Supporting Our Communities
Below are some of the many non-profit organizations we support through our commitment of time, expertise, and financial support.
Allies for Community Business, formerly ACCION Chicago is Chicago's largest small business micro lender, providing the capital, coaching and other business services to small business owners lacking access to traditional sources of financing. First Eagle Bank has supported A4CB throughout the years by providing grants and referring clients. First Eagle Bank currently has an EQ2 investment, which provides long-term patient capital to A4CB. Brad McConnell, CEO, currently serves on First Eagle Bank’s CDFI Advisory Board. Andy Salk served as the organization’s Board Chair for two years and is currently a member of the Advisory Council.
Bridge Communities provides transitional housing and mentoring to homeless families that live and work in DuPage County, Illinois. The goal for each family is to achieve financial independence through building their education, employment, and budgeting skills. First Eagle Bank partners with Bridge to provide their clients with credit builder loans that help their trajectory toward improving their financial circumstances. Rose Wageman served on the Donor Committee and the Property and Grounds Committee.
Cara Collective helps people affected by poverty to get and keep quality jobs. They produce hundreds of jobs each year and help to maintain market-competitive businesses that create gateway jobs for those they serve to produce a profound social return on investment. Through Cara Collective, families become stronger, relationships are healed, and communities become more vibrant because nothing gives you a positive outlook on life like a job. Rich Heathfield serves as a career coach
The Chicago Citywide Literacy Coalition) works to help adult education organizations secure resources and training so that underserved adult learners can become economically successful, and reframes adult basic education as a critical public policy issue. They envision a city with empowered adult learners who can pursue their personal and professional goals, strengthen their families, communities and future generations. Gerardo Gallo currently sits on the Board of Directors.
Chicago Community Loan Fund (CCLF) provides flexible financing to non-profit and for-profit community development organizations for the revitalization of low- and moderate-income neighborhoods throughout metropolitan Chicago. CCLF is a federally certified Community Development Financial Institution (CDFI). In addition to its lending program, CCLF provides technical assistance to borrowers and non-borrowers. Lastly, CCLF is active in the public policy area. Over the years, First Eagle Bank has provided subordinated, below market debt to CCLF and currently has an EQ2 investment, a deeply subordinated loan that provides long term, patient capital to CCLF to be deployed into underserved communities. Bob Tucker, Chief Operating Officer, currently serves on First Eagle Bank’s CDFI Advisory Board.
Community Investment Corporation (CIC) is Chicago's largest nonprofit mortgage lender providing financing for the purchase and rehab of the multifamily apartment buildings in the six-county metropolitan region, concentrating on the underserved areas. Since 1993, First Eagle Bank has been an investor and has committed $3.0 million of capital to fund CIC loan pools. Andy Salk is Board Member of CIC. Jack Crane, Director of Lending, currently serves on First Eagle Bank’s CDFI Advisory Board.
Deborah's Place is a nonprofit organization that offers shelter, resources, and support to the homeless women of Chicago. Its mission is to provide resources to homeless women in order for them to transition from being homeless. Programs and services include permanent supportive housing and basic necessities. Deborah's Place has worked with over 4,000 women, delivering employment training, access to education, healthcare, case management, permanent, interim, and subsidized community-based housing. Rose Wageman served on the Board of Directors for 6 years and currently serves on the Emeritus Board and the Finance and Audit Committee.
DuPage Habitat for Humanity is a nonprofit organization working in partnership with families and their communities to provide affordable housing. Patrick Kaveney is on the Board of Directors.
Facing Forward to End Homelessness is a nonprofit organization with a mission to end homelessness for families and individuals by providing permanent housing, education, advocacy, and social services. First Eagle Bank has supported Facing Forward throughout the years with various grants. Faruk Daudbasic served on Facing Forward’s Board for many years. Additionally, Doug Bradshaw, Facing Forward’s Executive Director, currently serves on First Eagle Bank’s CDFI Advisory Board.
