Check Out Our Member Stories

Supporting small businesses nationwide

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Learn More About Our Focus Areas

Making an impact through commercial loan opportunities

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Get to Know Self-Help

Explore why we do what we do

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Read Our Annual Report

See the numbers of how we supported our communities

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Connect with Our Team

Invest in the Self-Help mission and support local communities

Reach Out
Check Out Our Member Stories

Supporting small businesses nationwide

Read More
Read Our Annual Report

See the numbers of how we supported our communities

Learn More
Invest in What We Do

Connect with our team to see how you can be a part of the mission

Reach Out

Grants

Further your institution's vision

From the affordable housing crisis to the widening wealth gap, the need for economic justice is clearer than ever. 

We welcome connections with funders interested in supporting our mission.

Expand affordable housing
Broaden access to homeownership
Foster equitable access to resources
Support valuable community services
Invest in economic opportunity for all.

We welcome discussion about how our funding priorities might align with yours. Together, we can create a more equitable world.

Invest in economic opportunity for all.

We welcome discussion about how our funding priorities might align with yours. Together, we can create a more equitable world.

Expand affordable housing
Broaden access to homeownership
Foster equitable access to resources
Support valuable community services
Grant structure

Most often, grants to Self-Help are made to the Center for Community Self-Help. Grants to the Center support impact across Self-Help institutions, including our credit unions and Self-Help Ventures Fund. 

Self-Help's grant funders include foundations, federal and local government entities, corporate philanthropic interests, and other institutional partners 

Preferred funding structures include:

  • Flexible risk capital for pilot programs
  • Capital grants or long-term, low-cost/no-cost loans to fill capital gaps in real estate development projects
  • Ongoing subsidy and operating grants for high-impact programs
  • Grants to support policy research, coalition-building, and community organizing
How we use grant funds

Our approach to change is to listen, serve, innovate, replicate and advocate. 

Grants help us pilot innovative solutions as we work to design products, programs and partnerships that can scale across Self-Help and beyond. Grants also help us fill gaps in community-focused real estate development projects and provide ongoing subsidy for specialized lending products.

Key programs

Grants to Self-Help expand ownership and economic opportunity for all. Key initiatives that benefit from grant support include:

Our impact

Thanks to our funders, members, and partners, Self-Help has had enormous impact over the last 40+ years. Our total impact since 1980 includes:

$12.4 billion in financing provided
82% low-income borrowers
86,000 childcare or school spaces created
25,000 jobs created
2,700 affordable housing spaces created
70,000 home loans facilitated

The Reclaiming Chicago Communities initiative is breathing new life into Chicago neighborhoods impacted by disinvestment.

The Reclaiming Chicago Communities initiative is breathing new life into Chicago neighborhoods impacted by disinvestment. This impactful project is just one example of the difference grant funds can make when paired with deep partnerships.

The power of subsidy and community

The power of subsidy and community

Connect with our team.

We can share more details on financials, impact, and current initiatives to help you determine whether we might be a good fit for your funding priorities.