How Leveraging Works—A Hypothetical Example
Leveraging Can Transform $200,000 in Grants
into $10 million in Community Benefits
$200,000 grant dollars (2%) + $1.8 million in social investments (18%)
attracts $8 million in private capital (80%)
For this example, assume the debt security has a face value of $10 million. CRF allocates about 2% of the total ($200,000) to protect against possible losses -- that is, if any of the loans we bought stopped repaying. That 2% typically comes from charitable contributors in the form of grants.
Another 18% of the funding ($1.8 million) comes from social investors. They are repaid, but on different terms than those seeking market-rate investments. Repayment might be at a lower interest rate or on a different repayment schedule. This 18% comes from either program-related investments (PRIs) or equity-equivalent investments (EQ2s).
Finally, 80% of the funding ($8 million) comes from institutional investors seeking a market rate of return -- that is, the same interest rates that they could earn on an equivalent private investment with no social-purpose benefit. This money comes from such organizations as banks, insurance companies and pension funds.