Supporting small businesses. Strengthening communities.

Our mission is to provide the capital, coaching, and collaboration entrepreneurs need to grow great businesses in their communities.

We seek to support small business owners over the long term, from idea to maturity. How can we help your business?

Capital

We provide loans up to $100K and grants as available

Coaching

We provide 1:1 and group coaching opportunities to grow your business

Collaboration

We can provide kitchen space, licensing, procurement services to support your business

Our Services

Accion Chicago is now Allies for Community Business! Watch the summary of our launch event to learn more about how we will help even more community businesses recover from the pandemic by strengthening our services under our improved brand and platforms.

We believe that entrepreneurs from any background can start and grow businesses that create generational wealth for their families and communities.

We eagerly serve small business owners throughout Chicagoland and beyond. But we prioritize working with entrepreneurs that have been traditionally underserved: Black and Latinx, women, or low-income.

Our Clients

DLV Printing Vernita Johnson

We called Allies for Community Business and they provided us with our first loan
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Core Juice Bar Patricia Medina

They helped me think about different ways to pivot and bring in revenue
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Viet Nom Nom Alan Moy

Being at The Hatchery doesn’t just mean you have a kitchen, it means you are part of a community
Read Story ›
Legendary Art Gallery Felipe Funderburg

A4CB was really interested in helping me out, even with my damaged credit.
Read Story ›

Our Partnerships

We seek to support small business owners over the long term, from idea to maturity. How can we partner with you to help more businesses?

Our Partnerships

Neighborhood Entrepreneurship Lab
Developed in partnership with The Chicago Community Trust, the Neighborhood Entrepreneurship Lab (NEL) pairs small business owners with investors, advisors, and analysts who provide intensive mentoring as well as introductions to influential contacts within their personal networks.
Chicago Inclusive Growth Coalition
Allies for Community Business co-leads a collaboration of more than 30 business support organizations called the Chicago Inclusive Growth Coalition.
Entrepreneurs of Color Fund
Through this fund, launched with JPMorgan Chase and several other funders, Allies for Community Business and Local Initiatives Support Corporation (LISC) provide capital and coaching to small businesses on Chicago’s South and West Sides to stimulate economic growth.
West Side United
A collaboration of more than 30 organizations led by six hospital sponsors in Chicago, West Side United has partnered with JPMorgan Chase to support Chicago businesses on the West Side through a small business accelerator grants program.
Microfinance Impact Collaborative
The Microfinance Impact Collaborative works to inform, strengthen, and accelerate the efforts of US microenterprise finance organizations that are committed to significantly increasing the impact of their work.
Food:Land:Opportunity
Through Food:Land:Opportunity – Localizing the Chicago Foodshed, Allies for Community Business is providing local food and beverage entrepreneurs with the capital and coaching they need to grow their businesses, which create jobs and wealth in their communities while also contributing to a more sustainable local food system.
Chicagoland Opportunity Zones Consortium
The Chicagoland Opportunity Zones Consortium facilitates connections through matchmaking, education, and technical support to attract investments that create jobs, build wealth, and promote equitable development in Chicago and suburban Cook County.

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