Accessity

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.

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

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

• Community development lending
• Small business loans
• CDFI services
• Microfinance lending
• Minority business financing

Headquarters

HQ city

San Diego

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. 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

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core 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

Named customers4 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration6 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and supporting.

• Eva Longoria FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2013Partnership 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.
• SCOREcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorReferral 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)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorPartnership 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 CentercoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorPartnership with Women's Business Centers to support women entrepreneurs and connect them with Accessity's loan products and wraparound business support services.
• TrustPlussupportingChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorPartnership 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

Direct 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

• Facebookfacebook.com/accessityorg
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/accessityorg
• Instagraminstagram.com/accessityorg

Compliance5 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds2 records

Investors3 records

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 Accessity