Spruce Root

What Spruce Root does

Spruce Root is a non-profit Community Development Financial Institution (CDFI) founded in 2012 and headquartered in Juneau, Alaska. The organization provides business loans, personalized coaching, financial wellness workshops, and community development programs to underserved entrepreneurs and residents across Southeast Alaska, with a particular focus on Indigenous communities. It is certified by the U.S. Department of the Treasury as a CDFI, enabling it to extend capital to businesses that may not qualify for traditional bank financing, including borrowers in sectors (e.g., adult entertainment) that mainstream banks decline. The organization serves all of Southeast Alaska and runs a dedicated program footprint on Prince of Wales Island, with services delivered through in-person workshops, one-on-one coaching, and regional events.

Spruce Root's core offerings comprise Loan Services (business loans bundled with coaching from business plan through fund application), Business and Client Services (financial wellness workshops, one-on-one financial coaching, Business Basics courses, and the Path to Prosperity business competition), and complementary programs including the POWER energy reliability initiative, the Future Scenarios strategic planning tool, the Sustainable Southeast Partnership, and the Seacoast Trust. The Future Scenarios tool, co-developed with the Reos Institute, is the most notable proprietary asset: a scenario-planning framework presenting four plausible futures for Southeast Alaska from 2025 to 2050, supported by facilitation guides and a publication, and designed for use by communities, Tribal councils, organizations, and businesses. The technology footprint is otherwise light: there is no unified software platform, mobile app, or API, and delivery is primarily service-based.

The business model is predominantly grant-funded, with revenue derived from federal and state grants (notably a $2,500,000 U.S. Department of Energy grant in May 2024 and a $500,000 CDFI Fund grant in April 2023), interest income from a modest loan portfolio, and modest fee-for-service revenue such as a $25 per-person fee for financial wellness workshops (with fee waivers available). Total program investment across Business and Client Services, Sustainable Southeast Partnership, and Loan Services was approximately $6.1M, reflecting deployed capital rather than earned revenue. Distribution is community-led and event-driven, relying on a lean 1–10 person staff, partnerships with Sealaska, Alaska SBDC, the Alaska Mariculture Alliance, and others, and direct regional engagement across Southeast Alaska.

Name

Spruce Root

Legal name

Spruce Root, Inc.

Website

https://spruceroot.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2012

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Spruce Root is a non-profit Community Development Financial Institution based in Juneau, Alaska, providing business loans, financial coaching, and educational workshops to underserved Indigenous and non-Indigenous entrepreneurs and residents across Southeast Alaska.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Community Development Financial Services

NAICS

Support Activities for Forestry (115310)

SIC

Forestry (800)

akta.pro primary industry

Community Foundations (BPAGAKAB)

Keywords

• Community development lending
• Small business loans
• Financial wellness education
• Business coaching services
• Indigenous economic development

Headquarters

HQ city

Juneau

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Loan Services: Spruce Root provides access to capital for small businesses through their CDFI lending program. Loans are complemented by personalized coaching services. They have provided three loans to clients like The Red Lantern adult boutique in Ketchikan.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Spruce Root is a nonprofit Community Development Financial Institution that provides business loans, business coaching, financial wellness workshops and one-on-one coaching to small business owners and residents in Southeast Alaska. Its offerings are delivered through on-the-ground community programs including Business Basics courses, the Path to Prosperity business competition, and the Future Scenarios regional planning tool, complemented by the POWER heat pump initiative and the Sustainable Southeast Partnership collaborative.

Product overview

Spruce Root is an Indigenous institution that operates as a Community Development Financial Institution (CDFI) providing a portfolio of interconnected programs to support Southeast Alaskan communities. The core offerings include Loan Services (business loans with coaching support) and Business and Client Services (financial wellness workshops and one-on-one coaching, Business Basics courses, and the Path to Prosperity business competition). These are complemented by the Future Scenarios planning tool for strategic regional foresight and the POWER initiative for energy reliability. The Sustainable Southeast Partnership and Seacoast Trust operate as sub-brands within this ecosystem, providing collaborative environmental initiatives and an alternative economic model for community investment. The organization does not offer a unified software platform; rather, it provides a suite of service programs connected by their mission to catalyze local communities and empower small businesses.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Sustainable Southeast Partnership: A collaborative regional partnership focused on energy, protection, and structure to create a supportive environment for Southeast Alaska communities.
• Seacoast Trust
• POWER (Prince of Wales Energy Reliability)
• Future Scenarios

Products and services

• Loan Services Business loans provided to entrepreneurs in Southeast Alaska, complemented by personalized business coaching from business plan development through fund application. The lending process is described as gradual, intentional, and tailored to individual business contexts and visions.
• Financial Wellness Workshops In-person and virtual workshops teaching strategies for building a healthier mindset around finances, including budgeting basics, creating financial goals, navigating credit and debt, and making informed financial decisions based on personal values. The Goal Setting workshop is priced at $25 per person with a fee waiver option available.
• Financial Wellness Coaching Free one-on-one personalized guidance tailored to financial goals and needs, covering budgeting basics, credit and debt navigation, and providing tools and knowledge to confidently manage finances.
• Business Basics Courses Educational courses for entrepreneurs covering foundational business knowledge and skills for starting or growing a local business.
• Path to Prosperity Business Competition A business competition program supporting and recognizing promising entrepreneurs in the region.
• Future Scenarios for Southeast Alaska
• POWER (Prince of Wales Energy Reliability) A multi-year initiative to increase affordability of air source heat pumps to Tribally owned homes and facilities on Prince of Wales Island, in partnership with Information Insights. Designed to reduce energy costs, improve comfort, and strengthen long-term energy security.

