Accessity
Accessity is a nonprofit Community Development Financial Institution (CDFI) that provides small business loans from $300 to $250,000 and wraparound coaching to underserved entrepreneurs — primarily minority-owned, women-owned, and immigrant-owned businesses — across nine Southern California counties.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1994
- HeadquartersSan Diego, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What Accessity does
Accessity is a nonprofit Community Development Financial Institution (CDFI) headquartered in San Diego, California, founded in 1994 and rebranded under its current name in 2021. The organization provides small business loans ranging from $300 to $250,000 to underserved entrepreneurs — primarily minority-owned, women-owned, immigrant-owned, and low-to-moderate-income business owners across nine Southern California counties (Imperial, Orange, Los Angeles, Riverside, San Bernardino, Ventura, San Diego, Santa Barbara, and the Coachella Valley). As of the most recent disclosed data, Accessity has cumulatively deployed more than $52 million in loans to over 5,000 clients, with 70% of lending directed to entrepreneurs of color and over $605,000 disbursed to Latina-owned businesses.
Accessity's core product suite combines its business loan programs with a layered wraparound support ecosystem, including COVID-19 relief loans, the Eva Longoria Micro Loan Fund for Latina entrepreneurs (established 2013), the Academia de Accessity Spanish-language training program (launched 2020 in partnership with the Eva Longoria Foundation), TrustPlus credit coaching, a Peer Entrepreneur Community, and a marketplace for client visibility. The technology stack is primarily third-party: Salesforce (VisualAntidote HostedFastForm) hosts loan application intake, Intercom powers chatbot support, and payment and donation flows are processed through Blackbaud, IATSPayments, Comerica, and E-tapestry. Accessity holds CDFI Fund certification from the U.S. Department of the Treasury and is registered with the California Department of Financial Protection and Innovation (CCFPL #603-2328), with brand recognition reinforced by a Charity Navigator 4-star rating and Candid Platinum Seal of Transparency.
The business model is nonprofit and mission-driven, with revenue generated through loan interest and origination fees (per-loan unit pricing, not publicly disclosed), federal and foundation grants (including a ~$6M U.S. Treasury CDFI Fund grant in 2023), and corporate/philanthropic capital such as the $40M JPMorgan Chase American Dream Initiative commitment announced in 2026. Distribution is hybrid: relationship-based field sales teams across Southern California work alongside community referral partners — SCORE, SBDC, Women's Business Center, and TrustPlus credit coaches — and a self-serve digital application portal. The organization is led by CEO Elizabeth Schott with Javier Islas as CFO.
Accessity firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Accessity
- Legal name
- Accessity
- Website
- https://accessity.org
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1994
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Accessity is a nonprofit Community Development Financial Institution (CDFI) that provides small business loans from $300 to $250,000 and wraparound coaching to underserved entrepreneurs — primarily minority-owned, women-owned, and immigrant-owned businesses — across nine Southern California counties.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Accessity industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Community Development Small Business Lending
- NAICS
- Sales Financing (52222)
- SIC
- Miscellaneous Business Credit Institution (6159)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Financial Inclusion & Consumer Empowerment (Banking Access, Credit Building) (BPAGALAJ)
Keywords
Where Accessity is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- San Diego
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices2 records
Markets served
Accessity business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others
Revenue model
- Loan interest and origination fees: As a CDFI nonprofit lender, Accessity generates revenue through interest charged on small business loans and origination fees. Loans range from $300 to $250,000, serving underserved entrepreneurs across Southern California with flexible, affordable financing.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Small business loans from $300 to $250,000 |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels5 records
Accessity product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Accessity is a nonprofit Community Development Financial Institution (CDFI) that provides small business loans ranging from $300 to $250,000 to underserved entrepreneurs in Southern California. The organization specializes in lending to minority-owned, women-owned, immigrant-owned, and low-to-moderate income business owners who are excluded from traditional bank financing. Its offering combines capital access with wraparound business support services including coaching, mentorship, credit coaching, and a peer entrepreneur community.
Product overview
Accessity is a nonprofit Community Development Financial Institution (CDFI) providing a comprehensive small business lending ecosystem. The core product is business loans ranging from $300 to $250,000, complemented by specialized COVID-19 Relief and Recovery Loans and the Eva Longoria Micro Loan Fund for Latina entrepreneurs. Accessity's integrated approach combines capital access with wrap-around support including the Academia de Accessity Spanish-language training program, Business Support Community with coaching and mentorship, Marketing Channels for client visibility, and TrustPlus credit coaching. The organization serves primarily minority-owned, women-owned, and underserved businesses across nine Southern California counties.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Academia de Accessity: Spanish-language initiative providing business training and guidance to Latina entrepreneurs, launched in partnership with the Eva Longoria Foundation.
- Eva Longoria Micro Loan Fund
Products and services
- Business Loans Small business loans ranging from $300 to $250,000 for business start-ups or expansion. Provides capital access to entrepreneurs who lack access to traditional sources of credit, primarily targeting minority-owned and underserved businesses in Southern California.
- Academia de Accessity para el Éxito Empresarial Spanish-language entrepreneurship training program operated in partnership with the Eva Longoria Foundation. Provides business guidance, educational resources, and support to Latina entrepreneurs to help establish and formalize their microenterprises.
- Eva Longoria Micro Loan Fund Dedicated micro loan fund for Latina-owned businesses, established in 2013 in partnership with the Eva Longoria Foundation. Has disbursed nearly 80 loans totaling over $650,000 to support Latina entrepreneurs in Southern California.
