Hollie Fifer, Former Director
“It has been a dream working with the Sefa team. I've not experienced a detailed and caring team quite like the Sefa team before. We wouldn't be where we are without their help and expertise.”
“We are now more confident in our model, our structure, our income streams, our ability to communicate ourselves, our future aspirations and we are now going to start building that dream rather than just talking about it.”
Uncovering capital that matters ↓
At Sefa, we meet our borrowers where they are and walk beside them on their journey. No set menu of limited products. No rigid checklist of requirements.
We listen to clients and take the time to get to know their story, abilities and dreams, so we can craft customised facilities to meet their needs – in a financially sustainable way. And if that means clients require non-debt funding alongside our loan to reach their goal (or if we can’t invest), we’ll check with our networks to see if they can assist.
Often, working out the right capital solution starts with capability.
The right support for the next phase of growth ↓
Melbourne-based community arts organisation Schoolhouse Studios (SHS) had been renting ‘meanwhile spaces’ (properties going through a transition in use, rented at a lower rate) to house its growing community of creatives. But the circumstances of these spaces meant SHS had to move frequently – a costly and time-intensive exercise for a budding social enterprise. The organisation had just secured a larger premises that increased their rentable space by over 40%, when the second wave of COVID sent Melbourne into lockdown again.
Through Impact Investing Australia’s Resilience Grant funded by the Department of Social Services, our engagement team helped clarify SHS’s social impact, Theory of Change and impact measurement framework. We also developed a financial model that helped their board understand the relative contributions of each revenue source, as well as assess options to make the most out of their larger premises. All with the view to build the organisation’s resilience and capacity and to support future funding discussions with government or philanthropy.
By the end of FY2022, SHS was working with our finance team, finalising a loan that will help realise the organisation’s growth ambitions.
Building joyful, inclusive and collaborative communities ↓
“Because of this incredibly deep work, we’ll be able to offer studio spaces for 132 creatives and continue building our supportive community. We’ve now also been offered a loan to help us take this growth to the next level” - Hollie Fifer, Former Director