Investing to Empower People and Communities
SCF invests in mission-aligned projects and organizations that strive to create more inclusive and equitable communities
SCF invested $350,000 in the Grameen America Social Business Fund (GASBF), Grameen’s first microloan fund created to significantly expand the provision of group loans to low income, female small business owners across the U.S.
In GASBF’s first two years, SCF’s capital has funded over 700 loans worth over $2M, thus generating loans worth nearly six times its investment.
SCF invested $350,000 to help BCL launch and grow its Diversity Loan Fund. This fund lends to “growth businesses” operated by underserved groups—women and minorities. This fund offers borrowers flexible underwriting standards so these entrepreneurs can grow their small business located in Texas. SCF’s funds target to serve earlier-stage businesses to ensure that start-up businesses have the opportunity to grow, despite limited available capital for these borrowers in the market.
SCF invested $37,000 to provide microfinance loans to small businesses to support Haiti’s post-2010 earthquake recovery efforts and to address its status as the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere. Loans were issued to individual women entrepreneurs or uniquely to “village banking groups” of up to a dozen women whose loans are tied together. Given Finca Haiti’s average loan sizes of $170, it is estimated that SCF’s capital funded over 215 loans.
SCF began its operations as a foundation in 2011. It was born out of a mission-centered economic development company, National New Markets Fund.
SCF operates as a revolving investment fund to achieve our poverty alleviation mission. Primarily we support financial inclusion strategies that are seeking to build more equitable access to capital resources for underserved and low-income communities… Read More
SCF’s mission is to alleviate poverty by supporting financial, economic and social inclusion strategies that empower low-income people and strengthen communities.
The stories below represent the end-user beneficiaries of SCF’s capital at the organizations we fund.
"We were impressed with how quickly SCF was able to provide us with the funds we needed for our pilot lending program. Our ability to provide these early-stage African American entrepreneurs with access to capital is central to our mission of reducing the racial wealth gap and creating economic opportunity for all."
"As an investor in Grameen’s first investment fund, SCF continues to be a strong partner by providing us with valuable information, resources, and relationships in order to support us in expanding our programs to serve low-income women entrepreneurs."
"For a decade, SCF has shown that it is willing to take risks with us by supporting new higher risk lending activities and programs. Their patient capital has been responsive to our changing needs and direction over time and--they have been true partners to us."
“As a small loan fund operator, MCNW views SCF as an excellent partner. SCF has provided us with the flexible capital we needed. They have also been patient as we made needed adjustments to our loan products in order to better address the needs of the most underserved.”