Reinvestment Fund Inc

Quick Stats

Annual Grant Giving: $51,306,065 (2023, total programme expenses per 990 filing)
Total Investment: $178 million across 36 states (2023)
Grant Range: $4,000 - $250,000 (varies by programme)
Geographic Focus: National, with concentrated programmes in Philadelphia and Southeast U.S.
Founded: 1985
Total Assets Deployed Since Inception: Over $3.5 billion

Contact Details

Headquarters:
1700 Market Street, 19th Floor
Philadelphia, PA 19103-3904

Phone:

General enquiries: 215.574.5800
Investing enquiries: 215.574.5819
Media enquiries: 215.574.5893

Email:

Website: https://www.reinvestment.com/

Regional Office: Atlanta, GA

Overview

Founded in 1985 as the Delaware Valley Community Reinvestment Fund, Reinvestment Fund has grown into a national leader in community finance and policy analysis. As a federally certified Community Development Financial Institution (CDFI), the organisation operates with a mission to make communities work for all people by ensuring access to essential opportunities including affordable housing, nutritious food, healthcare, quality education, and local businesses.

Reinvestment Fund distinguishes itself by integrating three core competencies: financing, policy solutions, and grant programmes. With a team of over 80 financial experts and research analysts, the organisation has deployed over $3.5 billion in financing since its inception. In 2023 alone, Reinvestment Fund invested $178 million across 36 states. The organisation also operates PolicyMap, an online mapping platform providing demographic, real estate, health, and employment data to thousands of organisations nationwide.

Note on Financial Reporting: Reinvestment Fund's 990 filing reports total functional expenses of $51,306,065 for 2023. The organisation internally reports $15,057,654 in grants distributed across 159 awards. The discrepancy reflects the organisation's integrated model combining direct grants with lending programmes, technical assistance, and programme operations expenses.

Funding Priorities

Grant Programmes

1. Philadelphia Food Justice Initiative (PFJI)

Grant Range: $18,450 - $50,000 (recent round)
Recent Awards: $549,463 distributed to 14 organisations
Total Since 2019: Nearly $2.4 million to approximately 40 grantees
Application: Rolling basis; applicants must join mailing list for next funding cycle notification
Contact: phillyfoodjustice@reinvestment.com

2. Philadelphia Child Nutrition Fund (PHL-CNF)

Grant Range: Varies by provider type and need
Recent Awards: $168,000 to 8 childcare centres (recent round); $400,000 to 160 providers (earlier round)
Application: Periodic rounds; contact Jacob Kurtz at jacob.kurtz@reinvestment.com
Focus: Supporting CACFP (Child and Adult Care Food Programme) participation

3. Southeast Food Forward

Grant Range: $50,000 - $80,000
Total Available: $946,000 in grants plus $40,000 in Technical Assistance awards (up to $10,000 each)
Application Deadline: Typically opens in spring
Application Method: SmartSimple online portal
Geographic Eligibility: Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina

4. America's Healthy Food Financing Initiative (HFFI) - FARE Fund

Grant Range: Up to $250,000 for implementation; up to $100,000 for planning/predevelopment
Total Available: $60 million over 5 years (grants, loans, and technical assistance combined)
Current Round: $9 million+ in implementation grants; $1.5 million+ in technical assistance
Application Deadline: Two-phase process with Funding Enquiry Forms accepted on rolling basis; full applications due 45 days after invitation
Application Method: Two-phase process (Funding Enquiry Form, then full application)
Contact: help@investinginfood.com
Website: www.investinginfood.com

5. New Jersey Innovative Healthy Food Retail Initiative

Co-administered with The Food Trust
Funded by Robert Wood Johnson Foundation
Targets low-income, underserved communities in New Jersey

Priority Areas

Reinvestment Fund prioritises projects that:

Advance Equity: Special consideration for organisations led by Black, Indigenous, and People of Colour (BIPOC), immigrants, people living with disabilities, and those with lived experience of health injustice
Support Food Justice: Urban agriculture, cultural culinary heritage, startup food enterprises, equitable food systems, and community-driven food access solutions
Strengthen Early Childhood Education: Expanding access to nutritious meals for children through federal nutrition programmes
Promote Organisational Diversity: Minority and/or woman-owned and -led businesses
Ensure Job Quality: Living wage payment, health insurance, paid sick leave, career building opportunities, and wealth building benefits (e.g., ESOPs)
Advance Environmental Sustainability: Energy-efficient building practices, clean energy use, and brownfield remediation
Serve Underserved Communities: Projects located in low-income areas with limited access to essential services

Additional Focus Areas for Lending:

Climate & Sustainability
Commercial Real Estate
Equitable Food Systems
Health Services
Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs)
Housing (affordable)
K-12 Education
Arts and Culture

What They Don't Fund

Whilst specific exclusions are not extensively documented, Reinvestment Fund does not generally provide:

Working capital loans for small businesses (unless as part of a real estate loan request)
Grants or loans to individuals (organisational applicants only for most programmes)
Projects outside their geographic eligibility criteria
Projects in areas with tobacco use (PFJI requires tobacco-free commitments)

Governance and Leadership

President and CEO: Donald Hinkle-Brown

Donald Hinkle-Brown leads Reinvestment Fund's team of 80+ financial experts and research analysts. He holds an M.B.A. from Fox School at Temple University (Real Estate and Urban Planning) and a B.A. in Economics.

Under his leadership, Reinvestment Fund has:

Launched ReFresh, the nation's first practitioner network of community lenders focused on healthy food access
Developed Invest Health, a multi-sector initiative with Robert Wood Johnson Foundation
Pioneered the Pennsylvania Fresh Food Financing Initiative and served as architect for state replications and the federal Healthy Food Financing Initiative

Hinkle-Brown currently serves as Chair of the Community Advisory Council for the Federal Reserve Board and holds adjunct faculty positions at Temple University's Geography and Urban Studies programme and University of Pennsylvania's City Planning department.

