PeopleFund creates economic opportunity and financial stability for underserved people and communities by providing access to capital, education, and resources to build healthy small businesses.
PeopleFund’s 2023 grant list centers on one theme: lending and education services for underserved small businesses, delivered through a network of community lenders across the country. The largest recent grant went to Access to Capital for Entrepreneurs Inc in Cleveland, Georgia, for $300,000, followed by $215,175 to the Economic and Community Development Institute Inc in Columbus, Ohio, for the same purpose. Those awards show a clear preference for organizations that combine financing with business support rather than standalone philanthropy. The foundation also backed Black Business Investments Fund Inc in Orlando, Florida, with $140,000 and Seattle Economic Development Fund dba Business Impact NW with $130,000, again for lending and education services to underserved small businesses. A smaller award to Wisconsin Womens Business Initiative in Milwaukee continued that pattern. PeopleFund’s own programs reinforce the same operating model: capital access, business education, and loan readiness for underserved entrepreneurs, including BIPOC entrepreneurs and military-connected founders. Across its grantmaking and programs, the emphasis stays on helping businesses secure financing, improve planning, and build stability.
PeopleFund supports small-business finance and the organizations that help entrepreneurs qualify for it. In 2023, it gave $100,000 to Wisconsin Womens Business Initiative in Milwaukee for lending and education services to underserved small businesses, and $50,000 to Pursuit (NYBDC) in Albany for the same purpose. That pairing points to a model that combines capital with technical assistance. The foundation also backs community development finance. A $33,500 grant to Colorado Enterprise Fund Inc in Denver followed the same lending-and-education pattern, while $140,000 to Black Business Investments Fund Inc in Orlando extended support to a group focused on Black business ownership. Its active programs add another layer: Texas-based accelerators for BIPOC entrepreneurs and military spouses, plus disaster relief loans for Texas small businesses in active disaster declarations. Those programs show how PeopleFund connects capital access with education, loan packaging, and business planning.
PeopleFund’s recent grants cluster around a median size of $130,000, with a typical range from $75,000 at the 25th percentile to $177,588 at the 75th percentile. The largest recent award reached $300,000, while several others landed between $100,000 and $215,175. That spread suggests a mix of mid-sized institutional support and smaller allocations. The 2023 recipient list shows repeated funding to the same general service model rather than repeated grants to the same organizations in the data provided. PeopleFund is a public charity and a pure DAF provider, and it also makes program-related investments. Its program listings include unsolicited access points for accelerators and lending products, including Texas small-business and nonprofit lending, BIPOC and military-connected accelerators, and disaster relief loans.
$969K
$97.6M
$23.7M
$13.9M
Most grants fall between $75K and $178K, with a median of $130K.
25th Percentile
$75K
Median
$130K
75th Percentile
$178K
About 0% of grants go to recipients in CO.
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PeopleFund gives nationally, and the 2023 grant list places all recent recipients in the United States. The strongest concentration is in New York by grant count, even though the headquarters are in Austin, Texas. Recent recipients include organizations in Cleveland, Columbus, Orlando, Seattle, Milwaukee, Albany, and Denver, showing a broad spread across the Midwest, South, West, and Northeast. The available data shows 0% of grants to recipients in Texas in the recent grant sample.
PeopleFund funds organizations that provide lending and education services to underserved small businesses. The recent grant list includes community lenders and business development organizations, and the active programs focus on small business lending, microfinance, business education, technical assistance, and disaster relief lending.
The typical grant size is $130,000 at the median, with a 25th percentile of $75,000 and a 75th percentile of $177,588. In the 2023 sample, awards ranged from $33,500 to $300,000.
Yes. The active program list includes a BIPOC Small Business Accelerator and a Military Connected Small Business Accelerator. PeopleFund also lists veteran and military-spouse entrepreneurship and BIPOC entrepreneur support among its focus areas.
By grant count, New York is the top state for giving in the data provided. The recent grants also reach California, Florida, Washington, Wisconsin, Colorado, Georgia, and Ohio through recipient organizations in cities such as Albany, Seattle, Milwaukee, and Denver.
Yes. The active program listings mark the BIPOC Small Business Accelerator, Small Business and Nonprofit Lending, Military Connected Small Business Accelerator, and Disaster Relief Loans for Texas Small Businesses as accepting unsolicited applications.
2025
Source: IRS Form 990-PF, fiscal year 2025.
Current and upcoming funding from Peoplefund that your nonprofit may be able to apply for.
Who can apply: Open to small businesses and nonprofits. PeopleFund focuses on businesses in low to moderate-income areas and provides flexible underwriting; applicants must qualify under loan criteria.
Deadline: No fixed deadline stated; applications appear to be accepted continuously.
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Most recent grants reported to the IRS.
| Recipient | Location | Amount | Year | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ACCESS TO CAPITAL FOR ENTREPRENEURS INC | CLEVELAND, GA | $300,000 | 2023 | SUPPORT LENDING AND EDUCATION SERVICES TO UNDERSERVED SMALL BUSINESSES |
| ECONOMIC AND COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT INSTITUTE INC | COLUMBUS, OH | $215,175 | 2023 | SUPPORT LENDING AND EDUCATION SERVICES TO UNDERSERVED SMALL BUSINESSES |
| BLACK BUSINESS INVESTMENTS FUND INC | ORLANDO, FL | $140,000 | 2023 | SUPPORT LENDING AND EDUCATION SERVICES TO UNDERSERVED SMALL BUSINESSES |
| SEATTLE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT FUND DBA BUSINESS IMPACT NW | SEATTLE, WA | $130,000 | 2023 | SUPPORT LENDING AND EDUCATION SERVICES TO UNDERSERVED SMALL BUSINESSES |
| WISCONSIN WOMENS BUSINESS INITIATIVE | MILWAUKEE, WI | $100,000 | 2023 | SUPPORT LENDING AND EDUCATION SERVICES TO UNDERSERVED SMALL BUSINESSES |
| PURSUIT (NYBDC) | ALBANY, NY | $50,000 | 2023 | SUPPORT LENDING AND EDUCATION SERVICES TO UNDERSERVED SMALL BUSINESSES |
| COLORADO ENTERPRISE FUND INC | DENVER, CO | $33,500 | 2023 | SUPPORT LENDING AND EDUCATION SERVICES TO UNDERSERVED SMALL BUSINESSES |
SUPPORT LENDING AND EDUCATION SERVICES TO UNDERSERVED SMALL BUSINESSES
SUPPORT LENDING AND EDUCATION SERVICES TO UNDERSERVED SMALL BUSINESSES
BLACK BUSINESS INVESTMENTS FUND INC
$140,000SUPPORT LENDING AND EDUCATION SERVICES TO UNDERSERVED SMALL BUSINESSES
SUPPORT LENDING AND EDUCATION SERVICES TO UNDERSERVED SMALL BUSINESSES
SUPPORT LENDING AND EDUCATION SERVICES TO UNDERSERVED SMALL BUSINESSES
PURSUIT (NYBDC)
$50,000SUPPORT LENDING AND EDUCATION SERVICES TO UNDERSERVED SMALL BUSINESSES
SUPPORT LENDING AND EDUCATION SERVICES TO UNDERSERVED SMALL BUSINESSES