Delivering Capital to Those Who Need It Most

Imagine this…A community-driven organization provides nearly 1.5 million loans to small businesses, all owned by low-income entrepreneurial women.

An independent local lender funds the development of affordable housing, educational opportunities, and access to food and healthcare in its community.

A national nonprofit with more than 30 years of experience advances supportive housing through policy advocacy and strategic community investment.
 

You don’t have to imagine it. All of these are real-world examples of the extraordinary work being done by community-led financing organizations across the nation. With a focus on supplying capital to communities that need it most, community finance is a critical tool in creating a more equitable and sustainable nation, supporting job creation, helping stabilize neighborhoods, and building long-term wealth that leads to stronger, more resilient neighborhoods, towns, and cities.

At Amalgamated Bank, supporting community-led finance is fundamental to our mission of using banking solutions to empower individuals and organizations to drive positive social change. $2.9 billion of our loans are considered high impact, focused mainly on climate protection and affordable housing.  One of the primary ways we support community-led finance is by providing loans to Community Development Financial Institutions (CDFIs) – community-focused organizations that use capital to support initiatives such as affordable housing, small business growth, and access to health care and other necessary facilities. Providing loans to CDFIs helps fuel economic resilience — as local borrowers repay loans, the CDFI reinvests that money back into the community, creating an engine of economic growth.

Amalgamated is proud to provide customized financial solutions to help CDFIs meet their goals. For example, at the end of 2025, we announced a $5 million loan to Finanta, a 33-year-old nonprofit CDFI expanding access to capital for affordable housing developers, healthy food providers in food deserts, community development projects, childcare and education providers, healthcare providers, and small businesses and entrepreneurs in Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and Delaware.

With decades of experience in community development finance, Johvanna Sampson recently joined Amalgamated as Director of Community Impact. In her role, Sampson is responsible for expanding the bank’s community finance strategy and, in turn, growing the impact. 

In this Q&A, Sampson shares how she hopes to build on existing community-led financing work, the importance of meaningful partnerships, and her goal to develop innovative solutions that help scale impact.

How do partnerships between financial institutions and community organizations increase the likelihood of project success and drive more effective outcomes? 
When financial institutions like Amalgamated work with community partners such as CDFIs, developers, and local organizations, the capital the Bank provides is paired with deep local knowledge, resulting in community-driven and community-focused solutions. Community partners bring invaluable insight into their neighborhoods’ needs and priorities, helping ensure that their capital truly reflects what communities want and need. In short, it gets dollars to the places the community needs most.

Many times, community partners also provide Technical Assistance (TA), capacity building, and early-stage or predevelopment funding, all of which can make or break a project. TA helps address challenges early in the process and creates clear pathways for projects to advance successfully, significantly reducing project and borrower risks.

Most community partners are doing valuable work with limited resources. By partnering with them, we can help bridge financing gaps, reduce barriers, and attract additional public and private capital. The collaboration strengthens the project’s viability, amplifies impact, and helps deliver long-term solutions for the communities they serve.

What role does Amalgamated hope to play in using community finance to foster economic opportunity and drive positive change in communities?
Through our work in community finance, the Bank seeks to serve as a catalyst for long-term community revitalization. In addition to providing capital, we aim to be a trusted partner working alongside community organizations and aligning resources with shared community goals. This reflects the Bank’s focus on building strong ecosystems that support sustained economic growth.

Would you share a favorite story from your work in this space? 
We recently provided financing to Grameen America in collaboration with other mission-driven investors. Our capital is expanding access to microloans for women entrepreneurs nationwide, with a particular focus on the San Francisco Bay Area. This capital supports women in building long-term wealth for their families. Grameen’s model pairs capital with Technical Assistance through financial education and peer support. Being able to partner with an organization committed to advancing equity and empowering women is incredibly rewarding.

What initiatives are you most excited to develop in the coming year? 
My goal is to help position the Bank as a go-to partner in the community finance sector. I’m looking forward to both deepening partner relationships and collaborating internally to develop innovative solutions to help scale community impact and drive capital into underserved communities. I believe by working with industry leaders and thought partners, we will be able to scale impact more efficiently and get capital out the door more quickly. I also aim to work with local municipalities to understand specific community needs and leverage capital in conjunction with local funding to address critical issues such as increasing housing units and expanding access to healthcare and education. Finally, I am excited by the opportunity to expand the Bank’s product offerings to support community development projects in the earlier stage.
 

Contact Johvanna to learn more or to discuss how we could help scale your mission.