← Back to US Funders Directory

Reinvestment Fund Inc

Annual Giving
$15.1M
Grant Range
$4K - $0.3M

Reinvestment Fund Inc

Quick Stats

  • Annual Grant Giving: $15,057,654 (2023)
  • Total Investment: $178 million across 36 states (2023)
  • Grant Range: $4,000 - $250,000 (varies by program)
  • Geographic Focus: National, with concentrated programs 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 inquiries: 215.574.5800
  • Investing inquiries: 215.574.5819
  • Media inquiries: 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 organization 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 programs. With a team of over 80 financial experts and research analysts, the organization has deployed over $3.5 billion in financing since its inception. In 2023 alone, Reinvestment Fund invested $178 million across 36 states and distributed $15,057,654 in grants across 159 awards. The organization also operates PolicyMap, an online mapping platform providing demographic, real estate, health, and employment data to thousands of organizations nationwide.

Funding Priorities

Grant Programs

1. Philadelphia Food Justice Initiative (PFJI)

  • Grant Range: $18,450 - $50,000 (2024-2025 round)
  • Recent Awards: $549,463 distributed to 14 organizations (2024-2025)
  • 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 centers (August 2024); $400,000 to 160 providers (2022)
  • Application: Periodic rounds; contact Jacob Kurtz at jacob.kurtz@reinvestment.com
  • Focus: Supporting CACFP (Child and Adult Care Food Program) 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: May 13, 2025, 11:59 PM ET
  • 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: Funding Inquiry Forms due August 18, 2025, 11:59 PM ET; full applications due 45 days after invitation
  • Application Method: Two-phase process (Funding Inquiry 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 prioritizes projects that:

  • Advance Equity: Special consideration for organizations led by Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (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 programs
  • Promote Organizational 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

While 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 (organizational applicants only for most programs)
  • 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 program and University of Pennsylvania's City Planning department.

Leadership Philosophy:
Hinkle-Brown emphasizes "building the capacity of peer organizations, 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 Programs:

  1. Philadelphia Food Justice Initiative: Currently not accepting applications; join mailing list at phillyfoodjustice@reinvestment.com for notification of next funding cycle

  2. Southeast Food Forward: Submit application through SmartSimple online portal by May 13, 2025. One application per organization. Contact information and account creation required at reinvestment.com/grants/southeast-food-forward/

  3. HFFI FARE Fund: Two-phase process

    • Phase 1: Submit Funding Inquiry Form by August 18, 2025, 11:59 PM ET
    • 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

  4. Philadelphia Child Nutrition Fund: Contact Jacob Kurtz at jacob.kurtz@reinvestment.com for current application status and requirements

  5. Montgomery County ECE Facility Loan Program: Apply through SmartSimple; email MCLoans4ECE@reinvestment.com for assistance

General Application Guidance:

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

Decision Timeline

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

Applicants should contact specific programs for estimated timelines:

Success Rates

Specific success rates are not publicly documented. However, the 2024-2025 Philadelphia Food Justice Initiative awarded grants to 14 organizations out of an undisclosed number of applicants. In 2023, Reinvestment Fund distributed 159 grant awards totaling $15,057,654.

Reapplication Policy

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

Application Success Factors

Reinvestment Fund's Documented Priorities:

  1. Equity and Inclusion Focus: Reinvestment Fund explicitly prioritizes BIPOC-led organizations. In 2022, 47% of loan originations ($117.8 million) went to BIPOC-owned or -led organizations, and more than half of NMTC projects were led by women or people of color. Grant programs like PFJI prioritize organizations "led by Black, Indigenous, and People of Color, immigrants and people living with disabilities, and those with lived experience with health injustice."

  2. 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."

  3. Data-Informed Proposals: As an organization that emphasizes 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.

  4. Organizational Capacity and Quality Metrics: The organization evaluates job quality measures including living wage payment, health insurance, paid sick leave, career building opportunities, and wealth building benefits. They also consider organizational commitment to environmental sustainability.

  5. 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.

  6. Technical Assistance Readiness: Many programs offer free coaching and technical assistance. Successful applicants demonstrate willingness to engage with capacity-building support and implement strategic guidance for long-term success.

Program-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 program's commitment to equity-focused grantmaking
  • PHL-CNF: Success requires demonstrated commitment to federal CACFP program 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

  • Prioritize equity and inclusion: Applications from BIPOC-led, women-led, immigrant-led, or disability-led organizations receive priority consideration across multiple programs. Emphasize leadership demographics and organizational 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 programs 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 programs announce funding cycles through email lists. Subscribe to program-specific mailing lists to receive timely notification of application windows.

  • Attend informational sessions: Programs like HFFI offer webinars to explain application processes. Participation demonstrates commitment and provides opportunity to ask clarifying questions before applying.

References

← Back to US Funders Directory