Growth Partners Arizona

What Growth Partners Arizona does

Growth Partners Arizona is a nonprofit Community Development Financial Institution (CDFI), founded in 2012 (originally as the Nonprofit Loan Fund of Tucson and Southern Arizona) and headquartered in Phoenix, AZ. The organization provides loans ranging from $10,000 to $200,000 to Arizona-based small businesses and 501(c)(3) nonprofits, with a deliberate focus on BIPOC entrepreneurs, rural communities, justice-impacted individuals, and other borrowers excluded from mainstream capital. Its lending stack comprises eight programs — including the Nonprofit Loan Program, Microloans, Growth Loans, the Arizona Microenterprise Loan Program, and the Spark Loan Program — priced at 6%-9.25% interest with 2-3% origination fees and no prepayment penalties. It operates managed loan fund partnerships with the City of Avondale, City of Tucson, and Cochise County (approximately $2.6M in AUM) and a Kiva Tucson Hub that has facilitated nearly $1M in microloans.

Name

Growth Partners Arizona

Legal name

Growth Partners Arizona

Website

https://growthpartnersaz.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2012

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Growth Partners Arizona is a nonprofit CDFI providing $10K-$200K loans, financial education, and managed loan fund services to underserved small businesses, nonprofits, and BIPOC entrepreneurs across Arizona.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Community Development Finance

NAICS

Grantmaking and Giving Services (81321), Educational Support Services (611710)

SIC

Miscellaneous Business Credit Institution (6159), Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Impact Investing & Social Finance (Funds, CDFIs, Microfinance) (BPAGALAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

National Development Banks & State Development Finance Institutions (DFIs) (BPADACAC), Workforce Development & Continuing Education Divisions (Noncredit) (EDAHADAG)

Keywords

• Community development lending
• Small business loans
• Nonprofit financing
• CDFI lending
• Financial education

Headquarters

HQ city

Phoenix

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Loan Interest Income: Growth Partners Arizona generates revenue primarily through interest on loans provided to small businesses and nonprofits. Interest rates range from 6% to 9.25% depending on loan program.
2. Loan Fees: One-time origination/admin fees charged on loans, typically 2-3% of loan amount. Microloans have 2-3% admin fee, Growth loans have 3% admin fee, Spark loans have 3% origination fee plus $11 filing fee.
3. Grant Funding: The organization receives grant funding from financial institutions (Wells Fargo, JPMorganChase) and government sources to support operations, financial education programs, and CDFI capacity building. Reduced reliance from 60% to under 11% as of FY24.
4. Managed Loan Fund Fees: Revenue from managing loan funds for partners including the City of Avondale, City of Tucson, and Cochise County. Manages nearly $2.6M in alternative and environmental lending.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Growth Partners Arizona is a nonprofit Community Development Financial Institution (CDFI) that provides loans and financial education programs to small businesses and nonprofit organizations across Arizona. The organization was founded in 2012 as the Nonprofit Loan Fund of Tucson and Southern Arizona (NPLF) and was rebranded to its current name in 2018 following CDFI certification. It operates offices in Phoenix, Flagstaff, and Tucson.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Capital Compass: A learning and support ecosystem designed to help entrepreneurs understand how they currently operate, build financial confidence, and choose learning pathways matching their readiness and goals. Previously known as GrowthHUUB.
• GPAZ Academy
• Financial Literacy Office (FLO)
• Spark Loan Program
• GrowthHUUB

Products and services

• Nonprofit Loan Program A dedicated lending program designed for nonprofit organizations seeking capital to support operations and growth.
• Microloan Program A small-dollar lending program offering microloans to small businesses and entrepreneurs who lack access to traditional bank financing.
• Arizona Microenterprise Loan Program A state-focused microenterprise lending program supporting very small businesses in Arizona.
• Growth Loans A lending program supporting the growth and expansion of established small businesses in Arizona.
• Spark Loan Program A loan program supporting startup and early-stage small businesses and entrepreneurs.
• GPAZ Academy A financial education platform with two guided learning tracks designed for small business owners and aspiring entrepreneurs.
• Capital Compass A learning and support ecosystem providing entrepreneurs and small business owners with curated resources and tools.
• Financial Literacy Office (FLO) A financial education hub offering workshops, coaching, resources, and digital tools for underserved Arizona communities.

Quantifiable outcome

• 91% of borrowers located in CDFI target market
• +5 more outcomes

Named customers11 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

14 partnerships are on record, tiered core and secondary.

