By Ellis Carr, President & CEO
As Capital Impact’s new CEO, I am incredibly excited to take this opportunity to both look back at 2015 and to expound on our new five-year vision to 2020.
Over the past year, we continued to build upon the organization’s strong financial position, deep partnerships, and innovative product development. We provided ongoing leadership in the health care space, helped a number of charter schools expand their educational offerings, and saw several of our projects come online across Detroit. We also launched two new lending initiatives that will expand access to healthy foods and support age-friendly communities.
At the same time, two of our long-time programs saw fresh beginnings. After working to build and scale the Green House model for dignified long-term care and the Cornerstone Partnership to expand affordable housing, those initiatives became self-sufficient, independent organizations.
You’ll see the impact of this work first hand when you meet Yesenia Franco, a proud mother whose daughter has already chosen her college—even though she is still an elementary school student at Equitas Academy. Our impact can also be seen through visiting Unity Health Care with Michele Reynolds, who, along with her neighbors in Washington D.C.’s Ward 5, now has access to quality care. You will also experience the kindness of Meals on Wheels volunteers in Texas who bring hot meals to Kajl, an accomplished chef no longer able to prepare all his own meals.
As impressed as I am with the impact we had in 2015, I’m equally excited about what lies ahead. This year marks the launch of our new five-year strategy. Core to that effort is working with all of you to build a nation of communities built on a foundation of equity, opportunity and inclusiveness. It is an appropriate North Star for our ambitious agenda.
Through our efforts, we will work to address systemic poverty, build equitable opportunities, create healthy communities and ensure inclusive growth.
This will require us to expand our lending and implement new capitalization efforts that broaden our reach. We also plan to incubate, advocate and scale new and promising ideas through our policy to practice work.
I look forward to continuing Terry Simonette’s legacy. I am excited to join my colleagues in taking the bold steps necessary to find new ways to address the social and economic justice issues that impact underserved communities. I sincerely hope that you join us in shaping a new tomorrow.
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