Mission Driven Finance®

Meet one of the first child care providers to be matched with a property from Care Access Real Estate® (CARE), Destinee, and learn more about her home! ✨ 𝗔𝗕𝗢𝗨𝗧 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗣𝗥𝗢𝗣𝗘𝗥𝗧𝗬 🏡 Care Access Real Estate’s (CARE) second property is located on a quiet street in North Las Vegas, Nevada. The back of the home is directly across the street from an elementary school. The house has a driveway and ample street parking to allow for safe and easy drop-offs and pickups. Child care activities take place on the ground floor. There is ample daylight throughout the space and direct views of the fenced backyard, which is accessed through french doors in the child care area. CARE renovation work primarily focused on optimizing the primary child care area and the outdoor classroom—removing gravel and adding concrete and turf in the backyard. 𝗔𝗕𝗢𝗨𝗧 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗣𝗥𝗢𝗩𝗜𝗗𝗘𝗥 🧑🧒🧒 Destinee moved from California to Las Vegas, where she worked at an elementary after-school program for five years. During the pandemic, she started working as an assistant teacher at a daycare center and was soon promoted to be its director. However, Destinee’s longtime goal was to own an in-home child care facility. She graduated from a Wonderschool program to support child care providers and had grant money but no property. She needed a house to become a licensed child care provider yet could not find a landlord willing to rent to her for a home-based child care business. The situation felt hopeless until she learned about CARE and applied to be a tenant. “I am excited and felt lucky [to be matched with a CARE property],” says Destinee. “It’s like winning the lottery.” At the time of the match, Destinee was working four jobs. “With this daycare, I’m focusing on this as my sole career.” Destinee moved into her CARE space in the fall of 2023 and was licensed in March 2024. She is fully enrolled with a waitlist. “Everybody who comes in loves it. It’s the ideal child care space,” says Destinee. “There’s a separation between home space and child care space. [My family and I] spend a lot of time upstairs in the loft area.” Destinee plans to offer programming in English, Spanish, and American Sign Language. 𝗔𝗕𝗢𝗨𝗧 𝗖𝗔𝗥𝗘 𝗔𝗖𝗖𝗘𝗦𝗦 𝗥𝗘𝗔𝗟 𝗘𝗦𝗧𝗔𝗧𝗘® (𝗖𝗔𝗥𝗘) Working with local ecosystem partners, Care Access Real Estate® (CARE) purchases homes in areas identified as not having enough quality child care, renovates them into ideal child care spaces, and leases them to child care providers who have gone through a vetting process. CARE’s national portfolio of commercial and residential properties is specifically designed to expand quality child care and unlock the full potential and aspirations of center- and home-based providers. #childcareproviders #childcarerealestate #childcareREIT #RealEstateInvestmentTrust #socialpurposerealestate #socialfinance #impactinvesting

You may have heard we are now lending to small businesses and nonprofits in New Mexico! If you missed our info sessions, catch the recording and share this info with entrepreneurs doing good in their communities: 📹 https://lnkd.in/g-TEuyfS 𝗔𝗯𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝗔𝗱𝘃𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝗡𝗲𝘄 𝗠𝗲𝘅𝗶𝗰𝗼: ✨ For New Mexico-based small businesses & nonprofits creating an inclusive and sustainable economy ✨ Working capital, equipment purchase, project finance, etc. ✨ Check size: $100,000–$1.5 million ✨ Up to 11.5% interest rate + closing fee ✨ 3- to 30-month terms ✨ $250 application fee to start underwriting ✨ No prepayment penalty fee ✨ No credit scores required ✨ No personal guarantees required ✨ Islamic financing available ✨ Revenue-based financing available Get started at https://lnkd.in/g8Pmvw5N #smallbiz #smallbusinessloans #nonprofitloans #newmexicobusiness #impactinvesting #placebasedinvesting #socialenterprise

Thank you WorkingNation and Laura Aka for covering the Initiative for Inclusive Entrepreneurship (IIE), a public-private partnership designed to expand access to capital for small business owners. IIE is leveraging a $10 billion federal fund—seeking to direct 40% of the funds to support entrepreneurs in underserved communities. Hyphen Milken Institute Stephen Nunes Lauren Grattan Archana Sahgal Troy Duffie #smallbusiness #SSBCI #entrepreneurs #impactinvesting #socialfinance #communityfinance #placebasedinvesting

