Spring 2015 Newsletter
T H E
IMPACT
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V
E
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R
A Publication of Community Capital Management, Inc.
Financing Rural Development: Untapped Potential,
Unmet Market, Ample
Opportunity
The Council of Development
Finance Agencies (CDFA) is
a national association dedicated to the advancement of
development finance concerns and interests. The
article below is written by guest contributors Toby
Rittner, President & CEO, and Katherine Sims,
Program Coordinator, at the CDFA.
For the past several decades, development finance has migrated to population centers and
major metropolitan areas. Understandably,
there is more opportunity and greater capacity in metro areas. In the past three years, however, the emergence of the rural development
finance market has shown considerable
progress.
Once considered a far too difficult
endeavor, rural development has taken on a
new life with renewed interest from banks,
lending institutions, impact investors and, in
particular, the federal government.
The primary focus of rural development
today is in three basic areas – infrastructure,
energy and food/agricultural systems. The
federal government and some of the leading rural lending institutions are aggressively pursuing projects. In July 2014, the
U.S.
Department of Agriculture (USDA)
and CoBank, a cooperative bank serving
agribusinesses, rural infrastructure providers
and Farm Credit associations throughout
the country, announced the creation of a
$10 billion public-private partnership fund
for rural infrastructure. The U.S. Rural Infrastructure Opportunity Fund marks one
of the largest federal/private commitments
to financing rural projects in decades and is
a sure sign that rural financing has become
continued on page 2
mainstream.
T
he 2015Spring issue of The Impact Investor (f/k/a The Mission-Based Investor)
focuses on the topic of rural community development finance.
The newsletter features
an article by guest contributors Toby Rittner and Katherine Simms at the Council
of Development Finance Agencies (CDFA). Also included is information on Community
Capital Management’s (CCM) $100 million initiative to invest in bonds financing rural community development, spotlight on two CCM fixed income impact investments financing rural
community development initiatives, and our spring/summer conference schedule.
CCM to Invest $100 Million in Bonds
Financing Rural Community Development
According to a recent report from the
United States Department of Agriculture
(USDA), the U.S. economy is now in its
sixth year of recovery from the
Great Recession of
2007-09.
While its performance remains weak
in some respects, this is
especially true in rural
areas. Urban employment
now exceeds pre-recession
levels and rural employment remains well below
its 2007 peak.
5
MARCH 201
impact investments that are responsive to
local community development needs,
CCM is excited to announce its new initiative to
invest $100 million in bonds
financing rural community
development initiatives. A
new report on the initiative is now available for
download on CCM’s
website at www.ccm
fixedincome.com.
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Over the last year, CCM has
participated in many discussions, at conferences and
with clients, on how we can channel more
investments to support rural communities.
As a leader in identifying fixed income
The 9-page report covers opportunities and
challenges in rural
community development, why investments in these areas are
critical, and examples of CCM’s investments supporting rural community development.
l
Capita
Community
VISIT WWW.CCMFIXEDINCOME TO:
• View CCM’s new impact video “Revitalizing America:
Bond Investing Beyond Bricks and Mortar”
• Download a copy of CCM’s 2014 Annual
Impact Report
• Listen to a replay of CCM’s webinar on fixed
income impact investing
. 2
IMPACT INVESTOR
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SPRING 2015
Financing Rural Development: Untapped Potential, Unmet Market, Ample Opportunity
Another trend is seeking private equity investment to catalyze financial resources and
greater capacity in rural areas. The Rural
Business Investment Company (RBIC) encourages private investment in infrastructure
projects in rural America. It allows the
USDA to facilitate private equity investments in areas of interest including agriculture-related businesses, broadband and
infrastructure, advanced energy production,
local and regional food systems, and improved farming technologies.
The USDA also establishes and supports
several revolving loan funds through a variety of loan and grant programs to assist with
small business development. These loans
help rural small businesses in a variety of
ways including the purchase of equipment,
real estate, working capital, and expansions.
Knowing which type of financing tool to
use for the appropriate project or ruralbased business is key in helping rural communities see greater investment.
The USDA has also partnered with the
Council of Development Finance Agencies
(CDFA) to increase development finance
education and resources for USDA’s internal
staff.
The partnership will help to promote
USDA funding and other financing best
practices for rural communities to CDFA’s
network of development finance stakeholders. As part of the partnership, CDFA will
host three Rural Project Marketplaces
throughout the year to connect rural projects with funding and financing expertise.
The Rural Project Marketplace will help facilitate and leverage private investment in
projects throughout rural America and will
give these communities opportunities to
learn about a broader set of development finance programs and tools.
Across the country, rural communities are
seeking creative approaches to improve
and strengthen their economies by taking
advantage of assets like traditional Main
Streets, alternative energy, and food and
agricultural industries. The importance
and focus of project finance is crucial to
build appropriate and effective tactics for
establishing long-term economic development in rural communities.
Rural financ-
ing opportunities are developing daily in
every county, in every state, and it is vital
to surface and capture these creative approaches for rural communities. Once
considered a far too difficult endeavor, the
rural development focus is now in a context of broader market activity in its mission and impact.
