserves regardless of their socio-economic background or race/ethnicity.
NCIF’s mission is simple yet powerful: invest where there’s impact with an eye towards building wealth within low-income and underserved communities across the nation. By leveraging accessible capital alongside NMTC allocations directly into CDFI's (Community Development Financial Institutions) serving LMI areas they have been able to make an incredible difference already! From creating jobs to increasing access to products and services—the possibilities are endless when it comes to what impact investing can do for our most vulnerable populations! So let's support organizations like NCIF who are working hard every day towards closing gaps between those who have resources versus those who don't! Together we really can make a difference!
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Contact Information
Carlton Jenkins
Chairman
135 S LaSalle St Suite 3025
Chicago, IL 60603--429
marketing@ncif.org