Thank you ImpactAlpha and Amy Cortese for this article on the Initiative for Inclusive Entrepreneurship (IIE), a public-private partnership Mission Driven Finance® is grateful to be a part of. The Indigenous Futures Fund, also mentioned, is a key part of our strategy related to the IIE. Thankful to IIE partners, including but not limited to: Hyphen Milken Institute Archana Sahgal Founders First Capital Partners Next Street The Aspen Institute Nowak Metro Finance Lab Scale Link JumpStart Inc. IIE.VC Nasdaq Entrepreneurial Center Plexo Capital Venture Forward #impactinvesting #socialfinance #entrepreneurship #inclusiveentrepreneurship #IIE #smallbusinessfinance #smallbusiness #smallbiz #CDFIs

Congratulations to our Chief Legal Officer Joseph Pileri, who is being recognized by L.A. Times B2B Publishing's In-House Counsel Leadership Awards for his work on Care Access Real Estate® (CARE)! 👏 #latb2bIHC #inhousecounsel #childcareREIT #childcarerealestate #innovativerealestate #RealEstateInvestmentTrust #REIT Los Angeles Times

Help us welcome First Gen Scholars, a new portfolio company in our place-based Advance Strategy! ✨ 𝗪𝗛𝗔𝗧 𝗧𝗛𝗘𝗬 𝗗𝗢 🎓 Founded by first-generation college graduate Jonathan Burgos in 2019, First Gen Scholars (1GS) is a nonprofit organization and a “GPS for college access for first-generation low-income students.” According to Jonathan, in San Diego County each year, 6,000 graduating seniors from low-income households will become the first in their families to attend a four-year university. Jonathan’s own journey may resonate among many first-generation college students: Growing up, he earned straight A’s in high school. Arriving at college, he struggled with adjusting to a new culture and environment while living on campus, ending up with failing grades and being placed on academic probation. Feeling like he couldn’t tell his parents, Jonathan relied on his friends for support. Now he wants to connect first-generation college students with mentors so they don’t have to go through this process on their own. In addition to connecting college students with mentors—who themselves are alums of 1GS—the organization helps high school students navigate the college admissions process, with an emphasis on graduating college without any debt. According to the 1GS website, as of this writing, 527 scholars are now attending a top college of their choice, having collectively earned more than $26 million in scholarships. 1GS’s flagship program is a 4- to 6-week summer college access program. Within the program are affinity cohorts so that individuals with shared lived experiences and/or aspirations can build connections amongst each other. Of the students who complete the 1GS summer program, 96% end up being accepted at a UC school. But Jonathan is even more proud of another stat: “Over 80% of participants are on track to graduate with no debt,” he says. “Being able to have a degree without student loans speaks volumes.” 𝗪𝗛𝗬 𝗪𝗘 𝗜𝗡𝗩𝗘𝗦𝗧𝗘𝗗 💰 Capital from the Advance Strategy acts as a bridge to three grants that the organization is receiving this year. “The loan will help First Gen Scholars do things more intentionally—like allowing part-time staff to work full-time,” says Jonathan. “With this funding, we can strengthen the summer program—offering more robust support to current students.” United Way of San Diego County participated in this loan, which aligns with its work to ensure that children, young adults, individuals, and families have the support they need to achieve educational success and financial security. “We support capacity building for organizations to further important work in the community,” said Nancy Sasaki, President and CEO of UWSD. “Through creative partnerships like this co-investment with Mission Driven Finance™, we can ensure young adults and their families have the resources they need for greater educational and financial advancement.” #impactinvesting #placebasedinvesting #socialimpact #socialfinance

Thank you Winston for helping Care Access Real Estate® to support more child care providers and families! 💛

