New Loan Closings: Community Health Initiatives, Flex Dance Program, Immigrant Defense Project, Special Needs Network
Community Health Initiatives: Expanding access to equitable community care in New York City
$1,200,000 facility loan, $410,000 bridge loan (March 2022)
The mission of Community Health Initiatives (CHI) is to provide outstanding healthcare for New Yorkers — regardless of their ability to pay. A Federally Qualified Health Center (FQHC), this community-based organization offers free and low-cost healthcare for New York residents who may otherwise lack access to quality medical care. From preventive to behavioral health services, CHI takes a holistic approach to the care it provides.
As a full-service clinic, CHI delivers comprehensive care to community members who need it most. In response to growing demand exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic, the organization recognized that it needed to expand its facility. The larger site will house additional exam rooms along with a physical therapy area, nurses’ station and clinical work area, urgent care practice, triage and consultation rooms, and additional administrative spaces. NFF's loans will both finance the new center and bridge government grants that will provide the remainder of the financing required to furnish the space.
Flex Dance Program: Creating vibrant, safe spaces for Brooklyn youth through dance
$50,000 bridge loan (March 2022)
Brooklyn-based Flex Dance Program partners with renowned dancers in the community who provide free dance sessions for incarcerated youth. By creating and fostering an environment of creative self-expression, FDP provides opportunities for youth to develop their self-esteem and further their artistic expression through the healing world of dance.
As they grow, FDP is looking for ways to continue providing sustainable youth programming and compensate staff for their time. However, FDP has experienced delays in government and private funding that the pandemic has exacerbated – hampering their ability to serve more of the young people who depend on their programs as creative outlets. Financed through NFF’s CARE Fund, which offers 0% interest loans to community-centered nonprofits led by people of color, this loan will bridge these cash flow issues and provide FDP with money they need to pay their staff and curate creative spaces of growth and self-expression.
Immigrant Defense Project: Advancing equity for immigrant communities in New York
$500,000 bridge loan (March 2022)
The Immigrant Defense Project was founded 20 years ago to combat an emerging human rights crisis: the targeting of immigrants for mass imprisonment and deportation. As this crisis has continued to escalate, the IDP has remained steadfast in fighting for fairness and justice for all immigrants caught at the intersection of the racially biased U.S. criminal and immigration systems. IDP fights to end the current era of unprecedented mass criminalization, detention, and deportation through a multipronged strategy including advocacy, litigation, legal advice and training, community defense, grassroots alliances, and strategic communications.
Advocating for immigrants grows more important every day. IDP needs to hire staff to fill several open vacancies; however, a delay in a government-funded contract has forced them to freeze hiring for the bulk of the COVID-19 pandemic. Supported by the Trinity Church Wall Street Grantee Loan fund, this loan will bridge this delayed payment so that the organization can hire for these essential positions – including a development manager who could sustainably bring in funding that would allow them to grow.
Special Needs Network, Inc.: Providing services for BIPOC people with disabilities in South Los Angeles
$250,000 bridge loan (March 2022)
Special Needs Network, Inc. (SNN)’s mission is to raise awareness about the unique ways that race, gender, and class impact people with disabilities – particularly African Americans, Latinx, and other BIPOC. By providing direct services, raising community awareness, and engaging in policy advocacy, SNN recognizes that the fight for disability rights is inextricably tied to the fight for racial justice and civil rights. SNN’s programs and campaigns bring change through legislation and policy as well as through direct collaboration with parents, caretakers, social justice organizations, and healthcare professionals. SNN’s Center for Autism and Developmental Disabilities (CADD) is a full-service autism health and community center delivering comprehensive medical and developmental services in the historic Watts/Willowbrook/Compton neighborhood.
As the organization continues to grow, its headquarters will be moving to the new MLK Community Hospital in South Los Angeles to further expand its programs and meet growing community needs. Financed through NFF’s CARE Fund, which offers 0% interest loans to community-centered nonprofits led by and serving people of color, this loan will support furnishings and necessary improvements for the organization’s new space. With support from this financing, SNN will be able to offer high-quality services to even more people with autism and other developmental disabilities.
Learn more about NFF’s loan products on the financing page of our website.