May 31, 2017 (Brunswick, ME)—Coastal Enterprises, Inc. (CEI) announced today that it has received from Aeris, the national rating and information service, a Four-star impact performance rating, with Policy Plus and AA- financial strength and performance rating. Aeris provides comprehensive, third-party assessments of a community investment fund’s financial strength and performance and impact.

“CEI maintained its excellent rating from last year across all areas – impact, policy, and financial strength,” said Betsy Biemann, CEO of CEI. “These scores affirm that we are delivering on our promise to help make the economy work for everyone by growing good jobs, environmentally-sustainable enterprises, and shared prosperity in Maine and other rural regions. CEI’s team of professional, mission-driven lenders, business advisors, housing counselors, industry experts, and policy staff continue to aim for impact, often in partnership with others in the public and private sectors.”

A wide range of investors—including banks, foundations, fund managers, and others—rely on Aeris ratings to identify and evaluate community investment opportunities that meet their impact goals and risk parameters. Aeris has issued more than 600 ratings opinions since 2004.

“Our team values Aeris research as they are a trusted source of both financial and impact data,” said Nicole Davis, Partner and Senior Wealth Manager, Veris Wealth Partners. “Their data streamlines our due diligence process for community investment organizations. The breadth of the Aeris database also allows us to compare CDFIs such as CEI, to their peers as well as their historical ratings.”

The rigorous Aeris rating process evaluates a fund’s commitment to transparency and accountability, with regard to its financial performance and its mission impact. The rating encompasses two main components: (1) an Impact Performance Rating, which measures the commitment of the fund’s management to achieving its stated impact; (2) a Financial Strength and Performance Rating, which assesses overall creditworthiness.

A Four-star impact performance rating is the highest impact performance rating awarded. Funds in this group (the top 35% of all funds rated) have a clear alignment of mission, strategies, activities, and data that guide programs and planning, and are using resources effectively to achieve positive impacts related to its mission. A Policy Plus rating recognizes that policy change is an integral part of the funds strategies to benefit disadvantaged people and communities. CEI’s AA- financial strength and performance rating is awarded for very strong financial strength, performance and risk management practices relative to its size, complexity, and risk profile and affirms that CEI is capable of withstanding fluctuations in its operating environment.

More information is available at: http://www.aerisinsight.com/who/about-aeris-ratings/.

As an Aeris-rated institution, CEI is also included in the Aeris Cloud, the only source of real-time financial and impact performance data on community investment funds. The Aeris Cloud was created to give investors access to Wall Street-quality data on community investment funds.

About Aeris

Aeris guides capital to good. Since 2004, the nation’s leading community investors have used Aeris’ data and ratings to support their community investing. Aeris’ clients range from large financial institutions with Community Reinvestment Act (CRA) obligations, mission-driven charitable foundations, government, private wealth managers, and more. Its proprietary ratings help investors evaluate opportunities that meet their impact goals and risk parameters. Learn more at www.aerisinsight.com.