Partnerships
Public Partners
City of Chicago
In 2025, we continue to serve as one of eight Chicago Business Centers and as a Neighborhood Business Development Center that provide free coaching on licensing and other topics. Between 2020 and 2024, with the Department of Business Affairs and Consumer Protection and several other nonprofits, we administered the Microbusiness Recovery grant, Together Now grant, Hospitality grant, Small Business Resiliency Fund, Chi Biz Strong grant, Outdoor Dining, and Good Food Fund grant programs. Through these pandemic response programs, we provided nearly 9,400 small businesses with over $73.5M in grants and loans to help stabilize their businesses.
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Cook County
In 2025, we continue to serve as a business support organization partner of the Cook County Small Business Source, providing free coaching to county businesses. In 2022 and 2023, we served as a program administrator for the Cook County Small Business Source Grow Grant in partnership with the Women’s Business Development Center, through which over $50M was disbursed to 3,100 entrepreneurs. In 2021, we worked with Cook County to provide coaching to Back to Business Grant applicants. In 2020, with the Bureau of Economic Development and several other nonprofits, we supported the Resiliency Fund and Coaching/TA programs. Through these pandemic response programs, we provided over 200 small businesses with approximately $3M in grants and loans to help stabilize their businesses. In 2024, we supported the administration of two industry specific programs: the Cook County Cannabis Development Grant and the Cook County Arts Nonprofit Relief Grants. Between the two programs we supported 140 businesses and delivered a total of $4.4M in grants.
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State of Illinois
Between 2020 and 2024, with the Department of Commerce and Economic Development (DCEO) and several other nonprofits, we administered the Hospitality Grant, Illinois Small Business Emergency Loan, Business Interruption Grant, and multiple Back to Business grant programs. Through these pandemic response programs we provided 16,582 small businesses with over $546M in grants and loans to help stabilize their businesses.
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City of South Bend
In 2025, we continue to provide discounted loans and free coaching to South Bend businesses in partnership with CDFI Friendly South Bend. Between 2020 and 2024, A4CB funded 30 loans for $375K for South Bend entrepreneurs. In 2020, with the City and CDFI Friendly South Bend, we administered emergency pandemic response loan and grant programs through which we provided over 65 small businesses with nearly $500K to help stabilize their businesses.
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Chicago Inclusive Growth Coalition
The Chicago Inclusive Growth Coalition is a collaboration of more than 50 business support organizations working together to help entrepreneurs grow. Our mission is to work together to 1) match diverse entrepreneurs to the community-based organizations that can serve them best and 2) serve those entrepreneurs well.
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HIRE360
HIRE360 is a workforce development organization focused on connecting underrepresented communities to construction industry careers in Chicago and beyond. Through this partnership, A4CB provides greater access to capital than construction entrepreneurs would otherwise find by treating a portion of unpaid contracts as cash in hand when evaluating how much debt that borrower could repay. Between 2022 and 2024, A4CB funded 28 loans for $2.2M for HIRE360 entrepreneurs.
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Entrepreneurs of Color Fund
Through a partnership with JPMorgan Chase, A4CB and Local Initiatives Support Corporation (LISC) provide capital and coaching to entrepreneurs of color to stimulate economic growth. Since launching the program in 2018, we have served over 2,700 entrepreneurs and disbursed more than $36M.
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Lake County Community Foundation
In 2025, we continue to serve as the program administrator for the Small Business Growth Initiative in partnership with the Lake County Community Foundation, through which we are providing grants and free coaching to diverse businesses in Waukegan and North Chicago.
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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. A4CB serves as the fiscal agent for the grant pool, and we have collectively provided grants totaling nearly $2M to over 175 West Side businesses through the first five years of the program.
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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. Led by the Aspen Institute and comprised of several leading microlenders from across the United States, including A4CB, Ascendus, DreamSpring, Justine PETERSEN, LiftFund, and Accion Opportunity Fund, the collaborative provides participating organizations with a venue and mechanism for collective learning and action.
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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. Nearly 30 entities came together to create the Consortium, which seeks to achieve five core goals: Attract Opportunity Zone Investments, Inform and Support Community Partners, Create Jobs and Build Wealth, Transform Communities through Equitable Development, and Facilitate Lasting Partnerships.
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Scale Link
Scale Link created and operates a secondary market for loans originated by community-based microlenders like A4CB. Scale Link’s secondary market is a tool that empowers CDFIs to close the small business financing gap that disproportionately affects very small businesses and entrepreneurs of color.
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Chicago Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights
Through this partnership, Allies for Community Business will help community business owners who require legal assistance to prepare for, and then work with, a pro bono attorney to handle pressing legal matters. Chicago Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights are civil rights lawyers and advocates working to secure racial equity and economic opportunity for all. They provide legal representation through partnerships with the private bar, and collaborate with grassroots organizations and other advocacy groups to implement community-based solutions that advance civil rights.
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Black Chamber of Commerce of Illinois
Through this partnership, Allies for Community Business will work with BCCI to serve the needs of small businesses in Central and Southern Illinois. BCCI’s mission is to empower black business owners to do their best work, while mitigating barriers to their success. Together we will be able to help Illinois businesses thrive and build capacity.
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CDFI Friendly America
CDFI Friendly America is a strategy to connect under-financed people and communities to the $250+ billion CDFI network. Led by CDFI industry veteran Mark Pinsky, it solves a critical problem: CDFIs cannot be everywhere. The result of the CDFI Friendly process is a community-controlled nonprofit organization that understands and identifies financing opportunities in their communities and matches them to CDFIs. Local CDFI Friendly efforts help regional and national CDFIs solve the two major challenges they face lending in new markets: finding deals and managing risk in unfamiliar places. A4CB works with CDFI Friendly South Bend, CDFI Friendly Bloomington, and CDFI Friendly Evansville Region to get connected to entrepreneurs.
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