Capital and Community Lenders
Community lenders provide education, outreach, and lending options for low-income and under-served populations. Their innovative lending solutions create financial self-sufficiency.
Learn more about some of our Seattle community lenders below.
- Provides entrepreneurs with access to capital, from $2,500 to $350,000. They also help businesses achieve their goals with free one-on-one coaching, workshops, and seminars.
- Contact Business Impact NW at info@businessimpactnw.org at (206) 324-4330.
- A non-profit lender that works with entrepreneurs unable to qualify for bank financing. This includes borrowers with credit challenges, incomplete financials, or limited collateral. They provide flexible loans from $25,000 to $3.5 million with streamlined review and underwriting for loans under $250,000. Craft3 also offers lower rates for qualified BIPOC borrowers.
- Contact Stephanie Lachman, Business Lender, at (888) 231-2170 x525.
- Denkyem Co-op is a Social Purpose Corporation and Community Development Financial Institution that creates safe pathways for Black entrepreneurship and innovation. They do this by investing in a thriving Black business community that serves as an anchor for economic mobility. They offer opportunities to network, learn, and grow community.
- Contact Dion Cook, CEO at dion@denkyemcoop.com or (206) 591-6069.
Evergreen Business Capital Community Finance
- Evergreen Business Capital is a non-profit Certified Development Company that aims to foster economic development by funding the start-up, growth, or expansion of small businesses. Utilizing the SBA 504 program, they assist with the purchase or refinance of commercial real estate and large equipment. Loans can range from $100,000 to $5.5 million. For smaller needs, they offer the SBA’s Community Advantage, USDA’s IRP and an in-house microloan program Loan proceeds can be used for working capital, small equipment, inventory, refinancing of business debt, and a variety of other small business financing needs.
- Contact Theresa Smith, Vice President, CDFI and Impact Manager at theresa.smith@evergreen504.com or (253) 583-6064.
- Provides entrepreneurs with access to capital and a review of their investment preparedness. They can work with you toward your borrowing goals with loans from $75,000 to around $2 million. Their capital products come with competitive rates and terms plus little or no down payment. Products include permanent working capital, expansion loans, tenant improvement loans, and funds for equipment. Grow America Fund also provides free one-on-one business coaching, workshops, courses, and seminars.
- Contact Brian Salva, Lending Manager, at bsalva@growamerica.org.
Rainier Valley Community Development Fund
- Assists businesses along the Martin Luther King Jr. corridor in southeast Seattle. Loans range from $50,000 to $2 million with flexible payment terms and interest rates. Their loan criteria are not the same as those at traditional lending agencies. They look at factors like character, business capacity, projected cash flow, and the impact a business will have on the community.
- Contact Bob Luciano, Director of Community Outreach and Engagement, at bluciano@rvcdf.org or (206) 722-5282.
- Ventures offers loans and micro-financing to empower small business growth. As a mission-driven lender, Ventures makes capital available to small business owners who may not qualify for traditional financing. Ventures’ loan programs combine capital products with business coaching to support the long-term success of their loan recipients.
- Contact Erin Williamson, Director of Capital and Advocacy at ewilliamson@venturesnonprofit.org or (206) 960-4545.
The City of Seattle encourages everyone to participate in its programs and activities. For additional questions, translation or interpretation, technical assistance, disability accommodations, materials in alternate formats, or accessibility information, please contact the Office of Economic Development at (206) 684-8090 or oed@seattle.gov.