Help us welcome The Prep Institute, a new portfolio company in our expanded place-based Advance California strategy! ✨ 𝗪𝗛𝗔𝗧 𝗧𝗛𝗘𝗬 𝗗𝗢 💛 The Prep Institute, LLC, founded by Natache Muschette in 2012, is a social solutions company offering customizable solutions, expert advice, and tools to help turn community visions into reality. (Natache previously worked with Mission Driven Finance to prepare the Community Finance Fellows for the next stage of their careers.) The Prep Institute consults with and teaches social investors and nonprofit organizations to design and implement simple, disruptive, and preventive solutions to eliminate or lessen social issues. One of their programs is the Social Solutions Incubator to help small nonprofits and small businesses grow. Natache quickly realized it is futile to teach an organization how to grow in a workshop or two; she believed organizations need to participate in incubators for three to five years to grow an idea into reality. “How do you architect a social solution and how do you distribute it?” are the questions Natache sets out to answer with the incubator. One nonprofit from the incubator is Our Genetic Legacy (OGL), led by Shellie B., which sets out to offer a fuller genealogical picture than is shared by mainstream DNA and ancestry companies. OGL’s mission is to “publish lost family legacies of BIPOC Americans to diversify, correct, and expand the current history of America to include ALL Americans.” One of OGL’s projects involves documenting the transatlantic slave trade to understand its impact on U.S. history. The nonprofit brought 13 young women and girls from San Diego—seven of whom are FAA-certified drone pilots—to train and work with 16 young women and girls in Ghana to become licensed drone pilots and to research, map, and document sites of significance, like cemeteries. The group has continued their research in the UK and Portugal, all of which contribute to exhibits for their virtual We The People Museum. Shellie shares, “Thanks to Natache and her team at The Prep Institute, Our Genetic Legacy is becoming a sustainable organization that can positively influence the community for generations. While words may not fully capture it, the joy evident on the faces of our beneficiaries speaks volumes about the profound impact of our collaborative partnership.” 𝗪𝗛𝗬 𝗪𝗘 𝗜𝗡𝗩𝗘𝗦𝗧𝗘𝗗 💰 Place-based investment fund Advance California provided capital The Prep Institute needed to implement a $1 million contract with the County of San Diego, the first time that The Prep Institute is acting as the prime contractor rather than a supportive subcontractor. Natache shares, “The Mission Driven Finance™ loan is a blessing. It allows me to build a financial base and pursue this huge growth opportunity. The funding can help me grow the incubator.” #impactinvesting #placebasedinvesting #socialimpact #communityimpact #socialfinance #communityfinance

Thank you The San Diego Union-Tribune for publishing this opinion piece on affordable housing by San Diego Habitat for Humanity President & CEO Kwofi Reed and Mission Driven Finance® Chief Investment Officer Louie Nguyen, CFA—just in time for Habitat's home dedication for the new homeowners of the El Norte Parkway development, supported in part by our Homebuilding Investment Fund. "Why is affordable and attainable housing important for everyone? When middle- and lower-income workers like hospitality workers, nurses, firefighters, artists, musicians, and younger professionals don’t have to leave city centers to own homes, our communities are safer and more vibrant, not to mention employers have easier and better access to talent. "Affordable housing and homeownership can lead to better education and health outcomes — including mental health — and even improve civic engagement and reduce public spending on health care and social services. The National Low Income Housing Coalition states, 'increasing access to affordable housing bolsters economic growth.' "Building affordable housing can’t happen without major support from capital partners, however. By leveraging philanthropic investments and innovative financing solutions — like the GoATL Affordable Housing Fund in Atlanta (Community Foundation for Greater Atlanta) or LA4LA in Los Angeles (California Community Foundation) — we can break down barriers to homeownership and create pathways to economic empowerment. "In this spirit, nonprofit San Diego Habitat for Humanity and private impact asset management firm Mission Driven Finance® announced the launch of a second Homebuilding Investment Fund. This initiative, bolstered by philanthropic investments and a loan guarantee from the California Infrastructure and Economic Development Bank (IBank California), is designed to accelerate the construction of affordable homes in our region over the next five years — with homeownership in mind." 👉 https://lnkd.in/gF7PNXUp #affordablehousing #housing #impactinvesting #communityfinance #investinhousing

We have our next info session about this new lending program in New Mexico on 𝗧𝗵𝘂𝗿𝘀𝗱𝗮𝘆, 𝗔𝘂𝗴𝘂𝘀𝘁 𝟭𝟱 𝗮𝘁 𝟯 𝗽.𝗺. 𝗠𝗼𝘂𝗻𝘁𝗮𝗶𝗻. Join us! 👉 https://lnkd.in/gyv5RX8C 𝗠𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝗮𝗯𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝗔𝗱𝘃𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝗡𝗲𝘄 𝗠𝗲𝘅𝗶𝗰𝗼 👉 https://lnkd.in/g8Pmvw5N #smallbusiness #smallbizloans #newmexicosmallbusinesses #nonprofitfunding #impactloans #impactcapital #socialimpact #businessforgood