Get projects moving.
Explore capital needs around acquisition and pre-development, with eligibility and structure evaluated for each proposed use.
Capital partnerships · Houston, Texas
Your capital.
Our mission.
Shared impact.
Partner with a real estate CDFI loan fund to connect institutional capital with community-focused lending.
Sykes Equity LLC dba Private Leverage
Houston’s Third WardCommunity & place
Photo: Hourick / Wikimedia Commons · CC BY 3.0 · Cropped for display.
◇ CDFI loan fund↗ Real estate lending+ Institutional partnerships⌁ Community development
Our relationships
Capital partners
& funding support.
We value the banking relationships and funding support that help advance Private Leverage’s community development mission.
Capital partnership opportunities
Bring your capital.
Build opportunity.
Help Private Leverage expand access to real estate financing in communities underserved by conventional capital. Explore a structure aligned with your organization’s objectives.
01 / Lending facilities
Put lending capital to work.
Provide a term loan or revolving facility to Private Leverage for eligible real estate lending. Discuss a structure that fits your institution’s credit standards and our deployment needs.
What we would structure together
- Use of proceeds, eligible loans, and borrowing limits
- Collateral, covenants, maturity, and repayment
- Financial reporting and portfolio review
An illustrative partnership
A bank provides a revolving line for eligible property loans. Borrower repayments replenish availability, subject to the facility’s borrowing base and agreed terms.
Community outcomes
Help connect capital with property investment and local business opportunity.
Financial objectives
Discuss pricing, repayment, and risk for lending relationships; no return is promised.
Mission alignment
Match the relationship to your institution’s community development priorities.
Examples illustrate potential structures, not completed transactions or available investments. Terms depend on diligence, eligibility, approvals, and definitive agreements. Private Leverage is a for-profit loan fund; grant eligibility and any tax treatment require separate review.
For broader context on CDFI financing, see Opportunity Finance Network’s guide to partnering with CDFIs ↗.
Why Private Leverage
Real estate expertise.
Community purpose.
Private Leverage is the trade name of Sykes Equity LLC, a Houston-based, for-profit Community Development Financial Institution loan fund. Our mission brings a community development lens to real estate finance.
We welcome capital partners who want to understand the projects behind the financing, the discipline behind the decisions, and the communities behind the properties.
A partnership built on substance.
01
Mission alignment
Start with the communities, housing priorities, and eligible activities your capital is intended to support.
02
Credit discipline
Discuss underwriting standards, collateral, repayment sources, concentration limits, and portfolio risk.
03
Clear expectations
Agree on reporting needs, deployment objectives, and the information required to evaluate progress.
The purpose behind the capital
Help close the gap
between plans and progress.
Start a conversation about how a partnership could support real estate lending across key stages of a project.
Invest in potential.
Discuss financing for rehabilitation and property improvements aligned with the fund’s housing and community development mission.
Connect the next step.
Consider bridge and gap financing needs, including how a project transitions to an identified repayment or permanent financing source.
Built for a thoughtful review
Get to know the fund.
Review the details.
Tell us what your team needs to evaluate a partnership. We can coordinate an appropriate information request and follow-up discussion.
Mission & structure
Request organizational background, ownership information, and CDFI documentation.
Financial review
Discuss available financial statements, capitalization, liquidity, and existing obligations.
Portfolio & policies
Request available portfolio information, underwriting policies, and relevant credit documentation.
Deployment & reporting
Define the lending activity and community development reporting relevant to your proposed partnership.
Start with a focused introduction.
Share your institution’s priorities and the structure you have in mind. We’ll use that as the starting point for a discussion.
From introduction to partnership
Compare priorities.
Discuss mission, target activities, potential capital size, and your organization’s decision process.
Review the fundamentals.
Coordinate diligence on financials, portfolio, policies, and the proposed use of capital.
Build the agreement.
Work through terms, approvals, documentation, and reporting expectations before any commitment.
Partner questions
Clarity before
commitment.
What kinds of organizations can partner?
We welcome discussions with banks, other lenders, foundations, mission-aligned capital providers, and community organizations. The appropriate structure depends on each party’s objectives and requirements.
Are rates, returns, or minimum commitments fixed?
No standardized investment terms are presented here. Any proposed structure, pricing, amount, maturity, security, and reporting requirements must be discussed and documented separately.
Can we explore loan participations?
Yes. A conversation can cover eligible loans, allocation of interests, servicing arrangements, due diligence, risk sharing, and documentation. No specific participation is offered through this website.
Will a partnership qualify for CRA consideration?
Any potential Community Reinvestment Act consideration must be evaluated by your institution and its advisers based on the particular activity and applicable requirements. This site does not promise CRA treatment.
Is Private Leverage a nonprofit?
No. Sykes Equity LLC dba Private Leverage is a for-profit CDFI loan fund. Do not assume a contribution to Private Leverage is a tax-deductible charitable donation.
Let’s build a partnership
Start with
a conversation.
Book time with Malcolm Sykes or email us for information about capital partnership opportunities.
Our office2000 Crawford Street, Suite 1222Houston, TX 77002
How would you like to connect?
Discuss a partnership ↗Choose a time on Malcolm’s calendar.
Request information ↗Opens a ready-to-send email. Add any questions and send.