Meet members of our community who have been helped by a Social Impact Loan.
CIC’s Lending Program invests in businesses and projects that have a wider community benefit.
CIC acts as a Fiscal Agent for home ownership assistance programs run by the City of Tucson and Pima County.
Bond Compliance services promote transparency in Educational Institutions.
Sunsites-Pearce FD
Sunsites-Pearce Fire District is based out of Pearce, Arizona with a second fire station in Cochise, Arizona. The district provides fire and medical emergency response services, among other things.
WHAT COULD YOU DO IF YOU HAD ENOUGH WORKING CAPITAL…
Explore the possibilities through our Revolving Loan Program
CIC works to create impact in Arizona
Our revolving loan program supports businesses and projects with far-reaching community benefits.
We are the administrator for the Pima IDA’s Mortgage Credit Certificates (MCC) program and multiple down payment assistance programs in Tucson and Pima County including HOME and Pima Tucson Homebuyer’s Solution (PTHS).
Our bond compliance program promotes transparency and short-term loans ensure schools have the working capital they need.
Local Success Stories
CIC focuses on the following types of lending:
Small Business Lending
Small businesses are often underestimated because of their size, but they play a vital role in job creation and the overall growth of our nation’s economy. According to the Small Business Administration, small businesses account for 99.7% of U.S. firms, employ over 47.8% of the country’s working population, and employ nearly 1 million Arizonans. These businesses are the backbone of our economy, which is why we provide financing options to ensure their dreams of entrepreneurship come to fruition.
We understand each business is unique with different goals. We offer flexible loan terms up to five years with loan amounts as low as $500.
Rural Southern Arizona Lending
Rural communities face unique challenges. Often the industries that that were once the lifeblood of certain areas have moved on, creating a shortage of employment opportunities. In today’s environment, the economic health of rural areas is dependent on the expansion and creation of businesses. As new job opportunities arise, residents are more likely to remain in communities and rural areas become more attractive to incoming residents.
CIC fuels the economic growth and recovery of rural Arizona through its Rural Lending Program. We offer competitive interest rates and flexible terms to meet the needs of borrowers in rural areas.
Consumer Lending
As an economic development organization, we have focused primarily on commercial as a way of stimulating the economy. However, in recent years, the damage done by predatory lenders in the consumer lending industry (think payday and auto title loans) has become more and more evident. Recently, we partnered with another non-profit agency and a local federal credit union to provide an alternative to predatory lenders. We offer loans from $200 – $1000 through a product we call “A Better Loan Experience,” or ABLE.
Nonprofit Lending
Nonprofit organizations are essential to every community. As a nonprofit organization ourselves, our goal at CIC is not about generating dollars, but about becoming a sustainable resource for our community driving positive change. To do this, we and other nonprofit organizations must think and act like businesses when it comes to finance. In some cases, that means leveraging loans along with charitable donations to ensure long-term viability.
At CIC, we are proud to offer local nonprofits low-cost loans to fund working capital needs.
Charter School Lending
Charter schools are a large and growing sector of Arizona’s education system. Typically, they rely on state funding and bond issuance proceeds to financially support themselves. Timing gaps between financing needs and payment disbursements can create operational challenges.
CIC offers charter schools short-term loans to close the timing gap and to support other working capital needs.
Creating Social Impact Through Lending
CIC’s Social Impact Lending program is dedicated to investing in endeavors that support businesses, nonprofits, and individuals undertaking projects with broader community benefit. We fund projects that many traditional banks will not, and where possible, we aim to give preferential terms, rates, and underwriting evaluation in recognition of the “Good” a given loan will generate.
CIC is actively seeking partnerships with local nonprofit organizations that see ways to offer essential services to their clients via low interest loans and we are seeking donations to expand innovation within our social impact lending program.