Who We Are
The Genesis Fund is a mission-driven nonprofit lending institution, known as a Community Development Financial Institution (CDFI). For 30 years, we’ve helped to connect communities in Maine and New Hampshire to $80 million in patient, flexible, risk-tolerant loan capital, financing over 300 housing and community facility projects. We’ve also supported hundreds of nonprofits with thousands of hours of specialized consulting, to turn their housing and community development ideas into reality.
Our Vision
We envision communities that are vibrant, resilient, and equitable places where people can thrive, feel connected to each other, and enjoy shared assets that benefit all. We envision communities that have sufficient resources allocated to affordable housing, child care, health care, and other social services. We believe these resources should create both a safety net as well as opportunities for people to overcome systemic barriers to prosperity and build wealth and stability for themselves and future generations.
2023 Goals
- Support community organizations responding to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic by helping to meet urgent needs for housing, shelter, child care, food security, and social services, and providing access to opportunities to build wealth and assets for people and communities that have been left behind by the mainstream economy.
- Provide $17 million in new loan capital to high-impact projects in Maine and New Hampshire, with a priority on responding to urgent needs: • increasing the supply of affordable housing • expanding child care and education capacity • improving food security • broadening access to substance use disorder treatment and support • preserving affordable rural housing
- Provide 2,000 hours of technical assistance services to community organizations to help advance critical housing and community development projects. Areas of focus include: • preserving affordable rural rental housing • increasing child care capacity • assisting developers of small-scale rental projects • collaborating with a variety of developers and entrepreneurs, with a focus on those led by, or benefitting, members of BIPOC communities • promoting innovative approaches to model projects addressing multiple community needs
Giving Opportunities
Contributions: Genesis Fund donations increase our flexible loan capital, helping to keep our loans affordable for nonprofit organizations seeking financing to develop their affordable housing or community facility project. Donations also support our ability to offer low- and no-cost technical assistance to organizations working to create and preserve affordable housing, add childcare slots, provide more shelter beds, expand food bank capacity and more. Donations can also be used to leverage additional funding through grant awards and investments, increasing our lending capacity and community impact several times over.
Investments: The Genesis Fund provides a unique opportunity for individuals and organizations to invest in community development projects here in Maine and beyond. See our ad (on facing page) for additional information.
