Operate a sustainable secondary market that empowers CDFIs to close the small business financing gap—particularly for very small businesses and entrepreneurs of color—by bundling and selling CDFI-originated microloans to banks and providing consistent, unrestricted funding to CDFIs.
Great Rivers Community Trust centers its giving on a secondary market for CDFI-originated microloans, pairing loan purchases with unrestricted support for community lenders. That model is built to help certified CDFIs expand small-business financing, especially for very small businesses and entrepreneurs of color. The grant record shows a steady pattern of general operating support to CDFI and microlender partners rather than project-specific awards. Among its larger recent grants, Accion Opportunity Fund Community Development in San Jose received $907,139 in 2025 and $918,880 in 2024, while DreamSpring in Albuquerque received $728,392 in 2024 and $256,138 in 2025. Those repeat awards fit the trust’s operating approach: it buys microloans, returns capital to lending partners, and provides flexible funding that can support additional originations and growth. The foundation also reaches established intermediaries such as Working Solutions Cdfi in San Francisco, Accessity in San Diego, and Liftfund Inc in San Antonio. Across the recent grants list, the same CDFI lenders appear more than once, which points to ongoing relationships rather than one-time awards.
In small-business lending, Great Rivers Community Trust backs CDFIs that originate microloans for entrepreneurs who face barriers in the traditional market. It gave $336,677 in 2025 to Accessity in San Diego for general support, and $389,933 in 2024 to Liftfund Inc in San Antonio for the same purpose. Its support for CDFI capacity is visible in repeat general support to Working Solutions Cdfi in San Francisco, including $315,916 in 2024 and $222,174 in 2025. The trust also funds organizations serving local business ecosystems, such as Main Street Launch in Oakland, which received $206,568 in 2024 and $14,938 in 2025. Geographically, the trust’s grants are national in scope, with recent awards going to CDFIs in California, Texas, New Mexico, Arizona, and other states. The pattern fits a lender-support model rather than a place-based program grantmaker.
Great Rivers Community Trust gives at a mid-to-upper six-figure scale. Its typical grant size is $33,973 at the 25th percentile, $71,689 at the median, and $256,138 at the 75th percentile. The recent record includes both large recurring operating grants and smaller general-support awards, suggesting a layered funding approach across partner sizes. Several recipients appear in multiple years, including Accion Opportunity Fund Community Development, DreamSpring, Working Solutions Cdfi, and Main Street Launch. That repeat pattern suggests ongoing relationships rather than isolated awards. The trust is a mixed community foundation and does not fund individuals or make program-related investments. One of its active programs accepts unsolicited submissions, while another does not.
$2.2M
$37.5M
$9.5M
$4.6M
Most grants fall between $34K and $256K, with a median of $72K.
25th Percentile
$34K
Median
$72K
75th Percentile
$256K
About 0% of grants go to recipients in NY.
ROBERT VILLARREAL
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Great Rivers Community Trust gives nationally, and all recent grants in the sample went to U.S. recipients. California appears frequently, with grants to San Jose, San Diego, San Francisco, Oakland, and Los Angeles. Other repeated locations include San Antonio, New York City, Albuquerque, and Chicago. The top state by grant count is New York, even though the foundation’s headquarters are in Zebulon, North Carolina. Recent awards also reached Phoenix, Saint Louis, Thomaston, and Minneapolis, showing a broad U.S. spread rather than a single regional focus.
It supports CDFIs and microlenders that originate small-dollar business loans, with a focus on community-based lenders serving very small businesses, entrepreneurs of color, and underbanked borrowers. The recent grants are mostly general support to CDFI partners.
Its typical grant size is $33,973 at the 25th percentile, $71,689 at the median, and $256,138 at the 75th percentile. The recent record includes both six-figure and smaller operating grants.
It gives nationally. The recent grants list is entirely U.S.-based, with recipients in California, Texas, New Mexico, New York, Arizona, Illinois, Minnesota, Georgia, and Missouri.
Several recipients appear in multiple years, including Accion Opportunity Fund Community Development, DreamSpring, Working Solutions Cdfi, Main Street Launch, and Liftfund Inc. That indicates recurring support to some partners rather than one-time funding only.
One active program accepts unsolicited submissions, the Scale Link Secondary Market / Loan Purchase Service and the Entrepreneur Backed Assets Fund. Another active program, CDFI Partnership – Loan Purchase & Unrestricted Support, does not accept unsolicited requests.
2025
Source: IRS Form 990-PF, fiscal year 2025.
