CLIMB Fund

Lending ProgramsThe Organizations loan programs Next Level Lending Loan, Microloan, Small Business Loan,Real Estate Loan, and Line of Credit can provide funding for most business capital needs to eligible businesses within the Organizations service area. Although the Organization provides assistance to thoseunderserved by the traditional financial institutions, it collaborates regularly with local commerciallenders and small business community resources.For the year ended September 30, 2023, the Organization approved 111 loans totaling $9,064,635 which resulted in closing 110 loans for a total of $5,857,995 in funding. These loans, including those refinanced,and both new and existing micro and small businesses which provided a positive impact on employment opportunities through the creation and retention of 275 jobs.

Technical Assistance ProgramTechnical Assistance ProgramCoupled with its loan products, the organization provides both pre-loan counseling to prospective applicants and intensive post-loan developmental services to its borrowers. Such assistance occurs in various forums: one-on-one counseling, group sessions, workshops, seminars, classes, exhibitions, and site visits. Many of the group sessions are conducted in collaboration with local community resources such as SBDC, SCORE, or the SBA, just to name a few. Throughout the year, the Organization provided over 1,700 entrepreneurs some level of technical assistance at more than 130 seminars, workshops, or networking events.The organization views its one-on-one technical assistance as critical to providing a foundation for success and offers such assistance through several vehicles of delivery to include consultant team, staff, and its community resources. The consultant team allows the Organization to provide specialized training by offering bookkeeping and QuickBooks training and business counseling through its site visit program. During the year, 385 businesses have received almost 6,000 hours of specialized training.