At a glance
From its website, read 29 Oct 2026Chicago Community Loan Fund, The is a loan fund based in Chicago, Illinois. Its website describes commercial real estate loans, affordable housing development loans and nonprofit facility loans. Where it lends: Six-county Chicago metro (Cook, DuPage, Kane, Lake, McHenry, Will).
Each point is backed by a quote further down this page. Terms change: confirm with the lender.
How to reach them and apply
| Main | (312) 252-0440 source |
|---|---|
| Website | www.cclfchicago.org |
| Office (official list) | 29 East Madison Street, Suite 1700, Chicago, IL 60602 |
What their website says about applying
Begin by completing a loan inquiry form on CCLF’s website. After submission, you’ll consult with a loan officer to discuss your project in detail.
sourceNo. Before submitting an application, you must discuss your project with CCLF’s lending team.
sourceNo, all applications require a non-refundable application fee: $250 for nonprofit organizations and $350 for for-profit entities.
source
Phone numbers and addresses are the ones on the lender's own site and the CDFI Fund list. CDFI Atlas does not take applications.
Rates and terms they state
Read 29 Oct 2026| Loan | Stated | Text on the lender's site (verbatim) | Page |
|---|---|---|---|
| Loans (general) | Rate stated, not as an APR: see their wording | INTEREST RATE: 6-9% | source |
| Loans (general) | Rate stated, not as an APR: see their wording | INTEREST RATE: 7-9% | source |
| Loans (general) | Rate stated, not as an APR: see their wording | INTEREST RATE: 8-9% | source |
As published on the lender's website on that date, not an offer or a quote. Your rate depends on the lender's review. A missing rate means the pages we read did not state one. For consumer loans we repeat a rate only when the lender states it as an APR (annual percentage rate, which includes fees); otherwise read the lender's own wording and ask for the APR.
Who qualifies, in their words
- Income limit applies
Income of end-users must not exceed 120% of Area Median Income (AMI).
source - Training or counseling required
OTHER: Applicant must accept CCLF technical assistance where applicable
source
Only rules the lender's own pages state. Other requirements may apply.
Official record
CDFI Fund list, 21 Oct 2026| Institution type | Loan fund |
|---|---|
| Native CDFI | No |
| Date certified (as listed) | 9 Jul 2026 |
| RSSD ID | — (none listed) |
| Address | 29 East Madison Street, Suite 1700, Chicago, IL 60602 Directions (Google Maps) |
| Website | www.cclfchicago.org |
Head officeBranch or officeApproximate (ZIP code area)
Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors, © OpenMapTiles, tiles OpenFreeMap. Head-office points: U.S. Census Bureau geocoder.
Loans and eligibility
Verified from lender site on 29 Oct 2026Read from 6 pages of the lender's website on 29 Oct 2026. Quotes are verbatim. Reviewed by a person (Oct 2026). Items added later were extracted with AI help and checked automatically against the pages listed below. Confidence: high. Terms change — confirm with the lender before applying.
| Product | Amount stated | Text on the lender's site (verbatim, incl. menu labels) | Page |
|---|---|---|---|
| Commercial real estate loans | — | CCLF provides low-cost financing for commercial real estate development in low- to moderate-income neighborhoods. Developers with current or future tenants offering access to quality goods and services such as healthy f… | source |
| Affordable housing development loans | — | Types of Housing Loans Predevelopment Loans | source |
| Nonprofit / community facility loans | — | CCLF offers loans to nonprofit organization in need of facility repairs, expansion and other real estate development needs. | source |
Loan sizes
No amounts stated on the pages we read.
Service area
Six-county Chicago metro (Cook, DuPage, Kane, Lake, McHenry, Will)
Project must be located in the six-county (Cook, DuPage, Kane, Lake, McHenry, Will) Chicago metropolitan area
source
Counties this matches: Cook County, IL, DuPage County, IL, Kane County, IL, Lake County, IL, McHenry County, IL, Will County, IL
Borrower focus
- Low- and moderate-income / underserved
Welcome The mission of the Chicago Community Loan Fund is to provide flexible, affordable and responsible financing and technical assistance for community stabilization and development efforts and initiatives that benef…
source - Nonprofits
Do I Quality for a CCLF Loan? We loan to for-profit and nonprofit organizations in the Chicago area. If your organization fits the below criteria, you may be eligible for a loan. Don’t meet the criteria below? Our
source
Languages
- No non-English service found on the pages we read.
Online application
No online application link found on the pages we read.
Questions to ask when you contact them
Based on what their website said when we read it on 29 Oct 2026, and what it left out. Something missing here does not mean they don't offer it: ask.
- What are the smallest and the largest loans you make?
No loan amounts are stated on their website. - Do you need collateral, a business plan or a minimum time in business?
Their website does not say what they require. - How long can I take to repay?
No repayment terms are stated on their website. - Can I apply online, or do I need to call or visit?
We found no online application on their website. - What documents will you need from me, and how long does a decision usually take?
Their website describes some application steps (above); ask for the full document list.
Write down the answers, who you spoke to and the date, and ask for the terms in writing before you sign.
