CAROLINA SMALL BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT FUND

Our work contains three main pillars:

1. Affordable Financing and Grants: CSBDF has issues small business loans and grants. Our lending activities help expand capital access for current and aspiring business owners throughout the region. Proceeds can be used for leasehold improvements, real estate, working capital, equipment purchases, machinery, and inventory. Grants are offered in partnership with governments to provide disaster assistance to Main Street firms.
2. Business Technical Assistance: Creating a vibrant small business community starts and ends with relevant and individualized technical assistance. In recognition of the fact that the path to successful business ownership is fraught with challenge, CSBDF offers a comprehensive assistance curriculum. Training is available to help address all of these needs via both in-person, group, and online formats.
3. Policy Research: Through policy and research, CSBDF contributes to scholarly and practitioner dialogues on issues surrounding community economic development. Our work in this area is designed to provide relevant, accessible, and politically neutral analyses for evidence-based policy recommendations. We seek to produce theoretically sound research around three main themes: (A) the importance of small businesses in development policy, (B) the needs of underserved entrepreneurs, and (C) holistic outcome assessments/program evaluations.