Greenwood Archer Capital (GAC), formerly Chicago Neighborhood Initiative Micro Finance Group, is a nonprofit CDFI that focuses on low to moderate income neighborhoods throughout Chicago and the surrounding suburbs. GAC reaches deeply into historically challenged communities to help small business owners grow and thrive. Brad Mayer serves on the Micro Finance Loan Committee.
www.greenwoodarchercapital.org
IFF provides below-market, long-term real estate loans to nonprofit corporations meeting the needs of low-income and special need populations. The corporation was founded in 1988 and achieved CDFI certification in 1995. It serves nonprofit organizations in Illinois, Iowa, Missouri, Wisconsin and more recently Michigan. IFF has three business units: below-market lending to nonprofit corporations, real estate consulting and development for nonprofit corporations, and research related to the nonprofit sector. To date, First Eagle Bank has committed over $2 million in funding in support of IFF’s mission. Vickie Lakes-Battles, IFF’s Executive Director for the Chicago Metro region, currently serves on First Eagle Bank’s CDFI Advisory Board.
Jewish Council on Urban Affairs pursues social and economic justice for Chicago's most vulnerable neighborhoods by promoting a vision of empowering communities from within. JCUA's Community Ventures Program funds affordable housing and economic development projects across Chicago. Since the loan fund was created in 1991, CVP has provided more than $7.2 million in zero-interest loans, which have created and preserved 4,700 units of affordable housing, including homeless shelters, SROs, rental units, co-ops, senior housing and single-family homes, and financed initiatives that have or will create more than 1,000 living wage-paying jobs in Chicago.
Neighborhood Housing Services of Chicago (NHS) is a nonprofit organization working in partnership with businesses, government, and neighborhood residents to revitalize Chicago's low to moderate-income neighborhoods. Formed in 1975, NHS is Chicago's largest neighborhood revitalization organization. First Eagle Bank has participated in NHS loan pools. Additionally, Andy Salk currently serves on the Board of Trustees and Faruk Daudbasic serves on the Board of Neighborhood Lending Services, a lending arm of NHS.
The People’s Community Development Association of Chicago (PCDAC) is a faith-based nonprofit organization formed in 1999 from the People’s Church of the Harvest. The mission of PCDAC is to “provide opportunities for returning citizens, at risk youth and economically disenfranchised residents of the Greater Westside Community of Chicago.” The organization strives to assist individuals in achieving self-sufficiency. PCDAC has three main objectives: to help previous offenders re-enter the workplace and their communities, offering programs for at-risk youth, and building and preserving safe affordable housing. To date, First Eagle Bank has provided grants to PCDAC to support its mission as well as a predevelopment loan for Phase II of Harvest Homes project, which will consist of 43 affordable rental units.
Revolution Workshop (RW) is a nonprofit social enterprise that provides construction and woodworking workforce development for unemployed or underemployed people in partnership with area businesses. Revolution Workshop, located in Chicago’s Garfield Park neighborhood, was founded in 2017 by skilled trades employers and workforce development leaders who saw the urgent need to reduce inequity in Chicago by providing training for residents in underserved communities; and to decrease the acute talent shortage in the construction sector by providing trained workers to skilled-trades employers. First Eagle Bank has partnered with RW to provide financial literacy classes to its program residents. Moreover, First Eagle Bank partnered with RW in an initiative to aid unemployed and underemployed residents, who are part of RW construction and woodworking workforce, with reliable transportation. Together, we have established a pilot program, the RWheels Program, allowing newly trained ‘graduates’ with loan opportunities to finance used cars.
Southwest Organizing Project (SWOP ) is a nonprofit organization whose mission is to build a broad-based organization of Christian, Muslim and Jewish faith institutions, local schools and other institutions in Southwest Chicago, which will enable families to exercise common values, determine their own future and connect with each other to improve life in their neighborhoods. SWOP has been instrumental in revitalizing the Southwest Side of Chicago. First Eagle Bank was proud to assist SWOP and its partner, Brinshore Development, with rehabbing several properties in the Gage Park and Chicago Lawn neighborhoods. This partnership further helped to improve the homes, schools, safety and pride in these communities.