By 2011, The Loan Fund’s sustained efforts over a quarter-century had produced a remarkable cumulative impact. The organization reached a new high-water mark of over $43 million in total loans made since inception, a figure almost unimaginable back in 1989. Those loans had touched every corner of New Mexico, from big cities to Indian Country, and supported thousands of individuals in building better lives through business and community projects. The Loan Fund had firmly established itself as New Mexico’s most experienced and people-focused alternative lender, all while staying true to its founding ethos of compassion and self-help. As Sister Marie Luisa, the guiding light of its early years, often said, the goal was “giving people a hand up instead of a handout.” The results by 2011 showed that philosophy in action: entrepreneurs who once had nowhere to turn were now running successful enterprises, nonprofits were expanding services, and jobs were being created in areas long written off by traditional finance. Looking ahead from 2011, The Loan Fund faced the future with a professional yet warm approach, knowing that its mission was more relevant than ever amid ongoing economic challenges. With deep gratitude for the partners, funders, and clients who had shaped its first 22 years, The Loan Fund prepared to write its next chapter – continuing to prove that local communities can thrive when given fair access to capital and faith in their potential.