To steal a line from Carmen Miranda, "Buildings is our business."

IFF began with the mission of helping Illinois nonprofits face the challenges of managing facilities, and that’s still the heart and soul of what we do. So we’ve put together this page of online resources to help your nonprofit develop, manage and maintain its facilities.

New Statewide Real Estate Referral Network

This new Network is to help nonprofits locate qualified project managers, architects, contractors and other real estate professionals serving local communities throughout the state. Members in the Network come recommended by nonprofit borrowers, colleagues and members of our statewide Community Advisory Committee. 

Features of the Network:

• All members were screened against minimum criteria relevant to their profession
• The Network includes professionals servicing all regions of the state, including northwest, central and southern Illinois
• All members are experienced with and are interested in working with nonprofit agencies
• References were checked for all project managers

Is your agency planning a real estate project?  The IFF can recommend project managers and refer you to other real estate professionals based on your project scope and geographic area. [Contact the IFF]

IFF Workshops

Regular workshops are offered throughout the state, which help nonprofits assess their readiness and financing possibilities for real estate development.

Technical Assistance

IFF professionals can provide technical assistance with specific projects or problems you’re facing. Options include both limited free technical assistance as well as full-scale contracted assistance.

Technical Assistance Worksheets

These useful tools cover and explain the many steps in a construction project. They are available to help you plan and manage your facilities project whether large or small. These planning tools were developed based on common questions and issues that arise as a nonprofit takes on a renovation or development project.  [PDF 46kb]

Before you Begin Your Real Estate Project

No. 1: Assessing Your Organization's Program and Facilities Needs
[PDF 48kb]
No. 2: Projecting New Operations and Monthly Cash Flow [PDF 54kb]
No. 2: Accompanying Microsoft Excel Template [Excel 57kb]
No. 3: Paying for a Real Estate Project [PDF 73kb]
No. 4: Selecting a Capital Campaign Consultant [PDF 49kb]
No. 5: Determining How Much Your Organization Can Borrow [PDF 49kb]
No. 6: Making a Facility Decision [PDF 77kb]

Managing Your Real Estate Project

No. 7: Approaching a Real Estate Project [PDF 55kb]
No. 8: Creating a Project Development Budget [PDF 80kb]
No. 8: Accompanying Microsoft Excel Template [Excel 45kb]
No. 9: Selecting a Project Manager [PDF 73kb]
No. 10: Selecting an Architect [PDF 74kb]
No. 11: Selecting a General Contractor [PDF 76kb]
No. 12: Fundamentals of Purchasing Real Estate [PDF 80kb]
No. 13: Projecting Your New Occupancy Budget [PDF 52kb]
No. 13: Accompanying Microsoft Excel Template [Excel 29kb]
No. 14: Applying for Property Tax Exemption [PDF 93kb]