In this interview, Onika Lewis, Vice President, New Markets Tax Credit (NMTC), shares how NFF approaches financing through a community-centered lens. This conversation was featured in NFF’s 2025 Annual Report.
How did you first become interested in financing as a career?
My interest in finance really started with a simple but powerful observation: access. I saw hardworking, resourceful people in my community who had strong ideas but were excluded from the traditional banking system. The capital they needed to build and grow just wasn’t within reach.
Early on, I realized that money is about much more than numbers. Financial tools themselves aren’t inherently good or bad – it’s access to them, and understanding how to use them, that truly matters. That perspective continues to shape how I approach my work today.
When a nonprofit secures the right financing, the impact goes far beyond a single project. It strengthens the organization’s financial foundation, builds confidence among funders and partners, and creates catalytic momentum that attracts additional investment. Ultimately, the right financing at the right time enables nonprofits to plan for the long term, expand their programs, and deepen their impact in the communities they serve.
You mentioned the importance of community. What happens when you take a community-centered approach to financing projects?
A community-centered approach allows community members to voice their wants and needs, putting the power back into the hands of the people instead of an organization or a lender coming in and providing a prescription. It creates space for community members to determine what they need for themselves. It’s powerful because when projects are shaped by those who will ultimately use and rely on them, the outcomes are more equitable, more authentic, and more impactful.
A great example of this is our recent project providing New Markets Tax Credits to support the construction of Legacy Elementary in Uvalde, Texas. The community’s input directly shaped the project’s vision, ensuring it responded to the needs of the community to support healing, access, and opportunity in a way that top-down development never could.
What is unique about NFF’s approach as a Community Development Financial Institution (CDFI)?
CDFIs were born out of a movement to serve communities that were underserved by larger financial institutions. NFF does that, but we’re also unique in that we specifically serve nonprofits. CDFIs often fill a gap in a community’s need for financial services, and for NFF that means understanding the nonprofit’s needs and providing tailored solutions to support them, whether with a financial tool or product, or through our consulting services, or with our advocacy. It’s not one-size-fits-all. We really try to tailor our services to that specific organization seeking our assistance.
To do that, we have to stay flexible and understand the needs of each nonprofit. Just as important as offering financing when it’s a good fit is knowing how to say “no” when it’s not – and then either to find ways to support them until they are ready, or to find a different solution or refer them to a lender or partner that better meets their needs. We’re in it for the long haul, and that means taking the time to develop trust and being open about our lending process.
