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 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.

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 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 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.