“Missing Middle” Small Business Financing
Investing in people and place
Why We Invest
Inclusive entrepreneurship & community development
Small businesses and nonprofits are the lifeblood of local economies. But too many are either ignored or preyed upon by the current financial system. Unfortunately, these are often the organizations that are delivering critical services, creating paths to quality jobs, and leading inclusive economic development.
Mission Driven Finance works with partners around the country to design and deploy funds that deliver accessible capital and put their community first.
Small businesses and nonprofits in California
A people- and place-based fund, Advance California is an evergreen revolving private credit portfolio in California providing debt financing to tenacious small businesses, social enterprises, and nonprofits committed to advancing local economic opportunity.
Small businesses and nonprofits in New Mexico
Advance New Mexico provides debt financing to tenacious small businesses, social enterprises, and nonprofits committed to advancing local economic opportunity.
Indigenous entrepreneurs & Tribal enterprises
Announced at The White House in February 2024, the Indigenous Futures Fund is designed to speed up the flow of capital to Indigenous entrepreneurs and Tribal enterprises. The fund also intends to boost the capacity of Native Community Development Financial Institutions (CDFIs) and other Native financial intermediaries.
Securing business legacy for resilient jobs and communities
This shared ownership investment strategy supports businesses throughout the U.S. that want to transition to employee ownership and need capital to do so. Operated in partnership with Project Equity, the fund promotes resilient, quality jobs, increases worker voice, and preserves and strengthens small business assets in communities.
Transforming food systems
If regenerative agriculture can be defined as the connection between agriculture and climate change and the regeneration of soil, then equally important in the ecosystem are the communities of people who live near and work on the land.
Our regenerative harvest strategy aims to support the transformation of our food system into one that is regenerative, healthy, and resilient.
Underrepresented founders in cleantech
In partnership with the Los Angeles Cleantech Incubator (LACI), we are underwriting loans for the nationwide LACI Cleantech Debt Fund, a green loan program to scale early-stage cleantech startups and accelerate equitable climate action.
Starbucks Community Resilience Fund
In early 2021, Starbucks announced its commitment to invest $100 million through the new Starbucks Community Resilience Fund. The fund focuses on advancing racial equity and environmental resilience by supporting small business growth and community development projects in neighborhoods with historically limited access to capital.
Mission Driven Finance is honored to be working with our friends at Next Street, a New York-based small business consulting firm and fellow Certified B Corporation, to support Starbucks in activating its Community Resilience Fund.
Capital for St. Louis companies and communities
In partnership with WEPOWER St. Louis, we supported the building of their first $1.5M revenue-based investment fund WEPOWER Capital to support overlooked and underestimated entrepreneurs in North St. Louis.
San Diego nonprofit COVID-19 response
The San Diego County COVID-19 Small Business & Nonprofit Loan Program (SBNLP) provided low-to-no-interest loans to small businesses and nonprofit organizations and aid in the region’s economic recovery from the coronavirus.
With seed funding from San Diego Foundation and Alliance Healthcare Foundation, we deployed $5.2 million in 0% interest loans to 26 local nonprofits.
Akron small business COVID-19 relief
In summer 2020, we supported the City of Akron, Community Reinvestment Fund, and local CDFI partners in designing a revolving loan fund for small businesses to bounce back from pandemic-related economic effects.
Explore other impact areas