Beyond Capital: Capital, Capacity, and the CDFI Role in Church-Owned Property Redevelopment
About This
Event
Join Hope Community Capital for a timely panel conversation on how Community Development Financial Institutions (CDFIs) are supporting the redevelopment of church-owned properties to advance community impact, from affordable housing for vulnerable populations to social services and community spaces.
As congregations explore new ways to steward their real estate assets, CDFIs are playing a critical role in providing capital, strategy, and partnership models that align mission with development.
Our panelists will have a practical and candid discussion around questions such as:
- What are you seeing nationally in church-owned property redevelopment?
- What are the biggest barriers to successful projects?
- Is access to capital really the primary challenge?
- What role can CDFI financing play in church property redevelopment?
- What role should CDFIs play beyond simply providing loans?
- What products, partnerships, and technical assistance models are still missing?
- What would it take to scale this work responsibly and effectively?
Whether you’re just beginning to explore possibilities or actively planning a project, this session will provide practical insights grounded in community impact.
The webinar is intended for: faith-based leaders and church administrators; community development professionals; nonprofit leaders; impact investors; other CDFIs or community development lenders looking to get involved in this space, and developers interested in mission-aligned projects.
Carrie leads the firm’s strategic initiatives with a mission to support equitable, mission-aligned development across the country, particularly in the areas of affordable housing and community facilities. Carrie has been integral to the closing of over $1 billion in New Markets Tax Credit (NMTC) transactions nationwide, with a specialization in structuring financing for community-serving real estate projects.
The Reverend Dr. Patrick Duggan is an authorized minister in the United Church of Christ and has served since 2012 as Chief Divisional Operating Officer of the UCC Church Building and Loan Fund (CB&LF), one of the nation’s oldest church building societies, founded in 1853. Under his leadership, CB&LF has advanced innovative, mission-focused initiatives, including the denomination’s first impact investment policy, the launch of the Adese Fellowship for emerging spiritual entrepreneurs, and the creation of Amistad Redevelopment Corporation (ARC), a certified Community Development Financial Institution supporting affordable housing and community development through church-owned real estate.
Dr. Duggan brings 28 years of pastoral experience and has taught at the seminary level. He was the executive producer of the award-winning documentary It Takes a Village and describes his work as a mission to help churches live into God’s economy by reimagining their assets for lasting social impact. Dr. Duggan asserts that he is “on a mission to enable church leaders and congregations to live into God’s economy”. This thinking guides CB&LF’s work at the leading edge of American Christianity, namely, helping faith-based organizations to reimagine, redevelop and re-deploy their real estate assets to have continuing social impact and remain 100% mission-focused in the 21st century and beyond.
A native New Yorker now residing in North Carolina, he holds a B.A. from Harvard University and both an M.Div. and D.Min. from New York Theological Seminary.
Mabel Alvarez is the Director of Investor Relations and Impact Investment Services at Nonprofit Finance Fund (NFF), where she builds and manages partnerships with mission-driven investors that are dedicated to advancing community wealth and well-being. In her role, she also oversees the development, implementation, and management of over $100 million in community-centered funds, working alongside nonprofit and philanthropic partners to help move financial resources where they can make the greatest impact.
Mabel brings over a decade of experience in social impact work, including her time at EL Education, where she led multi-year strategic initiatives supporting school districts across the country. She holds a Bachelor of Science in marketing and management from The Pennsylvania State University and a Master of Business Administration with a concentration in business analytics from Montclair State University.