One of the pressing challenges communities are facing in our region is the lack of affordable housing. Impact investing can provide an opportunity for community foundations to address this issue by directing capital into projects that provide both social and financial returns. This program will explore what ways community foundations can effectively utilize impact investing to support affordable housing initiatives, overcome common challenges, and collaborate with organizations like NeighborWorks to amplify their impact.

On this call, we will:

• Discuss insights from other community foundations that have successfully engaged in impact investing for affordable housing.
• Learn how to leverage partnerships to enhance investment capabilities and project outcomes.
• Explore strategies for overcoming the technical and financial barriers associated with impact investing in affordable housing.
• Identify resources and tools to help navigate the complexities of these investments, especially for smaller community foundations.

Speakers

Rosalie Sheehy Cates, Senior Advisor, The Giving Practice at Philanthropy Northwest

Rosalie Sheehy Cates combines respect for the fiduciary role with a curious and generative approach to strategy and investing. Rosalie has helped boards investigate new strategies, make decisions and craft policies and procedures. She also trains and mentors foundation staff and investment committees, often by working through investing transactions hands-on. Rosalie has written two investment-focused reports on diversity, equity and inclusion in foundations and she works closely with foundation collaboratives, particularly around sustainability issues.

Rosalie was CEO of a $45 million nonprofit loan fund in Montana for 14 years. She lived in Wisconsin during the 1980s, where she was an organizer for family farms and sustainable agriculture and helped with her family’s small cattle operation.

 

Larry Phillips, Real Estate Lending Director, NeighborWorks Montana

Larry Phillips is the real estate lending director at NeighborWorks Montana (NWMT). He works in the real estate development and acquisition program, underwriting and closing loans to support multifamily affordable developments in the state. Larry also works in compliance, managing reports for NWMT's various grantors.

Larry holds a bachelor's in accounting from the University of Great Falls as well as a housing development finance professional certificate from the National Development Council. Larry started at NeighborWorks Montana in 2015 as an accounting intern and was hired at the end of his internship as the accounting and payroll specialist.

 

 

Marcus Warolin, Controller, Whatcom Community Foundation

Bio coming soon.
 

 

 

 

Accessibility

Philanthropy Northwest strives to make our events accessible to everyone. On these calls, we offer closed captioning. If you require an accommodation or service to fully participate, please contact Mares Asfaha.

 

Please contact Mares Asfaha with any questions.