Aisha Benson is President and CEO of Nonprofit Finance Fund (NFF), a nonprofit lender, consultant, and advocate that has worked for more than 40 years to strengthen nonprofits and improve the way money flows to social good. As a leading community development financial institution (CDFI), NFF has invested over $1.1 billion in financing and access to additional capital in support of over $3.6 billion in projects for thousands of organizations nationwide.
Aisha comes to us from TruFund Financial Services, a Black-led, nonprofit CDFI that provides affordable loan capital and business advisory services to historically disadvantaged small businesses and nonprofits. As TruFund’s EVP and COO, she oversaw multi-disciplinary teams related to the delivery of lending services, tax credit deployment, and technical assistance programs across TruFund’s footprint. She also oversaw program design and implementation, resource partner selection and management, and the coordination of outreach and business development efforts for TruFund’s programs. During her tenure, numerous multimillion-dollar capital access, guaranty, and grant programs were sourced and implemented under her direct management.
Prior to TruFund, Aisha held community development finance roles at Carver Federal Savings, Banco Popular, and JP Morgan Chase. She has deployed $130 million in New Market Tax Credit (NMTC) funding and $175 million of capital to low-income communities, including $75 million in loans to small businesses and nonprofits.
Aisha serves on several key industry boards, including Opportunity Finance Network (OFN), the NMTC Coalition (Board President) and NY CDFI Coalition (founding member and Board VP). She also serves on the advisory boards of the Woodforest CEI-Boulos Opportunity Fund and the Community Development Entities of US Bank and Coastal Enterprises. Ms. Benson holds a B.A. in Psychology, Cum Laude from Columbia University, a certificate in Social Impact Management and Leadership from the Institute for Nonprofit Practice, and a certificate through a Citi/OFN Sponsored Leadership Training Program for CDFI Executives at The Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania.
Aisha is an ordained Minister of the Gospel currently serving at Glory2God Ministries in Poughkeepsie, NY and Living in Jesus Ministry in Newburgh, NY. She is married with six children and five grandchildren and resides in Beacon, NY.