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Impact Lending

Flexible capital fuels growth

What We Do > Impact Lending

As the employment social enterprise field matures, so does the need for flexible capital to grow, seize new opportunities, and better serve employees.

In response to demand from our employment social enterprise partners, REDF launched its Impact Lending Practice in 2017 to provide an important tool to accelerate the growth of the field. REDF is demonstrating a model for how flexible loan terms combined with technical assistance can improve borrower performance and attract new sources of capital to employment social enterprises.

The REDF Impact Investing Fund (RIIF) is a 501(c)(3) debt fund that provides loan capital and technical assistance to nonprofit and for-profit employment social enterprises. RIIF supports borrowers to improve their financial sustainability and strengthen their businesses so they can employ and empower more individuals striving to chart a new course in life.

RIIF’s Board of Directors bring their deep expertise to further our mission, and in 2020 we formed an Advisory Council of accomplished leaders to help ensure RIIF reflects the diverse voices of the social enterprise movement and the communities we serve.

RIIF serves the following industries: Alternative Staffing, Recycling, Cleaning and Maintenance; Consumer Goods/Retail; Food Services and Manufacturing.

Impact Lending Report
Loan Process Overview

Eligibility

Employment social enterprises that meet the following eligibility criteria are encouraged to contact Emilie Linick, Director of Impact Lending at ELinick@redf.org:

  • Three years of operation
  • Current or demonstrated path to profitability with growing profit margins
  • Positive sales growth
  • Strong management track record

FAQ

For more information about our typical borrower profile and lending process click here.

Financials

Audited Financial Statements

2020
2019

IRS Form 990

2020
2019

Loans Closed-to-Date

To date, 11 loans totaling over $2.1M have been put to work to accelerate social enterprise growth.

View Impact Loans

RIIF Funders

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REDF has continued their strong partnership with us, making connections, brokering relationships with like-minded organizations, and assisting us with organizational stability and growth. It’s hard to see how Better Futures Minnesota could have made it to this point without the level of partnership REDF provides.

A. Charlene Leach, CEOBetter Futures Minnesota

We needed capital to grow our social enterprise. What would have taken us years to secure with a traditional lender, REDF was able to provide in months­—allowing us to immediately employ more people.

Aviva Paley, Co-Founder and Senior DirectorKitchens for Good

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