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Gate City Bank has partnered with Beyond Shelter on affordable housing initiatives since 2013, maximizing the nonprofit’s impact through strategic grant-match opportunities.
Dan Madler can’t help but smile every time he drives by one of Gate City Bank’s iconic neon-blue signs, and for good reason. As CEO of Beyond Shelter, he’s beyond grateful for the bank, which has played a vital role in furthering his nonprofit's impactful mission. Together, they’ve created a better way of life by helping to provide something that many communities so desperately need – affordable housing.
The two organizations first crossed paths back in 2013. It had been a grueling week for Madler, who at the time was on the humble hunt for a corporate partner. But he wasn’t looking for just anyone; Beyond Shelter needed a reputable institution with the culture, qualifications and capital necessary to unlock a unique financing opportunity, courtesy of North Dakota’s Housing Incentive Fund. If successful, the effort would result in the nonprofit securing $634,000 for two affordable senior housing projects in the state.
There was a lot on the line.
After punching in the final digits of a phone number that had fatefully fallen into his lap, Madler leaned back in his office chair, took a deep breath and clenched his receiver in hopeful anticipation. The affordable housing champion had no idea that the gentleman on the other end of the line – the person who would ultimately prove crucial to brokering the first of multiple philanthropic ventures with Beyond Shelter – would be none other than future Gate City Bank President & CEO, Kevin Hanson.
Madler and Hanson hit it off immediately. It helped that their organizations’ missions were so closely aligned, especially in terms of community giveback. It was a match made in heaven.
“Kevin and everyone at Gate City Bank have been great to work with from the very beginning. They truly care about people, and they always do what they say they’re going to do,” Madler says. “I’m happy to say that our partnership has continued to grow over the years, and it has resulted in countless people having a place to call home.”
Gate City Bank’s financial gifts and expertise have been a saving grace in the midst of an ever-intensifying affordable housing crisis. From land to materials to labor, costs have skyrocketed over the years due to multiple factors, with multi-dwelling-eligible lots selling for well over $1 million in most cases. But that hasn’t deterred Beyond Shelter or the bank. Quite the contrary.
In light of such challenges, the bank and Beyond Shelter have worked together closely to enhance their creative thinking and strategic approach, especially when it comes to maximizing overall community impact. So when a unique grant-matching program popped up on their radar – where Federal Home Loan Bank of Des Moines (FHLB Des Moines) would contribute $3 for every $1 donated by Gate City Bank for critical housing needs – they seized the opportunity.
“Gate City Bank not only put a generous amount of money on the table, but went out of its way to complete a grant application and handle other logistics on our behalf,” Madler says. “When the bank later contacted me to let me know that Beyond Shelter would be receiving $250,000, my initial reaction was simply ‘WOW. These funds are going to have such a meaningful impact on our mission.’”
In this case, $250,000 was a highly calculated and intentional number for Gate City Bank and Beyond Shelter – because it’s the amount that was needed to help capitalize the nonprofit’s predevelopment revolving fund. In a highly competitive real estate landscape, having access to this particular type of money pool affords Beyond Shelter more maneuverability when juggling multiple housing initiatives. Whether it’s acting quickly to secure a development site, paying for due diligence items ahead of time, prepaying on a loan to bring down monthly interest or anything in between, the fund ultimately allows Madler and his team to push their dollars further.
Without a doubt, Madler and his colleagues at Beyond Shelter are doing lifechanging work. And while their mission faces hurdles when it comes to navigating mounting costs, they can breathe easy knowing they’re not alone in the journey. Gate City Bank has been by their side since that first phone call, helping those in need find their way home.
“That’s one of the many things I love about Gate City Bank. They’re always willing to listen and give you the opportunity to have that initial conversation – to be heard,” Madler says. “The bank opens that door of opportunity time and again in the communities it serves, and the results are always incredible.”
Learn how we partnered with one of the nation’s leading financial cooperatives to secure $850,000 for local affordable housing!
Learn why we’ve earned North Dakota Housing Finance Agency’s Affordable Housing Award for multiple years!
Learn how we’re partnering with the Cass Clay Community Land Trust to establish more affordable housing in the FM community and surrounding area.
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