The ALLIANCE for Community Development

Name

The ALLIANCE for Community Development

Legal name

Alliance for Community Development

Website

https://alliancecd.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1999

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Small Business Development Services

NAICS

Convention and Trade Show Organizers (561920), Business Associations (813910), Civic and Social Organizations (813410)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600), Services-Management Consulting Services (8742)

akta.pro primary industry

Customer/User Conferences & Client Advisory Boards (THAHAMAD)

akta.pro secondary industries

Training, Enablement & Talent Development Summits (THAHAMAH), Association & Society Conference Management (Nonprofit, Professional Bodies) (THAHACAA)

Keywords

• Entrepreneur navigation services
• Small business support
• Capital access assistance
• Community development programs
• Business mentorship programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Oakland

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Donations and charitable contributions: Alliance for Community Development operates as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization funded primarily through donations, grants, and charitable contributions. The organization solicits donations via PayPal and lists a set of funders and sponsors on its website.
2. Government and foundation grants: The organization receives funding through government programs such as the SCALE Program (Success, Capital Access and Leadership for Entrepreneurs) funded by the U.S. Treasury's State Small Business Credit Initiative (SSBCI) via the California Office of the Small Business Advocate (CalOSBA). Additional grant funding comes from Target Foundation ($30 million donated to support nonprofits since 2024 per the Target article).

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

The ALLIANCE for Community Development provides free one-on-one navigation services to under-resourced Bay Area entrepreneurs, connecting them to capital providers, mentors, and business resources through its Navigation Program, Rapid Response Navigation, Good Money Guide, and SCALE Program. It also hosts the annual Bay Area Capital Connections (BACC) conference that enables direct matchmaking between entrepreneurs and capital providers. All services are delivered at no cost to participants.

Product overview

The Alliance for Community Development operates as a nonprofit ecosystem of programs designed to support under-resourced Bay Area entrepreneurs. The core offerings include the Navigation Program (one-on-one sessions with navigators), Rapid Response Navigation (crisis support), the Good Money Guide (capital resource guide), and the SCALE Program. Additional services include Buying Guides and Spanish-language programs. The organization also hosts the annual Bay Area Capital Connections Conference (BACC), which serves as a flagship convening event connecting entrepreneurs with capital providers and ecosystem stakeholders. The portfolio functions as a coordinated ecosystem approach rather than discrete standalone products.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Navigation Program Free one-on-one program connecting entrepreneurs with Alliance Navigators for 45–60 minute sessions to discuss business goals, challenges, and capital needs. Includes personalized Resource Roadmaps and warm introductions to capital providers. Available in English and Spanish.
• Rapid Response Navigation Free crisis support navigation service helping entrepreneurs demystify available resources during COVID and other crises, including program research, application assistance, and referrals for housing, food, and childcare needs.
• Good Money Guide Digital and physical guide featuring local community funders, distinguishing among different funding types, expert tips, and featuring local small businesses. Available in multiple editions (2018, 2020–21, 2022–23).
• SCALE Program Success, Capital Access and Leadership for Entrepreneurs — a California Office of the Small Business Advocate (CalOSBA) program in which the Alliance serves as a resource partner providing direct Technical Assistance to entrepreneurs seeking funding and connecting them with a larger network of partners.
• Bay Area Capital Connections Conference (BACC) Annual conference connecting key stakeholders in the entrepreneurship ecosystem (investors, trainers, mentors, decision-makers) with diverse entrepreneurs and community leaders. Features entrepreneur speakers, keynote speakers, interactive breakout sessions, and Capital Connections one-on-one matchmaking between entrepreneurs and capital providers.
• Programas en Español (Spanish-language Programs) Spanish-language versions of the Alliance's navigation services, the Good Money Guide, and program offerings for Spanish-speaking entrepreneurs in the Bay Area.
• Buying Guides Annual guides created to highlight, celebrate, and support local small businesses, started in 2021.

