We have had a strong year in our lending work, where many of our newest initiatives gained momentum and had tremendous impact in the communities we serve. As witnessed in our 2016 Annual Report, we delivered $118 million in financing through our core lending work that supported community-based health care, high-performing charter schools, innovative approaches to services for seniors, mixed-income housing and access to fresh, healthy foods.
Capital Impact Partners ended 2016 in an extremely strong financial position with unrestricted net assets increasing by $2.4 million. As illustrated in our 2016 Annual Report, our loan portfolio grew by $26 million or 15%, and total assets grew by $42 million or 15%.
As a mission-driven lender, Capital Impact Partners collaborates with a wide range of public, private and philanthropic organizations that invest in our efforts to transform underserved communities into vibrant places of opportunity. These partners—and the financial support they provide—are indispensable. Quite simply, our work would not be possible without them.
On Sunday, January 22, the Capital Impact family lost a dear friend and colleague, Brad Frost. He will be remembered as an individual of integrity, thoughtfulness, sharp wit, and dedication. Brad wore his passion for Detroit on his sleeve and was an unceasing supporter, critic and advocate for the city and all its residents.
As I close out my first year as Capital Impact Partners’ president and CEO, I find myself incredibly humbled and inspired to be part of a movement that is focused on improving the lives of those in communities across this country.
While we continue to make meaningful progress, the results of our Presidential election highlighted incredibly important issues. Individuals across this country – on both sides of the political aisle – made clear their feelings of disenfranchisement. These concerns about equity, opportunity, and access to quality social services touch all of us.
It is certainly a sentiment we share, and one that we’ve been working to address for the past three decades. Yet, as the political landscape changes and policies evolve, we must continue to challenge ourselves to find new ways to push farther and go deeper.
California may be an agricultural center of the nation, but more than one million Californians live in neighborhoods without easy access to a full service grocery store. This lack of access to fresh foods can lead to poor health outcomes and diet-related diseases, including diabetes, heart disease, and obesity. Communities of color are disproportionately affected. Capital Impact Partners has worked for years to address this issue, and to help more communities get access to grocery stores or mobile markets.
A child’s access to education is the stepping stone to a lifetime of successes. Limited or inadequate access can put a child on a path toward a lifetime of struggle. In some communities, access to stellar facilities and a first-rate education is a given. In other communities, it’s a daily struggle against many factors: poverty, crumbling buildings, crime, and lack of resources among them. A community can want its children to have access to a first class education, but without the financial means to build and maintain schools, many places struggle to provide even adequate school facilities.
By Jason Anderson, Senior Director of Marketing & Communications
At Capital Impact Partners, we think about our efforts around affordable housing, healthy communities and inclusive growth in terms of both the past and the future. It is critical for us to understand the past when we think about how we develop projects and policies, who is at the table and what our level of intention is with each project we undertake.
By Candace Baldwin, Director of Strategy, Aging in Community
Wouldn’t we all like to age in our homes and communities, surrounded by what is familiar, supported by a health care team that really understands who we are and how to serve us as individuals with unique needs? This kind of age-friendly health system has generally been an anomaly in the United States, particularly for low-income, older patients. Coupled with the fact that 90 percent of older adults want to age in their own homes, integrated care models are best supported at the community level.