CDFI Fund awards
CDFI Fund database, 3 Nov 2026$25.2 million in 22 awards from the U.S. Treasury's CDFI Fund, 1998–2024 (4 programs).
| Round year | Program | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| 2024 | CDFI Program, Financial Assistance | $625,000 |
| 2022 | CDFI Equitable Recovery Program | $4,709,794 |
| 2022 | CDFI Program, Financial Assistance | $510,000 |
| 2021 | CDFI Rapid Response Program | $1,826,265 |
| 2020 | CDFI Program, Financial Assistance | $557,000 |
| 2018 | CDFI Program, Financial Assistance | $700,000 |
| 2017 | CDFI Program, Financial Assistance | $866,500 |
| 2016 | CDFI Program, Financial Assistance | $1,750,000 |
| 2015 | CDFI Program, Financial Assistance | $2,000,000 |
| 2014 | CDFI Program, Financial Assistance | $1,250,000 |
| 2012 | CDFI Program, Financial Assistance | $3,000,000 |
| 2011 | CDFI Program, Financial Assistance | $1,500,000 |
| 2010 | CDFI Program, Financial Assistance | $750,000 |
| 2008 | CDFI Program, Financial Assistance | $943,395 |
| 2007 | CDFI Program, Financial Assistance | $585,060 |
| 2006 | CDFI Program, Financial Assistance | $585,000 |
| 2004 | CDFI Program, Financial Assistance | $1,000,000 |
| 2004 | CDFI Program, Technical Assistance | $50,447 |
| 2002 | CDFI Program, Financial Assistance | $800,000 |
| 2000 | CDFI Program, Financial Assistance | $1,150,000 |
| 2000 | CDFI Program, Technical Assistance | $30,000 |
| 1998 | CDFI Program, Technical Assistance | $38,000 |
New Markets Tax Credit allocations
$15 million in 1 allocation. An NMTC allocation is the authority to offer investors federal tax credits for community investments; it is not cash paid to the lender and is not counted in the award total above.
| Round year | Program | Allocation |
|---|---|---|
| 2014 | New Markets Tax Credit allocation | $15,000,000 |
These are awards and investments made to the institution itself to build its capital and capacity. They are not loans to borrowers, and an award does not mean the lender has money available for a particular loan today.
Source: CDFI Fund Searchable Awards Database, all 12,628 award records (1996–2025), read 3 Nov 2026. Years are the award round as the database lists it. Matched to the official CDFI list by exact name and state; see the method on the About page.
Size of the fund (IRS Form 990)
Fiscal year ending Dec 2023| Total assets | $180M |
|---|---|
| Total liabilities | $127.4M |
| Net assets | $52.6M |
| Total revenue | $15.7M |
| Notes and loans receivable, net (Part X line 7) | $122.4M |
| Program-related investments (Part X line 13) | $56,584 |
End-of-year figures from the Form 990 this organisation filed with the IRS for the fiscal year ending December 2023 (tax year 2023; EIN 36-3762123, filed as “CHICAGO COMMUNITY LOAN FUND”), taken from the IRS Annual Extract of Tax-Exempt Organization Financial Data (returns processed in 2024). Figures are self-reported to the IRS, not audited by us, and lag one to two years behind today. The lender’s own annual report may show newer numbers. This organisation’s filings on ProPublica Nonprofit Explorer
Filings over time
| Fiscal year ending | Total assets | Net assets | Revenue | Notes and loans receivable |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dec 2021 (990) | $136.7M | $41.9M | $16.9M | $84.8M |
| Dec 2022 (990) | $158.9M | $46.7M | $14.6M | $103.7M |
| Dec 2023 (990) | $180M | $52.6M | $15.7M | $122.4M |
Total assets grew 32% from Dec 2021 to Dec 2023; notes and loans receivable rose 44%. One row per fiscal year in the IRS extracts of returns processed in 2022, 2023, 2024; “—” = the line was empty or zero on that return (a fund can book its loans on other lines).
How it compares
Computed from public data| Measure | This lender | Compared with |
|---|---|---|
| Total assets, latest IRS Form 990 | $180M | Larger than 75% of the 8 other certified loan funds and venture funds in Illinois with a matched Form 990 (median $29.8M). |
How these comparisons were worked out
| Measure | Peer group (this lender left out) | Peers | Where this lender sits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Form 990 total assets | certified loan and venture funds with a Form 990, in Illinois | 8 | larger than 75% |
“Larger than X%” = the share of the peer group with a smaller value. Ranks count from the largest. Peer groups use the lender's home state when it has at least 5 peers, otherwise the whole country. Full definitions: methodology.
For comparison, not an offer and not a rating. Past records show what this lender did, not what you would be offered. Peer groups and sources: methodology. Form 990 figures: IRS annual extracts (see the Form 990 section).
Other certified CDFIs in Chicago and Illinois
- Allies for Community Business, Inc.Loan fund · Chicago, ILSmall-business loansVerified
- Berean Credit UnionCredit union · Chicago, ILOfficial list only
- C3 Impact Fund, LLCVenture capital fund · Chicago, ILOfficial list only
- Cinnaire Lending CorporationLoan fund · Chicago, ILAffordable housing development loans, Nonprofit / community facility loansVerified
- Community Investment CorporationLoan fund · Chicago, ILCommercial real estate loans, Energy / solar / efficiency loans, Affordable housing development loansVerified
- Fellowship Baptist Church Credit Union IncCredit union · Chicago, ILOfficial list only
- First Eagle BancsharesBank holding company · Chicago, ILAuto / vehicle loans, Commercial real estate loans, Credit-builder loans, Equipment loans…Verified
- First Eagle BankBank or thrift · Chicago, ILAuto / vehicle loans, Commercial real estate loans, Credit-builder loans, Equipment loans…Verified
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