Our Partners
Affliliate
Southern Mutual Financial Services, Inc.SMHA's affiliate CDFI
Collaboratives and Networks
The value and importance of partnerships in Southern Mutual's work takes on added significance in light of Hurricane Katrina and Hurricane Rita. A key part of SMHA's special Rural Recovery Response is a mud-on-their-boots Rural Recovery Task Force, composed of individuals and private sector and nonprofit institutions who are willing to share their expertise and resources to get the job done.NeighborWorks® America
Southern Mutual Help Association, Inc., (SMHA), is a charter member of NeighborWorks®, a national network of more than 235 nonprofit organizations operating in over 4,400 communities. SMHA and Neighborhood Housing Services of New Orleans, Inc. are the only two Louisiana chartered members.
Building Rural Communities Collaborative
BRCC is a member of the National Rural Funders Collaborative Learning Network. BRCC members include: SMHA, SMFS, Southern SAWG, IBERIABANK, & the Rapides Foundation
Federation of Self-Help Associations
Louisiana Association of Nonprofit Organizations (LANO)
Louisiana Environmental Action Network (LEAN)
Louisiana Sustainable Agriculture Working Group (LaSAWG)
National Congress for Community Economic Development (NCCED)
Rural Local Initiatives Support Coalition (LISC)
Founding partner in the Louisiana Rural Home Loan Partnership
SEA Corp (Sustained Excellence Alliance)
Lorna Bourg, co-founder and president
Southern Rural Capital Access Working Group (SRCAWG)
Southern Sustainable Agriculture Working Group (SSAWG)
Helen Vinton, Co-founder and member of the State Regional Council
Development & Policy Partners
Oxfam AmericaWorking on impact and global connections
Educational Institutions
Department of Renewable Resources at University of Louisiana, LafayetteFoundations and other Funders
Academy of Our Lady of Lourdes of the Rochester FranciscansThe Adrian Dominican Sisters Alternative Investment Fund
Provides investments and loans to community-based enterprises that demonstrate a commitment to social justice through alternative economic endeavors. The goal is to help create sustainable jobs and affordable housing for those marginalized by the larger economy. Since 1978, we have made over 280 loans to worker-owned cooperatives, credit unions, banks, housing projects, loan funds and community organizations. Although these investments may provide a smaller financial return than conventional investments, they offer a greater social return.
Mary Reynolds Babcock Foundation
The Calvert Social Investment Foundation
Christus Fund
Over 10 Religious Congregations of Catholic Women and Men lend working capital at 0% or very low interest
Episcopal Relief and Development
Entergy Corporation
Fannie Mae Foundation
William Randolph Hearst Foundation
F.B. Heron Foundation
Conrad N. Hilton Fund for Sisters
IBERIABANK
William K. Kellogg Foundation
Lissauer Family Fund
The Rapides Foundation
Marguerite Casey Foundation
Southern Education Foundation
Government
USDA Rural Housing ServicesPartner in the Louisiana Rural Home Loan Partnership; Mortgage finance for families
United States Department of the Treasury CDFI Fund
Matching funders in the capitalization of Southern Mutual Financial Services, Inc.
Louisiana Rural Home Loan Partnership
IBERIABANKLead Bank in the Louisiana Rural Home Loan Partnership
Agricultural Cooperative Extension Offices
Partners in Avoyelles, Evangeline and St. Landry Parishes
Federal Home Loan Bank of Dallas
Partner in the Louisiana Rural Home Loan Partnership
MidSouth National Bank
Local bank partner in the Louisiana Rural Home Loan Partnership
State Farm Insurance
Sunset Bank and Trust
Local bank partner in the Louisiana Rural Home Loan Partnership
Teche Federal Savings Bank
Local bank partner in the Louisiana Rural Home Loan Partnership
Washington State Bank
Local bank partner in the Louisiana Rural Home Loan Partnership
First National Bank of Jeanerette
Local bank partner in the Louisiana Rural Home Loan Partnership
Red River Bank
Regions Bank
Local bank partner in the Louisiana Rural Home Loan Partnership
Various Housing Authorities, Head Start Programs and Churches active throughout the 10 parish area
Practitioner Partners
Aristotle, Inc.Baton Rouge Economic & Agricultural Development Alliance (BREADA)
Cajun Sugar Co-op, Inc.
Center for Rural Strategies
Citizen's Environmental Center
Delta Commercial Fisheries Association
Ducote and Associates
Economics Institute
Umbrella organization for Crescent City Farmers' Market & White Boot Brigade
ETC Group
Erosion, Technology, Concentration Working Group of Canada
Financial Markets Center
Judice Brothers, Inc.
Louisiana Inshore Shrimpers Association
National Campaign for Sustainable Agriculture
Northside Planting, Inc
Rural Advancement Foundation-USA (RAFI-USA)
Helen Vinton, Co-founder and President
Southern Regional Council
Lorna Bourg, Former Treasurer and current member of Audit Finance Committee
Southern Rural Development Initiative (SRDI)
SMHA is featured in SRDI's Parables to Policy Project.
Subra, Inc.
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