MAPS Builds a Permanent Home Through Partnership

The Muslim Association of Puget Sound (MAPS) has been serving the Muslim community for over 30 years. Across its three locations, MAPS provides religious services alongside a broad range of community programs, including food and housing assistance, refugee support, legal services, health care access, education, and social and humanitarian programs.

As its programs have grown, so too has their need for space. In 2026, MAPS looked to purchase a 14,900-square-foot facility for its Seattle location. The organization had been operating its Seattle branch from a leased space, which they had outgrown. With the lease coming to an end, finding a permanent home became increasingly important.

MAPS turned to Craft3 because of an existing relationship. Craft3 had previously supported the organization with two large-scale real estate purchases, using Islamic Financing with a Musharakah structure. In a Musharakah, the financial institution and customer share ownership of a property, with the customer gradually purchasing the financial institution’s ownership interest over time.

A Way Forward Through Partnership

Because of the existing Musharakah financing engagements with MAPS, Craft3’s risk guidelines prevented additional, new financing with MAPS. Craft3 was determined to find a solution and rather than send MAPS elsewhere they received an exception from their Board. Despite this, the project still had a $2 million financing gap.

Craft3 turned to Business Impact NW, a regional CDFI and longtime partner, for a participation in the deal. Since 1997, Business Impact NW has provided coaching, classes, and loans to small businesses across Alaska, Idaho, Oregon, and Washington. They had additional commercial real estate financing capacity to help bridge the remaining gap. Business Impact NW committed the final $2 million for the MAPS project.

“Working with Craft3 gave us the opportunity to support a project that directly benefits our community,” said Kyle Lovell, Chief Lending Officer at Business Impact NW. “MAPS does tremendous work and we are proud to support their continued growth. The participation with Craft3 in a loan structure that was new to us couldn’t have been better.”

The transaction also opened up a new possibility for how Craft3 could structure Islamic Financing in the future. Craft3 Director of Commercial Lending, Saif Hakim, reflects, “We do participations all the time. But this was the first time we sold a participation in our Sharia structure, which opened up a lot of different ideas for how we could continue to do this and serve a wider community.”

A Permanent Place to Serve the Community

While CDFIs share a commitment to expanding access to capital, we don’t all offer the same products, have the same capacity, or serve the same communities. The partnership between Craft3 and Business Impact NW shows what is possible when mission-based organizations come together to serve their communities. The impacts of those investments are bigger when we work together, creating more options for borrowers.

Lovell notes, “As mission-based lenders, it’s incredible to see what is possible when our resources combine. More opportunities are created to uplift our community.”

After 30 years of serving Puget Sound's Muslim community, MAPS finally has a permanent home in Seattle. This home is a place for worship, refuge, care, and connection. It’s also a testament to the strength of Seattle’s Muslim community.

Mahmood Khadeer, Chief Operating Officer of MAPS reflects on the impacts: “Craft3 and Business Impact NW helped us secure more than a building—they helped give MAPS Seattle a permanent foundation to serve the community. Financing that respects our Islamic values has enabled us to expand worship, youth programs, and community support, creating a place of belonging for generations to come.”