Sources:
CoBank News Release
http://www.cobank.com/~/media/Files/
Searchable%20PDF%20Files/Newsroom%20Financials/News%20Releases/
News%20Releases%202014/CoBank%20
USDA%20Investment%20Fund.pdf
Rural Opportunity Investment
Conference
http://www.usda.gov/wps/portal/usda/us
dahome?navid=investmentconference
USDA FAQ
http://www.usda.gov/documents/RuralInfrastructure-Opportunity-FundFAQ.pdf
USDA Ops
http://www.usda.gov/wps/portal/usda/us
dahome?navid=OPPORTUNITIES
CCM Spring/Summer 2015 Conferences:
Impact Capitalism Summit • April 21-22, Chicago, IL
Hear David Sand, Chief Investment Strategist of CCM, speak on a fixed income panel. Visit with David and
Jamie Horwitz, Director of Marketing at CCM, at the conference which is one of the largest gatherings of family
offices and foundations taking a portfolio approach toward impact investing.
2015 U.S.
SIF Annual Conference • May 4 – 6, Chicago, IL
Follow CCM on
Twitter and LinkedIn
for firm updates:
@ccminvests
www.linkedin.com/in/
communitycapital
Visit with Alyssa Greenspan, President and Chief Operating Officer of CCM and U.S. SIF Board Member,
and David Sand, Chief Investment Strategist of CCM, at the 2015 conference. The conference offers a unique
opportunity to network with leaders of sustainable, responsible, and impact investing.
NFMA 32nd Annual Conference • May 12-15, Las Vegas, NV
Visit with Barbara VanScoy, Co-Founder and Chief Impact Investment Officer at CCM, and Julie Egan, Portfolio Manager at CCM and NFMA
Board Member, at the NFMA 32nd annual conference.
Clinton Global Initiative (CGI) America 2015 • June 8-10, Denver, CO
Visit with David Sand, Chief Investment Strategist of CCM, at the CGI America conference.
CGI America brings together leaders from the business,
philanthropic, NGO, and government sectors to develop solutions for economic growth, long-term competitiveness, and social mobility in the United States.
Financial Advisor Impact Investing Conference • July 12, Denver, CO
Visit with Andy Shafter, Investment Strategist at CCM, at the 4th annual Financial Advisor Impact Investing Conference. Leaders from the impact
investing industry will share their success stories and explain how seeking alpha doesn’t necessarily have to come at the expense of social and environmental impact.
. SPRING 2015
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IMPACT INVESTOR
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SPOTLIGHT ON CCM FIXED INCOME IMPACT INVESTMENTS FINANCING
RURAL COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT INITIATIVES
Mexia Gardens,Texas
dle income and not necessarily in distress
Mexia Gardens is a Low Income Housing
Tax Credit property in Limestone County,
Texas. Mexia Gardens was allocated Low
Income Housing Tax Credits in 2010 by
the Texas Department of Housing and
Community Affairs. Of the 80 units,
100% of the units are restricted to residents
with incomes at or below 60% of Area
Median Income. Mexia Gardens resides
in a census tract designated as “Distressed
or Underserved”.
– have such small and sparse populations
that they have difficulty financing the
fixed costs of essential community needs,
including infrastructure and community
facilities.
The criteria for distressed geographies
under the Community Reinvestment Act
(CRA) enable a careful targeting of rural
middle-income tracts that are most in
need of revitalization or stabilization.
An
activity revitalizes or stabilizes a qualifying
distressed geography if it helps to attract
new, or retain existing, residents or businesses.
• The funding of grants, loans, and loan
guarantees through the Mississippi Rural
Impact Fund (RIF). The RIF, administered by the Mississippi Development
Authority (MDA), is designed to assist
and promote businesses and economic
development in rural areas by providing
grants and loans to rural communities and
loan guarantees to rural businesses. Eligible projects under the RIF must have a
direct connection to creating jobs.
All
projects funded should create a minimum
of ten net new full-time jobs. From July 1,
2009 through Fiscal Year 2012, Rural
Impact awards resulted in 1,158 jobs.1
The regulation also permits examiners to
give consideration to activities undertaken
in geographically remote and underpopulated areas, where basic needs are unmet.
Some rural communities – although mid-
State of Mississippi
The State of Mississippi General Obligation Bonds were issued to finance economic development projects, including
but not limited to:
Rural community development encompasses a range of approaches and activities that aim to improve
the welfare and livelihoods of people living in rural areas.
In the United States, the Census Bureau classifies a rural area as a town with fewer than
1,000 people per 2.6 square kilometers
(square mile), and surrounding areas with
fewer than 500 people per 2.6 square kilometers (square mile).
• Financing costs incurred for the purpose
of performing research on biomass usage
in the production of renewable crude oil at
Alcorn State University and the Sustainable Energy Research Center on the campus of Mississippi State University,
pursuant to the provisions of the Sustainable Energy Research Act. Alcorn State
University is located in a non-metropolitan, moderate-income geography.
Mississippi State University is located in a
non-metropolitan, middle-income geography within a census tract designated as
“Distressed or Underserved”.
• Funds to finance workforce training
through State Institutions of Higher
Learning and Community and Junior
Colleges in the State and Workforce Investment Network job centers in the
State to meet workforce training needs
not met by other resources, in the
amount of $2,000,000 pursuant to the
Workforce Training Act. The Mississippi
Workforce Training Act seeks to provide
quality education and training for the
citizens of Mississippi to obtain the skills
needed to be more productive and have
an improved quality of life.
The securities identified and described herein are for illustrative purposes only and their selection was based upon non-performance criteria, such as
the security’s social and/or environmental attributes.
1http://www.mississippi.org/assets/docs/library/incentives-report.pdf
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Community Capital Management, Inc. is a Florida-based investment adviser
registered with the Securities and Exchange Commission under the Investment
Advisers Act of 1940.
Past performance does not guarantee future results. Market
conditions can vary widely over time and can result in a loss of portfolio value.
.