Leadership Philosophy:
Hinkle-Brown emphasises "building the capacity of peer organisations, community partners, and the next generation of community development professionals" through data integration, policy analysis, and strategic investments that enhance quality of life in economically disadvantaged communities.

Application Process & Timeline

How to Apply

For Grant Programmes:

Philadelphia Food Justice Initiative: Currently not accepting applications; join mailing list at phillyfoodjustice@reinvestment.com for notification of next funding cycle
Southeast Food Forward: Submit application through SmartSimple online portal. Applications typically open in spring. One application per organisation. Contact information and account creation required at reinvestment.com/grants/southeast-food-forward/
HFFI FARE Fund: Two-phase process
- Phase 1: Submit Funding Enquiry Form (accepted on rolling basis)
- Phase 2: Full application due 45 days after invitation (by invitation only)
- Loans and technical assistance accepted on rolling basis
- Informational webinars offered to potential applicants
Philadelphia Child Nutrition Fund: Contact Jacob Kurtz at jacob.kurtz@reinvestment.com for current application status and requirements
Montgomery County ECE Facility Loan Programme: Apply through SmartSimple; email MCLoans4ECE@reinvestment.com for assistance

General Application Guidance:

Most grant programmes use SmartSimple online portal (free account creation required)
Contact programme-specific email addresses for detailed application requirements
General enquiries: 215.574.5800 or info@reinvestment.com

Decision Timeline

Decision timelines vary by programme and are not publicly specified for most grant programmes. The HFFI FARE Fund indicates full applications are due 45 days after Funding Enquiry Form review and invitation, suggesting a multi-month process from initial enquiry to award decision.

Applicants should contact specific programmes for estimated timelines:

PFJI: phillyfoodjustice@reinvestment.com
Southeast Food Forward: Check reinvestment.com for updates
HFFI: help@investinginfood.com
PHL-CNF: jacob.kurtz@reinvestment.com

Success Rates

Specific success rates are not publicly documented. However, a recent Philadelphia Food Justice Initiative round awarded grants to 14 organisations out of an undisclosed number of applicants.

Reapplication Policy

Reapplication policies are not specifically documented. Given the rolling and cyclical nature of their programmes, organisations not selected in one round may apply in subsequent cycles. Contact programme administrators for specific guidance on reapplication.

Application Success Factors

Reinvestment Fund's Documented Priorities:

Equity and Inclusion Focus: Reinvestment Fund explicitly prioritises BIPOC-led organisations. In 2022, 47% of loan originations ($117.8 million) went to BIPOC-owned or -led organisations, and more than half of NMTC projects were led by women or people of colour. Grant programmes like PFJI prioritise organisations "led by Black, Indigenous, and People of Colour, immigrants and people living with disabilities, and those with lived experience with health injustice."
Community-Driven Approaches: Successful applications demonstrate community-led work and business models. For Philadelphia Food Justice Initiative, this means "community-led work that contributes to an equitable and sustainable local food system." For Southeast Food Forward, it means "community-driven food enterprise business models."
Data-Informed Proposals: As an organisation that emphasises using "data to understand markets, communities, and impediments to opportunity," Reinvestment Fund values applications that demonstrate evidence-based approaches and clear understanding of community needs.
Organisational Capacity and Quality Metrics: The organisation evaluates job quality measures including living wage payment, health insurance, paid sick leave, career building opportunities, and wealth building benefits. They also consider organisational commitment to environmental sustainability.
Mission Alignment: Projects must align with Reinvestment Fund's core mission of ensuring access to essential opportunities: affordable housing, nutritious food, healthcare, quality schools, and businesses supporting family-sustaining wages.
Technical Assistance Readiness: Many programmes offer free coaching and technical assistance. Successful applicants demonstrate willingness to engage with capacity-building support and implement strategic guidance for long-term success.

Programme-Specific Success Factors:

PFJI: To date, 25 of 27 grantees have been BIPOC-owned or -led, and 18 have been owned or led by women, demonstrating the programme's commitment to equity-focused grantmaking
PHL-CNF: Success requires demonstrated commitment to federal CACFP programme participation and ability to serve nutritious meals to children in Philadelphia
HFFI FARE Fund: Projects must be located in eligible underserved areas as defined by USDA's Food Access Research Atlas and demonstrate how they will improve healthy food access

Key Takeaways for Grant Writers

Prioritise equity and inclusion: Applications from BIPOC-led, women-led, immigrant-led, or disability-led organisations receive priority consideration across multiple programmes. Emphasise leadership demographics and organisational commitment to equity.
Demonstrate community engagement: Reinvestment Fund values community-driven solutions. Show how your project emerges from community needs assessment and involves community members in decision-making.
Leverage technical assistance: Don't hesitate to engage with Reinvestment Fund's capacity-building programmes and free coaching. They view technical assistance as integral to grantee success.
Align with data and evidence: Given Reinvestment Fund's expertise in data analysis through PolicyMap, incorporate data demonstrating community need and evidence-based approaches to your proposed solution.
Think beyond the grant: Reinvestment Fund offers loans, grants, and technical assistance. Consider whether a combination of funding mechanisms might support your project more effectively than grants alone.
Join mailing lists early: Many programmes announce funding cycles through email lists. Subscribe to programme-specific mailing lists to receive timely notification of application windows.
Attend informational sessions: Programmes like HFFI offer webinars to explain application processes. Participation demonstrates commitment and provides opportunity to ask clarifying questions before applying.

References

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