HAN member CommonSpirit Health’s Community Investment Program recently provided a $5 million bridge loan to Step By Step, a Washington State organization that supports new mothers overcoming trauma and poverty. The loan funded construction of The Barn, a 14,000 square foot early learning center that opened in March 2026 and serves 200 children. The investment came at a critical moment—Step By Step’s own assistant manager had asked for a demotion to preserve her childcare subsidy eligibility, a painful illustration of the “benefits cliff” that traps working parents. Rather than accept that as inevitable, Step By Step CEO Krista Linden built the childcare center to close the gap herself.
For the place-based investing community, the deal is a strong example of how flexible impact capital can unlock broader funding. CommonSpirit Health’s investment reflects how effective place-based programs are built: through deep local relationships, with community health and care teams on the ground identifying strong partners, backed by national leadership and resources. CommonSpirit has been a HAN founding member and a pioneer in nonprofit health system place-based investing, with a current portfolio of more than $250 million across 84 organizations—and this loan reflects both the scale and the mission at the heart of that work.