Quantifiable outcome

• $6.1M+ total investment deployed across Business and Client Services ($1M), Sustainable Southeast Partnership ($2.1M), and Loan Services ($2.9M)

Named customers4 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• SealaskacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSealaska, a Native corporation, hosts Spruce Root at their downtown Juneau event space (Sealaska Plaza) and shares organizational alignment around Indigenous economic development. Sealaska is a key regional partner in Southeast Alaska's economic ecosystem.
• Rain Coast DataminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerPartner from Master Class for Entrepreneurs, providing economic data and analysis for Southeast Alaska. Presented on regional economic trends during the workshop.
• Alaska Small Business Development CentercoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRegional partner providing small business expertise and resources. Co-facilitated lectures and conversations during Spruce Root's Master Class for Entrepreneurs.
• Rural Community Assistance CorpminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerPartner from Master Class, providing expertise in rural community development and assistance.
• Alaska Climate Research CenterminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner from Master Class focused on climate science and adaptation research relevant to Southeast Alaska.
• Information InsightscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPrimary partner in the POWER (Prince of Wales Energy Reliability) initiative, working with Spruce Root and regional energy experts to increase heat pump affordability for Tribally owned homes.
• Tongass ElectricalminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerWorkforce development partner for the POWER initiative, providing three-day introductory training on heat pump installation, electrical, or mechanical careers.
• Schmolck MechanicalminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerWorkforce development partner for the POWER initiative, co-hosting training workshops for heat pump installation careers.
• Reos InstitutecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnered with Spruce Root to develop the Future Scenarios planning tool, providing expertise in scenario planning methodology that was adapted for Southeast Alaska's unique context.
• Alaska Mariculture AlliancecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerIndustry association for Alaska mariculture; Spruce Root connects clients with this network and participates in their events and marketing programs.
• GreenWaveminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNational kelp farming organization; their State of the Industry Report is referenced as a resource for Spruce Root's mariculture clients.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Oweesta Corporation: Native CDFI intermediary that provides capital, training, and technical assistance to Indigenous CDFIs and Native communities across the U.S. Most directly comparable to Spruce Root given the shared Indigenous-led CDFI model.
• Coastal Enterprises Inc. (CEI): Maine-based CDFI providing loans, equity investments, and business advisory services to underserved entrepreneurs and communities. Comparable as a regional CDFI bundling capital with non-financial business support.
• Rural Community Assistance Corporation: Community development organization providing loans, training, and technical assistance to rural communities across the Western U.S. Comparable in mission to serve underserved rural communities with capital and capacity-building services; also an existing partner of Spruce Root.
• Potlatch Fund: Native-led nonprofit foundation that supports Northwest Indigenous communities through grantmaking, leadership development, and cultural preservation. Comparable in Indigenous-led, regionally-anchored nonprofit capital deployment.
• Capital Impact Partners: National CDFI providing capital and capacity-building services to under-resourced communities, with focus on equitable economic development. Comparable as a community development lender combining financing with technical assistance.
• First Nations Development Institute: National Native-led nonprofit that strengthens economic conditions of Native communities through grantmaking, lending support, and capacity building. Comparable in mission to Spruce Root's Indigenous-led community development and financial inclusion work.

Broad incumbents

• Calvert Impact Capital: Large national impact-investing CDFI raising capital from institutional investors to deploy into community development financial institutions and projects. Comparable as a CDFI operating at much larger scale across multiple regions.

Others

• Opportunity Finance Network: National membership association for CDFIs, providing capital, policy advocacy, and industry infrastructure. Comparable as the sector umbrella organization supporting CDFIs like Spruce Root.

Regional players

• Tlingit & Haida Indian Tribes of Alaska: Central Council serving Tlingit and Haida tribes in Southeast Alaska, operating economic, housing, and social programs for tribal citizens. Comparable as a regional Southeast Alaska Indigenous-led organization with overlapping community development footprint.
• Cook Inlet Lending Center (part of Cook Inlet Tribal Council): Alaska-based lending program operated by the Cook Inlet Tribal Council serving Alaska Native and other underserved borrowers with business and consumer loans. Comparable as an Alaska-focused tribal CDFI lending institution.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/spruceroot
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/spruce-root
• Instagraminstagram.com/sprucerootalaska

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds4 records

Investors4 records

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

M&A

Investments1 record

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

Frequently asked questions about Spruce Root