Quantifiable outcome

• 640 businesses supported since 2020
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers9 records

Segments7 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Kaiser PermanentecoreGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 October 2025Kaiser Permanente presented the 2025 THRIVE Award at BACC16, honoring Bay Area entrepreneurs who exemplify resilience, adaptability, and innovation.
• California Office of the Small Business Advocate (CalOSBA)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024Alliance for Community Development participates as a resource partner in the SCALE Program (Success, Capital Access and Leadership for Entrepreneurs), created by CalOSBA. The program is funded by the U.S. Treasury's State Small Business Credit Initiative (SSBCI). Alliance provides direct Technical Assistance to entrepreneurs seeking funding and connects them with a larger network of partners.
• VerizonminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 November 2022Alliance hosted an event with major corporate sponsor Verizon in November 2022, which helped increase the visibility of Pillar Cowork and Childcare (an Alliance client) through social media.
• The Enterprise Center CDCcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAlliance partners with The Enterprise Center CDC in Philadelphia as part of Target's network of nonprofit partners serving small businesses and entrepreneurs.
• ICNC (Industrial Council of Northwest Chicago)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAlliance partners with ICNC in Chicago as part of Target's network of nonprofit partners serving small businesses.
• ICA FundcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAlliance referred entrepreneurs to ICA Fund's accelerator and Lab programs. Jonathan Makonnen (UNFAZED) was supported with his ICA application in early 2024. Pillar Cowork and Childcare participated in ICA's The Lab and Accelerator programs.
• Chase Minority Business Development programcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAlliance connects entrepreneurs with the Chase Minority Business Development program for ongoing in-depth technical and strategic assistance. Jerry Bailey (Ayaba Wines) and Amirh Davis (Pillar Cowork) have been working with this program.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights3 records

Direct peers

• SCORE: The largest free small-business mentoring and resource-navigation nonprofit in the U.S., offering one-on-one advisory similar to the Alliance's Navigation Program. Highly comparable mission (free entrepreneur support) at vastly greater national scale.
• Working Solutions: Bay Area CDFI microlender that provides microloans and business advising to under-resourced entrepreneurs; identified in the data as a BACC Capital Provider Partner — same beneficiary focus and matching capital-vs-advisory stack.
• Main Street Launch: Oakland-based CDFI offering loans and advising to small businesses, including those in low-income communities. Direct Bay Area overlap with the Alliance's targeting of Oakland entrepreneurs.
• Pacific Community Ventures: Bay Area CDFI and small-business support organization that combines advising with capital access. Functions both as Alliance partner and as a near-direct peer because the populations served and service bundles overlap.
• Kiva: Global nonprofit crowdfunding platform providing 0% interest loans to under-resourced entrepreneurs — directly comparable in target demographic and capital-access focus, with community-driven funding model.
• Inner City Advisors (ICA Fund): Bay Area nonprofit that pairs under-resourced entrepreneurs with C-suite advisors and runs accelerators — Alliance already refers clients to ICA's accelerator, evidencing near-identical beneficiary profile and complementarity.
• Renaissance Entrepreneurship Center: Bay Area-based 501(c)(3) that provides free business training, mentorship, and capital access to under-resourced entrepreneurs. Direct mission and geography overlap with the Alliance, including bilingual programming.

Broad incumbents

• Small Business Development Centers (SBDC): Nationwide SBA-funded network offering free advising and capital-access support to small businesses — overlapping mission and fee structure, larger scale, partially funded through federal pass-throughs akin to the Alliance's SCALE participation.
• SBA Women's Business Centers (WBC): Federally funded network of centers providing free business training and advising specifically to women entrepreneurs — same free-service model and demographic priority as Alliance's women-entrepreneur segment, but broader and federally backed.

Emerging players

• Center for Community Self-Help (Self-Help Credit Union / CDFI): CDFI combining community development financial services with small-business support for low-wealth entrepreneurs — similar equity-focused mission but operates at much larger scale and primarily on the East Coast.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/acdsfba
• Facebookfacebook.com/allianceCD
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/acdsfba
• Instagraminstagram.com/acdsfba

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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 The ALLIANCE for Community Development