About CIGP
Financial guarantees are an evolving tool for philanthropies looking to leverage their assets and back mission-aligned projects normally beyond the scope of traditional finance. Now, a cohort of philanthropies is collaboratively leveraging their balance sheets to accelerate community investments.
The Community Investment Guarantee Pool (CIGP) is a first of its kind platform allowing guarantors to combine resources and expertise by establishing a single, one-stop-shop for intermediary lenders in the climate, affordable housing, and small business sectors. Together, this group is making more and new types of community development transactions feasible by putting more of their assets to work in service of greater community impact.
With management by LOCUS Impact Investing, this pooled commitment of financial guarantees aims to unlock capital and accelerate community investments that would not otherwise be possible across America.
Vision
Our Values
Embrace diversity, racial equity and inclusion in all aspects of our work
Believe in the capacity of intermediaries to support community economic development
Value collaboration and partnership as a way to learn and work together; peer learning is where innovation and impact most often occur
Honest and transparent about the work that needs to be done and our ability to provide solutions
Embrace entrepreneurial thinking and look for opportunities to innovate and bring more value to our partners
Hold ourself and our partners to these shared values
Our Team
CIGP is guided by an exceptional team of dedicated professionals with a wealth of experience in impact driven finance. Click below to learn more about the staff driving CIGP forward.
David Newsome supports strategic and financial planning, leads operational improvement initiatives, and manages critical projects for the Pool as Vice President of Strategy initiatives at CIGP, LOCUS, and VCC.
Executive Advisors
A cohort of philanthropies led by The Kresge Foundation selected LOCUS Impact Investing as the Community Investment Guarantee Pool’s program manager. LOCUS is a subsidiary of Virginia Community Capital (VCC), and both organizations provide executive-level support to the Pool. Click below to meet the leaders lending their expertise to CIGP’s work.
Sarah oversees the LOCUS team, including CIGP, and works with them across all service areas to amplify LOCUS’ ability to empower philanthropists to leverage their assets and use innovative financing tools for community economic development.
Amirk Kirkwood is VCC’s Chief Executive Officer. Having served Opportunity Finance Network as Chief Investment and Network Officer, Amir provides a wealth of impact finance experience to CIGP.
Will Groves joins the CIGP team with twelve years of banking experience and his contribution to VCC as Chief Risk Officer. In this role, Mr. Groves is responsible for credit and enterprise risk management of the organization.
Finance Advisory Teams
To enhance our efforts to source and structure guarantees for CIGP’s target areas in climate and affordable housing, we assembled experienced teams of advisors with expertise in each sector. Click below to meet the Climate and Affordable Housing Finance Teams.
Careers
CIGP is managed by a dynamic team of impact professionals committed to making a difference. A career with CIGP is all about channeling resources into communities and spaces where they're needed most. Check back frequently for postings of our open positions.
Guarantors and Investors
