Publications

New national survey demonstrates how small business owners provided jobs and protected their workers over COVID-19

In collaboration with the Financial Health Network [formerly the Center for Financial Services Innovation (CFSI)], we are pleased to present the initial findings of our Small Business Financial Health Survey. Accion Opportunity Fund, including our lending arm Opportunity Fund, and FHN are committed to building a more robust financial marketplace for both consumers and small…

Income fluctuates when you’re an entrepreneur. Sales can change for a myriad of reasons, ranging from predictable seasonality to unexpected competition. With this, a business owner’s available cash and ability to re-pay debt inevitably change as well. We presented “The True Cost of Capital” – a webinar detailing just how much a typical small business…

Every business owner we lend to is on a journey—to turn their dream of a sustainable business into a reality. Many of our borrowers face obstacles on their journey toward success—such as a cash flow shortage or other financial setback—that may prevent them from seizing an opportunity to grow or maintain their business.

Today, we’re pleased to release new findings from our evaluation of the partnership between Opportunity Fund and LendingClub.

We recently concluded an evaluation to measure changes in the financial and credit profiles of nearly 2,000 small businesses funded by Accion Opportunity Fund

The partnership between Opportunity Fund, the lending arm of Accion Opportunity Fund, and LendingClub combines the mission focus of a Community Development Financial Institution (CDFI) with the online lending expertise of a fintech, creating a new model for transparent, responsible lending services that meet the needs of today’s small business owner.

Today, Accion Opportunity Fund releases a new report “Building Technology for Cross-Sector Collaboration: A Case Study of Fintech-CDFI Partnership Success” about the recently launched partnership between Accion Opportunity Fund and LendingClub.

On the heels of the Great Recession, a new breed of “alternative” lenders has emerged to offer small businesses much-needed access to credit. These new lenders are filling a void created after banks dramatically cut back on their lending to small businesses.

Ten years ago, the financing options for a small business, such as a salon or restaurant were fairly straightforward, though not always easily accessed. A business would go to a bank or credit union and apply for a loan. If the application was denied, for most businesses there was only a limited range of secondary…