Most recent grants reported to the IRS.
| Recipient | Location | Amount | Year | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ACCION OPPORTUNITY FUND COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT | SAN JOSE, CA | $907,139 | 2025 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| ACCESSITY | SAN DIEGO, CA | $336,677 | 2025 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| DREAMSPRING | ALBUQUERQUE, NM | $256,138 | 2025 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| WORKING SOLUTIONS CDFI | SAN FRANCISCO, CA | $222,174 | 2025 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| RAZA DEVELOPMENT FUND INC | PHOENIX, AZ | $159,197 | 2025 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| ASCENDUS INC | NEW YORK CITY, NY | $100,519 | 2025 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| PACIFIC COMMUNITY VENTURES | OAKLAND, CA | $58,192 | 2025 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| LIFT FUND | SAN ANTONIO, TX | $55,045 | 2025 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| COMMUNITY ENTERPRISES INC | THOMASTON, GA | $36,560 | 2025 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| ALLIES FOR COMMUNITY BUSINESS | CHICAGO, IL | $34,743 | 2025 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| JUSTINE PETERSEN HOUSING AND REINVESTMENT CORPORATION | SAINT LOUIS, MO | $16,305 | 2025 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| MAIN STREET LAUNCH | OAKLAND, CA | $14,938 | 2025 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| THE CENTER BY LENDISTRY | LOS ANGELES, CA | $10,571 | 2025 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| ACCION OPPORTUNITY FUND COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT | SAN JOSE, CA | $918,880 | 2024 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| DREAMSPRING | ALBUQUERQUE, NM | $728,392 | 2024 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| LIFTFUND INC | SAN ANTONIO, TX | $389,933 | 2024 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| WORKING SOLUTIONS CDFI | SAN FRANCISCO, CA | $315,916 | 2024 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| MAIN STREET LAUNCH | OAKLAND, CA | $206,568 | 2024 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| ACCESSITY | SAN DIEGO, CA | $143,632 | 2024 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| ASCENDUS INC | NEW YORK CITY, NY | $60,158 | 2024 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| WOMENVENTURE | MINNEAPOLIS, MN | $34,440 | 2024 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| JUSTINE PETERSEN HOUSING AND REINVESTMENT CORPORATION | SAINT LOUIS, MO | $28,381 | 2024 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| ALLIES FOR COMMUNITY BUSINESS | CHICAGO, IL | $23,448 | 2024 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| DREAMSPRING | ALBUQUERQUE, NM | $284,407 | 2023 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| ACCION OPPORTUNITY FUND COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT | SAN JOSE, CA | $148,980 | 2023 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| ALLIES FOR COMMUNITY BUSINESS | CHICAGO, IL | $71,689 | 2023 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| WOMENVENTURE | MINNEAPOLIS, MN | $33,973 | 2023 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| LIFTFUND INC | SAN ANTONIO, TX | $30,310 | 2023 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| MAIN STREET LAUNCH | OAKLAND, CA | $29,713 | 2023 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
ACCION OPPORTUNITY FUND COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT
$907,139GENERAL SUPPORT
ACCESSITY
$336,677GENERAL SUPPORT
DREAMSPRING
$256,138GENERAL SUPPORT
WORKING SOLUTIONS CDFI
$222,174GENERAL SUPPORT
RAZA DEVELOPMENT FUND INC
$159,197GENERAL SUPPORT
ASCENDUS INC
$100,519GENERAL SUPPORT
Current and upcoming funding from Great Rivers Community Trust that your nonprofit may be able to apply for.
Who can apply: Scale Link works exclusively with loan funds that are certified CDFIs or anticipate applying for certification within 12 months. It also states that CDFIs may begin as growth partners and potentially become preferred partners after reaching annual loan production of at least 50 microloans per year.
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PACIFIC COMMUNITY VENTURES
GENERAL SUPPORT
LIFT FUND
$55,045GENERAL SUPPORT
COMMUNITY ENTERPRISES INC
$36,560GENERAL SUPPORT
ALLIES FOR COMMUNITY BUSINESS
$34,743GENERAL SUPPORT
JUSTINE PETERSEN HOUSING AND REINVESTMENT CORPORATION
$16,305GENERAL SUPPORT
MAIN STREET LAUNCH
$14,938GENERAL SUPPORT
THE CENTER BY LENDISTRY
$10,571GENERAL SUPPORT
ACCION OPPORTUNITY FUND COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT
$918,880GENERAL SUPPORT
DREAMSPRING
$728,392GENERAL SUPPORT
LIFTFUND INC
$389,933GENERAL SUPPORT
WORKING SOLUTIONS CDFI
$315,916GENERAL SUPPORT
MAIN STREET LAUNCH
$206,568GENERAL SUPPORT
ACCESSITY
$143,632GENERAL SUPPORT
ASCENDUS INC
$60,158GENERAL SUPPORT
WOMENVENTURE
$34,440GENERAL SUPPORT
JUSTINE PETERSEN HOUSING AND REINVESTMENT CORPORATION
$28,381GENERAL SUPPORT
ALLIES FOR COMMUNITY BUSINESS
$23,448GENERAL SUPPORT
DREAMSPRING
$284,407GENERAL SUPPORT
ACCION OPPORTUNITY FUND COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT
$148,980GENERAL SUPPORT
ALLIES FOR COMMUNITY BUSINESS
$71,689GENERAL SUPPORT
WOMENVENTURE
$33,973GENERAL SUPPORT
LIFTFUND INC
$30,310GENERAL SUPPORT
MAIN STREET LAUNCH
$29,713GENERAL SUPPORT
