Why Support Us

Many very small business owners in the Chicagoland area do not have access to traditional sources of financing because of the risk associated with lending to small, emerging businesses without significant collateral or a long history of profitability. Without access to capital however, many small business owners turn to exploitative sources of financing, such as payday loans and title loans, paying exorbitant interest rates and fees.

At ACCION Chicago, we share a commitment to build better business communities by providing fair and accessible business services.  We do that by disbursing credit, offering business counseling and providing entrepreneurship training and education. Our loan program has more flexible collateral requirements: we accept non-traditional forms of collateral such as vehicles and general business assets.  We also work with individuals who have damaged or limited credit history. Through our program, small business owners are able to continue working to increase their assets, build better credit history, and establish a profitable operating history, thereby paving their way to participation in the mainstream financial market.

Access our GuideStar page by clicking the logo below.