Founders First CDC

Founders First CDC is a nonprofit Community Development Financial Institution, or CDFI, based in San Diego, California. It provides revenue-based financing and business support services to underserved small business owners across the United States, with a particular focus on minority-owned, women-owned, veteran-owned and LGBTQ-owned businesses.

CDFIs are mission-driven financial organizations certified by the US Treasury. They exist to expand access to affordable capital for communities that are often excluded from conventional bank financing. Founders First CDC takes this mission a step further by focusing specifically on service-based businesses led by diverse entrepreneurs who face systemic barriers to business financing.

Founders First CDC uses a revenue-based financing model rather than a traditional loan structure. Revenue-based financing provides capital to a business in exchange for a percentage of future revenue until the total repayment amount is reached. This means repayment is tied to business performance: when revenue is strong, repayment is faster; during slower periods, less is repaid.

In addition to financing, Founders First CDC provides business coaching, mentoring and educational programming to help entrepreneurs build sustainable businesses. This wraparound support is a core part of its mission and distinguishes it from purely transactional lenders.

Founders First CDC serves businesses across the United States and has expanded its geographic reach significantly. If you are a small business owner from an underserved community who needs both capital and business support, Founders First CDC is worth exploring.

Contact the organization directly to learn about current loan amounts, eligibility requirements and available business support programs.