• Arizona State University (ASU) Edson E+I InstitutecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 24 September 2025Partnership to launch CORE+, a capital readiness program and three-tier digital learning experience designed to strengthen financial literacy, strategy, and capital readiness for entrepreneurs at every stage.
• Arizona Commerce AuthoritycoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 24 September 2025Developed the Arizona Small Business Lending Academy in partnership with Arizona Commerce Authority and Local First Arizona - a 7-week hybrid program combining guided learning, coaching support, and practical implementation.
• Local First ArizonacoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 24 September 2025Co-developed Arizona Small Business Lending Academy. Also partnered on Green Loan Fund for energy efficiency upgrades, and various small business programs across Arizona.
• Better Business Bureau (BBB Pacific Southwest)secondaryStrategic or Co-development Partner · 25 July 2025Collaboration to expand financial education and resources for Phoenix's small businesses and nonprofits.
• CIC TucsoncoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 11 October 2023CIC Tucson partnered with Growth Partners Arizona and StartUp Tucson on the BIPOC Loan Fund expansion to support BIPOC entrepreneurs in rural Arizona communities.
• StartUp TucsoncoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 11 October 2023Partnership with CIC Tucson and Growth Partners Arizona to expand BIPOC Loan Fund and address underinvestment in minority-owned businesses in Southern Arizona.
• Moonshot AZsecondaryStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2023Partnership with Moonshot AZ at their campus in Flagstaff for Northern Arizona presence. Shared commitment to fostering economic growth and prosperity in underserved Northern Arizona communities.
• Arizona CDFI NetworksecondaryStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2023Collaboration with Arizona CDFI Network to support broader deployment of microloans to graduating businesses statewide.
• Arizona Microbusiness Loan ProgramcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 1 January 2023Key lending partner for Arizona's Microbusiness Loan Program, expanding ability to serve small businesses across multiple rural counties.
• Arizona Capital SourcecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2023GPAZ is a supporting organization of Arizona Capital Source, the statewide CDFI consortium.
• KivacoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 1 January 2022Kiva Tucson Hub - has assisted nearly 100 small businesses with access to nearly $1M in Kiva microloans. Expansion of Kiva microloan program across Southern Arizona.
• Televerde FoundationsecondaryStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2020Supporting Televerde Foundation PATHS programs for currently and formerly incarcerated women - 980 women participated, 650 graduated with 95% securing jobs.
• Community Foundation for Southern Arizona (CFSA)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 April 2012Original supporting organization - NPLF became a supporting organization of CFSA. CFSA provided back-office support in early years.
• Business Development Finance Corporation (BDFC)secondaryChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 1 April 2012Partnered with BDFC to provide loan operations support in early years of the Nonprofit Loan Fund.

Scale indicators17 records

Recent moves10 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Arizona Capital Source: GPAZ's parent consortium — the statewide CDFI coalition. Direct comparable as a peer CDFI of which GPAZ is a supporting organization, sharing overlapping mission and capital sources in Arizona.
• DreamSpring: National nonprofit CDFI providing small business loans (micro to $250K) to underserved entrepreneurs. Most direct functional peer to GPAZ across product, customer segment (BIPOC/women/rural), and wraparound-coaching model.
• LiftFund: Texas-based nonprofit CDFI offering micro and small business loans to underserved entrepreneurs, with financial coaching. Closest large-scale peer in mission, product mix (microloans through growth loans), and target borrower profile.
• Kiva: Global crowdfunding microloan platform; GPAZ operates the Kiva Tucson Hub and has facilitated ~$1M in Kiva loans. Direct comparable in microloan distribution model and underserved-borrower focus.
• Mountain BizWorks: Western North Carolina CDFI offering small business loans and coaching to underserved rural and minority entrepreneurs. Strong peer in mission, rural focus, and "capital + coaching" model similar to GPAZ Academy/FLO.

Regional players

• Local First Arizona: Arizona-based small business support nonprofit that co-developed the Arizona Small Business Lending Academy with GPAZ. Comparable as a regional ecosystem player, though not a direct lender.

Broad incumbents

• Wells Fargo (Community Development Banking): Major bank funder of CDFIs and BIPOC lending programs ($250K grant to GPAZ). Comparable as a broad incumbent channeling capital into community development finance, with overlapping borrower populations but vastly larger scale.
• JPMorganChase Community Development Banking: Major bank funder powering GPAZ's FLO statewide initiative. Comparable incumbent with overlapping mission in CDFI capacity building and small business financial empowerment.

Others

• Community Foundation for Southern Arizona: GPAZ's original supporting organization. Adjacent nonprofit ecosystem participant with related grantmaking and capacity-building role in Southern Arizona.
• Opportunity Finance Network: National CDFI industry association and capital intermediary. Comparable ecosystem participant representing and funding CDFIs including GPAZ's peers; thematic peer for capital deployment scale and policy positioning.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@GrowthPartnersArizona
• Facebookfacebook.com/growthpartnersaz
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/growthpartnersaz
• Instagraminstagram.com/growthpartnersaz

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds2 records

Investors1 record

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Growth Partners Arizona