Meeting the unique needs of underbanked commercial borrowers in our service area requires us to maintain a deep understanding of the commercial lending markets and their gaps. We develop our loan programs in response to market realities and to complement the work of traditional bank lenders, whose policies may prevent certain types of lending. Our lending helps unlock positive economic impact from businesses that traditional lenders cannot fully finance.

Significant economic impacts are most often achieved by the aligned efforts of multiple organizations, including traditional bank lenders, entrepreneur support organizations, and economic development agencies. We work with partners across this spectrum, leveraging each partner’s strengths to maximize collective impact.

By providing innovative capital solutions to businesses, we aim to strengthen the communities they operate within. We embrace a data-driven approach to understanding and meeting community needs, including quality and accessible jobs, commercial services or goods, or community services. We work closely with our borrowers and stakeholders in their communities to understand how business initiatives can be successful in meeting communities’ needs.

Committed to achieving positive impacts, we monitor the relevant impact of our borrowers’ businesses, including job creation, employment of low income persons, number of affordable and workforce housing units financed, and number of people provided community services, over the life of our loans. We also measure the percentages of our loans that are made to businesses in rural communities and to underserved entrepreneurs, including women and minorities.

Our mission through the use of New Markets Tax Credits is to finance businesses and community assets that stabilize, strengthen and support highly distressed communities, particularly in rural areas across the south. These goals are achieved by financing projects that create and retain quality jobs and provide needed goods and services in these disinvested communities.