Loans and borrowing money for your business

Before applying for a loan, contact the San Francisco Small Business Development Center. 

They will pair you with a financial consultant. Your consultant can help you explore whether a loan is right for your business. They may suggest what options are best for you. 

They can also help with business planning and building or repairing credit.

Downtown SF Vibrancy Loan & Grant Fund 

A new $3.6 million loan and grant program will assist small business with filling vacant storefronts Downtown (view the eligibility map here). These loans will provide capital to underserved markets for those who experience barriers to accessing traditional banking services. Loan amounts will between $25,000-$100,000 with a 4% interest rate for qualifying businesses. In addition, those who qualify for the loan will also receive a grant of $25,000 from the City to support their launch. For more information and to apply, click here. In partnership with Main Street Launch.  

Loans from nonprofit and community lenders often have fewer restrictions than loans from traditional banks. These lenders often target disadvantaged groups like minority or low-income business founders who are less likely to receive loans from regular banks. 

These loans are usually smaller or have fixed interest rates so that borrowers are less likely to default (fail to repay their loan). In addition to capital, many provide services like training or technical assistance.

Bank loans are one of the most traditional and conservative ways to finance a business. They can also some of the hardest loans to get. When banks lend to new businesses, they usually only offer short-term loans, seasonal lines of credit, and single-purpose loans for machinery and equipment. Most banks require a business plan as part of the application. 

SF Lends

To address the difficulty many small businesses experience in accessing capital through a bank, the Office of the Treasurer & Tax Collector and the City Administrator’s Office started SF Lends. It is an initiative that aims to connect small businesses to affordable loans and lines of credit for their day-to-day cashflow needs. The financial products identified through SF Lends are publicly available, so anyone can apply. Additionally, SF Lends is tailored to support Certified City & County of San Francisco Local Business Enterprises (LBE’s) with active contractual relationships with the government – direct or subcontract. The City will validate certification and contract status on behalf of these LBEs during underwriting.

Main Street Launch

Main Street Launch provides capital to businesses, with microloans and loan products.

Fondo Adelante 

The Mission Economic Development Agency’s (MEDA) community loan fund, Fondo Adelante, offers loans up to $100,000 to businesses who cannot get a loan at a traditional bank. 

Kiva Microloans

Kiva is a local non-profit that provides 0% interest loans up to $15,000 for small businesses and start-ups in the Bay Area. These loans are crowdfunded on their website and can be used for any business purpose. Kiva's crowdfunding model and unique approach to underwriting allows those with poor financial history or limited business experience the opportunity to raise capital.

Mission Asset Fund

Mission Asset Fund helps clients participate in lending circles to help low-income businesses access 0 interest loans and build credit.

Northeast Community Federal Credit Union

Northeast is a nonprofit, member-owned, federally insured, community development credit union that offers small business loans. Chinese assistance is available upon request.

Accion Opportunity Fund

Opportunity Fund advances the economic well-being of working people by helping them earn, save, and invest in their future. Opportunity Fund provides Small Business Loans, IDA Savings, and Community Real Estate services. The loans range from $5,000 to $100,000 in the Bay Area and Greater Los Angeles.

Pacific Community Ventures

Pacific Community Ventures is a mission-driven lender that provides fair and affordable loans up to $250,000 to California small businesses with at least 12 months in business.

Southeast Asian Community Center (SEACC)

The Southeast Asian Community Center (SEACC) is a multi-service nonprofit that provides business support services include one-on-one technical assistance, credit evaluation and repair, business plan development, financial projections, marketing, business expansions, interpretation and translation services, and loan packaging to small businesses in the Greater San Francisco Bay Area. SEACC is a designated intermediary lender for the US Small Business Administration’s 7(m) Microloan program. This program provides commercial loans up to $50,000, to small businesses that have been unable to secure conventional bank loans.

Working Solutions

Working Solutions is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization committed to serving new and existing businesses throughout the nine San Francisco Bay Area counties. Services include Microloans (Small Business Loans from $5,000 to $100,000), Technical Assistance and One-On-One Support, No-Cost Referrals to Local Business Resources, and Educational Presentations on Access to Capital. The mission of Working Solutions is to provide underserved microentrepreneurs with the access to capital and resources they need to successfully start or grow viable businesses.