Loans: Other

Featured Loan: CicLAvia

Making memories in Los Angeles’ open streets

$250,000 bridge loan (August 2022)

CicLAvia catalyzes the use of public space and alternative modes of transportation in Los Angeles County neighborhoods by hosting community events where participants can bike, walk, skate, roll, and dance. By temporarily closing public streets and turning them into public parks for the day, CicLAvia connects diverse groups of Angelenos. With less vehicle traffic on the road, CicLAvia events improve air quality, reducing ultrafine air particles by over 20% near event routes. CicLAvia also advocates for pedestrians and bikers through local and regional transportation policies. With each free event averaging 50,000 attendees, CicLAvia is the country’s largest open streets program.

CicLAvia receives much of its funding from government contracts. However, like many government agencies, Los Angeles County agencies pay nonprofits after work is conducted, not before – and COVID-19 exacerbated delays in these payments that already existed. Offered through NFF's zero-interest CARE Fund, this loan will provide a portion of the cash needed to advance costs for an increasing number of events and smooth over cash flow issues caused by delays in government reimbursement. With more sustained, reliable funding in a time of significant growth, CicLAvia can continue investing in the health and well-being of even more Los Angeles County residents.

The YMCA of Memphis & the Mid-South works to strengthen community to make sure everyone has the opportunity to learn, grow, and thrive. In addition to its primary focus on youth development and healthy living for residents of all ages, the YMCA has also played an important role in the local COVID-19 response, providing school meals and childcare for essential workers. NFF’s $11 million NMTC investment and $1.5 million loan will support the construction of a new community center that will offer fitness amenities, after-school programs, and health and wellness activities.
Based in Boulder, CO, Women’s Wilderness is one of the only nonprofits in the world that provides direct outdoor experiences with a gender lens. They offer a variety of programs including backpacking, camping, canoeing, climbing, hiking, nature immersion, and rafting. They also have dedicated programs for people of color, LGBTQI+ individuals, and girls who have recently migrated to or claimed refugee status in the United States. 

Women's Wilderness requested a $60,000 loan through the Metro Denver Nonprofit Loan Fund to finance a fleet of three vans. While COVID-19 is still a threat in the United States, these vans will allow the organization to maintain its current program capacity while still maintaining social distancing between participants. In the future, these vans will allow Women's Wilderness to increase the amount of women, girls, and LGBTQI+ people it serves with its outdoor programming. 
Downtown Community Television Center (DCTV) is a nonprofit independent media arts center in New York City. Founded in 1972, it fosters diverse viewpoints and creates positive social change by providing professional training, state-of-the-industry resources, and by creating and exhibiting thought-provoking, impactful documentary films.

DCTV is building a new, 74-seat public cinema devoted exclusively to documentary film screenings. Located on the building’s ground floor, the cinema will serve as an expansion of the existing DCTV Presents programming, where the organization hosts screening events that engage audiences in documentary films about important social issues. NFF provided a $1-million bridge loan and a $1.1-million construction loan toward the $5.2-million project. Partner: LISC
YMCA of Metro Atlanta is building a new center in the Grove Park neighborhood, Woodson Park YMCA. The 18,545-square-foot YMCA facility will provide programming for 150 children annually with group exercise classes, and after school programming, including a STEAM curriculum and day camps. It will also create 65-90 accredited Head Start seats; feature a Federally Qualified Health Center that will provide primary care services on a sliding fee scale based on a patient’s ability to pay; additional space for general health and community planning; and 18 new jobs for the community. NFF provided $9-million in NMTC allocation for the $11-million facility.

Partners: SunTrust Bank, Atlanta Public Schools, and The Grove Park Foundation.
Finger Lakes ReUse prioritizes the maximum reuse of building materials, electronics, household goods, appliances, and furniture through a community-oriented warehouse, shopping, and educational center. These items are used to create living wage jobs and support mentorship opportunities. NFF provided a loan to help Finger Lake ReUse refinance an existing mortgage on one of its properties.

Co-investor: Alternatives Federal Credit Union
Community Connections for Youth (CCFY) brings together grassroots faith and neighborhood organizations to develop community-driven alternatives to incarceration for youth in the Bronx, using an approach that is restorative and strengths-based and that links young people, their communities, and their families in the juvenile justice reform process.

In 2017, CCFY was awarded a 5-year, $10.3-million contract from the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office, through the Criminal Justice Investment Initiative, to operate a “Youth Opportunity Hub” in Harlem. The hub gathers community-based organizations under one roof to provide a range of resources, services, and activities to support youth who have been involved or are at risk of involvement with the justice system. NFF’s $1-million line of credit will be used to prevent cash shortages as CCFY awaits reimbursement for this work and payments from other government contracts.

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