Investing for Community Impact
Originally printed in our 2019 Annual Report.
YouthBridge Community Foundation has made the first investments of our 25×25 Impact Investing Initiative, which we expect to total $5-6 million over the next five years. We have committed $250,000 each to two local Community Development Financial Institutions (CDFIs), IFF and Justine PETERSEN, with the intent of investing more capital into strengthening the St. Louis community.
“CDFIs are a meaningful way for us to invest our resources, and IFF and Justine PETERSEN were easy first choices, with proven track records in delivering outcomes,” says Michael Howard, YouthBridge CEO, adding, “It’s our goal to invite our donor clients to invest with us.”
IFF is a 30-year-old nonprofit lender and real estate consultant serving the Midwest, providing more than $118 million in financing for 178 community projects in the St. Louis area. As one of the nation’s largest small business microlenders, Justine PETERSEN provides access to safe and affordable capital for historically under-served populations, assisting over 5,000 residents in purchasing a home and deploying over $100 million to businesses.