Community Reinvestment Fund, USA Tops $200 Million in SBA 7(a) Loans

MINNEAPOLIS, March 21, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Community Reinvestment Fund, USA (CRF) – a mission-driven non-profit lender dedicated to improving communities and transforming lives – announced today that it has crossed the $200 million milestone for Small Business Administration (SBA) 7(a) lending.

As a non-bank licensee authorized by the SBA to offer 7(a) business loans, CRF often provides financing when others can't or won't. By assessing businesses beyond the usual loan criteria, CRF is able to fund SBA 7(a) loans for borrowers who:

• Have a financial history where the numbers don't paint the whole picture
• Have turned a business around and show early evidence of the change
• Have a project that clearly benefits the community or creates jobs

"CRF is proud to reach this lending milestone, but the real pride comes from the lives we've helped improve," said CRF Chief Impact Officer and SVP Small Business Lending Keith Rachey. "With nearly 200 loans in low-income communities, 200 loans to women-owned businesses and more than 100 loans to businesses owned by people of color, CRF and its partners are leveraging the SBA 7(a) program to maximize its benefit to people in need."

Since becoming an SBA 7(a) lender, CRF has made nearly 400 SBA 7(a) business loans that have served more than 7,000 people living and working in underserved communities. CRF's emphasis is on community impact and helping to create a more equitable economic landscape for women, people of color, veterans and underserved populations.

CRF's SBA 7(a) loan program, administered through its affiliate – CRF Small Business Loan Company – is a highly flexible alternative to traditional business loans, providing between $150,000 and $4 million to qualified businesses that can't be financed by conventional lending sources. With lower down-payments and terms as long as 25 years, SBA 7(a) loans have manageable monthly payments and a lower cash outlay to ease cash flow and hasten growth.

The biggest impact of CRF's SBA 7(a) work comes from jobs created or retained: more than 6,600 since 2012. But economic transformation doesn't stop with a job: communities with high employment have greater purchasing power, better access to community resources like healthcare and child care and an improved ability to attract private investment. This creates a ripple effect that reverberates throughout the community as wealth is created and leveraged for social change.

"We see economics differently than traditional lenders, and that gives CRF a unique ability to be more proactive, responsive and engaged with borrowers' needs," said Rachey. "Because we take time to look at the story behind the numbers, CRF can often say 'yes' when traditional funding sources are forced to say 'no.' There's a tremendous gap between how much capital communities need and how much traditional lenders are willing to lend. CRF, its partners and the SBA 7(a) program are working to close that gap."

To learn more about CRF's SBA 7(a) lending program, visit www.crfusa.com/sba7(a).

About Community Reinvestment Fund, USA (CRF)

Founded in 1988, Community Reinvestment Fund, USA (CRF) is a national non-profit organization with a mission to empower people to improve their lives and strengthen their communities through innovative financial solutions. A leading Community Development Financial Institution (CDFI), CRF supports mission-driven organizations through the development of products and services aimed at increasing the flow of capital to historically underinvested communities across the country. CRF has injected more than $2.4 billion to help stimulate job creation and economic development, provide affordable housing, and support community facilities.  For more information, visit www.crfusa.com.

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SOURCE Community Reinvestment Fund, USA