Programs
Greenwood Archer Capital (GAC) has a portfolio of small business and community development loan products that are designed to help you find the financing and services you need. Learn more about our programs and how a GAC small business loan can help you reach your goals this year.
General Lending
GAC provides flexible loans ranging from $10,000 to $500,000, with competitive rates and no prepayment penalties. Many loans do not require collateral because we underwrite based on character, commitment, and community impact, not just credit scores. With GAC’s relationship-based approach, we take the time to get to know you and your business. Most first-time borrowers start with a smaller loan as we build trust and support your growth. As your business strengthens and your needs evolve, we grow with you—with the ability to offer larger loans over time, up to $500,000.
Monthly small Business Workshops
GAC’s Owners Table workshop Series connects entrepreneurs with practical tools, trusted resources, and peer insights to strengthen operations and make informed financial decisions. Led by experienced advisors and community partners, workshops focus on the skills needed to build, sustain, and grow your business.
These free sessions are open to borrowers, applicants, and community members. GAC’s workshops reflect our person-centered approach, pairing capital with the knowledge and support entrepreneurs need to thrive.
Chicago Rebuild 2.0
Chicago Rebuild 2.0 brings targeted investment to neighborhoods where decades of disinvestment have left large numbers of vacant homes and where after-rehab values often fall below total development costs. These conditions make traditional construction financing challenging to secure and limit the impact of projects. This program concentrates resources, advances multiple projects simultaneously, and restores confidence in the local housing market.
As an administrator of Rebuild 2.0 in Pullman and Roseland, GAC manages a $5 million grant fund in partnership with the City of Chicago’s Department of Housing and the Illinois Housing Development Authority. GAC identifies qualified developers, evaluates eligible properties, provides construction financing when needed, and oversees the full draw and compliance process. This coordinated approach allows developers to achieve economies of scale, accelerate visible neighborhood revitalization, and help transform long-vacant properties into quality homes that strengthen the surrounding community.
The Community Micro Equity Fund (CMEF)
Launched in 2021 with a multi-million-dollar grant from PNC Bank, the Community Micro Equity Fund (CMEF), the first program of its kind, offers one of the most comprehensive small business development and equity-like capital expansion models in Chicago, the region, and the nation. The fund addresses the persistent equity capital gap facing entrepreneurs in underinvested, low- to moderate-income, and diverse communities, recognizing that a business owner’s ability to access capital is closely tied to long-term wealth.
A collaboration between Greenwood Archer Capital and Sunshine Enterprises, the CMEF provides “equity-like” patient capital to help entrepreneurs leverage debt or to offer an option when traditional debt is not viable. In addition to providing capital ($25,000 loans on average), the fund delivers a continuum of entrepreneurial education, coaching, and mentoring to ensure underserved businesses have the strongest chance to grow and thrive.
Empower
EMPOWER, a partnership with Builders Avenue Chicago, is a transformative partnership model investing in construction entrepreneurs by providing back-office support services and equitable access to business capital and projects that lead the way for community autonomy, a stronger infrastructure and wealth creation.
