Expanding Access. Closing the Gap. Building Equity.
In 2025, GAC’s $7.8 million portfolio drove small business growth across Chicago’s South and West Sides, combining flexible loans with tailored support to help entrepreneurs thrive.
Mission
Greenwood Archer Capital, a nonprofit 501(c)3 Community Development Financial Institution (CDFI), that expands access to fair, flexible financing for entrepreneurs in historically underinvested communities. We combine capital with wraparound support so businesses can start, grow, and thrive.
Vision
We envision a Chicago where every neighborhood prospers because every entrepreneur has access to the resources they need to succeed. More than lenders, we are trusted partners in revitalization, rooted in relationships and community. When we invest in entrepreneurs, we are investing in stronger, more vibrant communities.
Our Impact (FY25)
$2.8M
New loans approved in 2025
32
New clients this year
90%
Loans to minority-owned businesses
$70k
Average Loan Size
Meet Our Clients
Certified Property Solutions
Founded by Jim Williams, this business restores and maintains vacant properties in a community with a 19% housing vacancy rate. Beyond beautification, it employs residents and mentors teens through the CAPS and Green Teens programs, teaching job skills and confidence.
Kreating Young Minds
Keshanna Milsap has spent her life nurturing young learners. After nearly two decades in gifted education, she pursued her longtime dream of opening a childcare center, one that would blend early learning with creativity and community. That dream became Kreating Young Minds, an early education center on Chicago’s South Side dedicated to cultivating brilliance through STEAM. Serving children from infancy through elementary age.
Southside Market & Café Cooperative
A community-owned grocery and café tackling food insecurity in a neighborhood where nearly 1 in 5 residents face limited or uncertain access to safe, nutritious food needed for a healthy, active life. In fall 2025, the market will begin providing affordable, healthy food to over 400 families per month. The cooperative is creating local jobs and opportunities for ownership and community engagement.
Community Partner
With little paperwork and lots of flexibility, Greenwood Archer Capital (GAC) helps small businesses find the financing and assistance they need.
Financial Partner
GAC offers loans up to $500,000 for established businesses, and up to $1,000,000 for community development loans to nonprofits, and loans to start-up businesses and businesses seeking to acquire owner-occupied commercial real estate.
Business Partner
Knowing that you may need more than just dollars to succeed, GAC also offers an array of technical services that help with financial planning, business to business contacts and planning for growth.
Apply for a Loan
GAC’s products and services provide access to all forms of capital for business owners that do not have access to conventional sources of financing.
INVEST IN ENTREPRENEURS. PARTNER IN COMMUNITY GROWTH.
With investment, GAC can scale these client-centered strategies and continue advancing generational wealth in historically underserved communities. Join us in advancing inclusive entrepreneurship across Chicago. Together, we can expand opportunity and build generational wealth across Chicago's communities. Every partnership, every loan, and every success story brings us closer to a city where prosperity is shared by all.