Partners for the Common Good (Partners) is a national Community Development Financial Institutions (CDFI) intermediary that aligns private capital with local expertise to fund projects that mainstream lenders overlook. Our loan products let mission-driven borrowers secure timely, right-sized financing, while keeping borrowing costs predictable.
Our community loan products
Affordable Housing:
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Pre-development, acquisition, construction, and mini-perm financing to bridge funding gaps and keep buildings on schedule.
Community Facility Loans:
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Flexible capital for health, education, and social-service centers to expand essential services.
Commercial Real Estate:
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Acquisition and rehab loans to catalyze mission-focused initiatives and enterprises.
Our loan products typically range from $500K – $6M and are often paired with complex capital stacks.
Standard terms & community loan interest rates
Loan Term:
1-5 years; extensions considered on a case-by-case-basis
Loan-to-Value (LTV):
Up to 90%; higher ratios considered case-by-case
Repayment:
Monthly or quarterly interest-only; principal due at maturity. Longer-term debt amortizes, usually up to 20 years
Collateral:
Required, subject to availability and underwriting
Origination Fee:
Negotiable, typically 1.0% or higher
EJP Fund: extra flexibility for CDFIs
Through the Economic Justice Partnership Fund (EJP Fund), Partners makes loans up to $6 M. Its syndicated loans make capital available to smaller CDFIs tackling affordable-housing and facility projects nationwide.
International community development loans
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Zanele Mkokeli, supervisor at Rietkloof Farm — a grape and citrus-growing worker cooperative invested in by Shared Interest.
Since launching in 2001, Partners has reserved a small portion of its portfolio for international development loans that:
- Fuel mission-focused enterprise growth. We lend to microfinance and sustainable development organizations.
- Broaden access to capital for economically vulnerable borrowers. These funds help recipients build income stability, pursue education, and improve household health.
- Strengthen fair-trade markets. We finance fair-trade cooperatives and supply-chain intermediaries that secure living wages for producers while connecting them to global buyers.
- Pilot innovative financing vehicles. Partners backs blended-finance funds and other creative mechanisms that expand the pool of capital available to the microfinance and sustainable development sectors.
By coupling our expertise with trusted partners, we enable investors to achieve far-reaching impact in emerging markets, while applying the same disciplined underwriting that guides our U.S. portfolio.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why borrow from a CDFI lender like Partners?
CDFIs combine mission and market discipline. Partners channels private capital into projects that mainstream lenders often overlook, offering flexible terms, competitive rates, and hands-on guidance that help borrowers close financing gaps and deliver lasting community benefits.
Who qualifies for Partners’s CDFI loan products?
Eligible applicants include U.S.-based nonprofits, affordable-housing and community-facility developers, mission-driven commercial real estate enterprises, and select international non-governmental organizations that advance poverty alleviation.
How long does Partners’s loan-approval process take?
After we receive complete documentation, our team typically issues a commitment within two weeks and closes most transactions in 45–60 days.
Learn more about our lending partners
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States served:
Pennsylvania
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