The Center for Impact Finance (CIF) addresses the role that access to capital plays in solving economic, societal, and environmental challenges. CIF engages in both the practical aspects of developing financing tools, products, and institutions, and the public policy connected to promoting the ability of people, businesses, and communities to gain full access to the financing that is critical to economic opportunity.
A Track Record of Accomplishment
The CIF team has a long history in the field of community and impact finance. CIF was founded by Dr. Michael Swack, who has over 35 years of experience in the field as a practitioner, researcher, teacher, and policy analyst. CIF’s staff and collaborators are highly regarded practitioners, researchers, and policy analysts uniquely qualified to work across various disciplines, from small business to affordable housing to health care.
In 2010, Michael Swack founded CIF as part of the Carsey School of Public Policy at the University of New Hampshire. Previously, Dr. Swack successfully created a Master's in Community Economic Development at Southern New Hampshire University in 1982 and helped found the New Hampshire Community Loan Fund in 1983 and the Opportunity Finance Network in 1984. Dr. Swack grew CIF for 15 years and helped expand the Master's in Community Development (MCD) program at the Carsey School. in 2024, Dr. Swack stepped back from the role of Director, remaining at CIF as a part-time Senior Fellow and continuing to teach in the MCD program, while Ellen Lurie Hoffman joined as Executive Director in September 2024.
Over the years, CIF has remained true to its mission but added to its scope, engaging deeply in climate finance to ensure that the nation's transition to a clean energy economy benefits low-income and disadvantaged communities. Today, CIF's portfolio of work extends to a wide range of topics, including small business development, affordable housing, fintech, climate resilience, and CDFI capitalization, systems, growth, and collaboration.
We accomplish our mission by building effective public/private/philanthropic partnerships that advance the field of impact finance; engaging in applied research, program evaluation, and policy analysis; providing technical assistance to institutions and organizations; and educating future leaders in the field of impact finance.