Quantifiable outcome
- $52 million+ in loans disbursed to 5,000+ small business clients
- +3 more outcomes
Companies that use Accessity
Customer profileNamed customers4 records
Segments2 records
Ideal customer profiles1 record
Accessity technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration6 records
Accessity partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and supporting.
- Eva Longoria FoundationcorePartnership through the Eva Longoria Micro Loan Fund, providing loans, educational programs, and mentorship to Latina-owned small businesses across Southern California. Since 2013, Accessity has provided over $650,000 in loans to Latina entrepreneurs through this partnership. The collaboration includes the Academia de Accessity program launched in 2020, a 10-week business development curriculum delivered in Spanish.
- SCOREcoreReferral and mentorship partnership connecting Accessity with small business owners in need of financing and business guidance. SCORE's national network of volunteer mentors provides additional support to Accessity's client base.
- Small Business Development Center (SBDC)corePartnership with the SBDC network to provide business development resources and referrals for underserved entrepreneurs seeking Accessity's small business loans and support services.
- Women's Business CentercorePartnership with Women's Business Centers to support women entrepreneurs and connect them with Accessity's loan products and wraparound business support services.
- TrustPlussupportingPartnership with TrustPlus credit coaches to help clients improve their financial health and creditworthiness, supporting successful loan applications and sustainable business growth.
Scale indicators6 records
Recent moves7 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Accessity competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- LiftFund: LiftFund is one of the largest nonprofit CDFIs in the U.S., providing small business loans and support to underserved entrepreneurs, with a focus on minority, women, and immigrant-owned businesses. Although Texas-based, its core model — micro-to-small business lending paired with technical assistance — directly mirrors Accessity's approach.
- TruFund Financial Services: TruFund is a national nonprofit CDFI providing capital and business support services to small businesses in underserved communities, with particular focus on minority-owned enterprises. It shares Accessity's mission-driven lending model and CDFI certification pathway.
- Accion Serving Southern California: Accion is a nonprofit microlender offering small business loans to underserved entrepreneurs, with historical presence in Southern California. It overlaps directly with Accessity's customer base and geographic footprint, though Accion has since expanded nationally and rebranded.
- CDC Small Business Finance: CDC Small Business Finance is a California-based nonprofit CDFI that provides small business loans to underserved entrepreneurs, with very similar underwriting criteria and community lender model to Accessity. It is the most directly comparable peer given geographic overlap in Southern California and overlapping customer segment of minority and women-owned SMBs.
- Grameen America: Grameen America is a nonprofit microfinance organization providing small business loans to low-income women entrepreneurs in the U.S. It is highly comparable to Accessity's mission of serving underserved minority entrepreneurs, though Grameen focuses exclusively on women borrowers and uses a group-lending model.
- Pacific Community Ventures: Pacific Community Ventures is a California-based nonprofit that combines small business lending with advising and impact research. Like Accessity, it serves small businesses that lack access to traditional capital and pairs financing with wraparound business support services.
- Kiva: Kiva is a global nonprofit online microlending platform that crowdfunds 0% interest loans for underserved entrepreneurs, including in the U.S. through Kiva U.S. It is a direct functional peer to Accessity in micro/small business lending to underbanked borrowers, though Kiva's digital crowdfunding model is structurally different from Accessity's direct CDFI lending.
- Justine PETERSEN Housing and Reinvestment Corporation: Justine PETERSEN is a St. Louis-based nonprofit CDFI providing small business loans, housing counseling, and credit-building services to underserved borrowers. It is a strong functional peer given its combination of lending, credit coaching (akin to TrustPlus partnership), and small business support.
- Opportunity Fund (Self-Help Federal Credit Union): Opportunity Fund was a major California CDFI focused on small business lending to underserved communities, which merged with Self-Help Federal Credit Union. It is one of the closest historical peers to Accessity given the California focus, CDFI certification, and small business lending mission.
Regional players
- Latino Community Credit Union: Latino Community Credit Union is a CDFI-certified credit union serving the Latino community in North Carolina with bilingual financial services, including small business lending. While not in Accessity's Southern California geography, it represents a comparable Latino-focused financial inclusion model.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks1 record
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Accessity social profiles
Digital presenceAccessity compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance5 records
Accessity financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Accessity leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles2 records
Accessity funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds2 records
Investors3 records
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Accessity M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Accessity
What does Accessity do?
Accessity is a nonprofit Community Development Financial Institution (CDFI) that provides small business loans ranging from $300 to $250,000 to underserved entrepreneurs in Southern California. The organization specializes in lending to minority-owned, women-owned, immigrant-owned, and low-to-moderate income business owners who are excluded from traditional bank financing. Its offering combines capital access with wraparound business support services including coaching, mentorship, credit coaching, and a peer entrepreneur community.
Is Accessity a public or private company?
Accessity is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was Accessity founded?
Accessity was founded in 1994. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Accessity based?
Accessity is headquartered in San Diego, United States, in the North America region.
How does Accessity make money?
One revenue line is on record: loan interest and origination fees.
Who are Accessity's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are LiftFund, TruFund Financial Services, Accion Serving Southern California, CDC Small Business Finance, Grameen America, Pacific Community Ventures, Kiva, Justine PETERSEN Housing and Reinvestment Corporation and Opportunity Fund (Self-Help Federal Credit Union). Latino Community Credit Union is listed as a regional player.
Does Accessity have an API?
No public API is recorded for Accessity.
What industry is Accessity in?
Accessity's product category is Community Development Small Business Lending. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAGALAJ, Financial Inclusion & Consumer Empowerment (Banking Access, Credit Building). Its NAICS code is 52222 and its SIC code is 6159.