Pacific Community Ventures — Good Jobs Loans
Pacific Community Ventures (PCV)
$10,000–$200,000
Loans + free mentoring for businesses creating good jobs
Pacific Community Ventures (PCV) is a national CDFI that provides small business loans of $10,000 to $200,000 to small businesses that create good jobs for low-income workers — particularly in California and selected national markets. PCV combines loans with free business advising from a network of volunteer mentors (executives and professionals). PCV's 'Good Jobs' framework evaluates businesses on job quality, not just repayment capacity — businesses that offer living wages, benefits, and career advancement to low-wage workers receive priority and more favorable terms.
- Funding type
- Loan
- Level
- Private
- Amount range
- $10,000 – $200,000
- Realistic amount
- Most PCV small business loans range from $25,000 to $150,000. Loans under $50,000 are the most common first-time product…
- Deadline
- Rolling — applications accepted year-round with no intake cycles.
- Status
- active
- States
- CA, CO, NY, TX, WA, IL, GA, FL, NC, OH
- Payment model
- loan
Who qualifies
- Business must create or retain quality jobs for low-to-moderate income workers — PCV's 'Good Jobs' criterion assesses whether the business pays living wages, offers benefits, and provides career growth pathways
- Business must be located in a PCV service area (California is core; national coverage expanding — verify at pacificcommunityventures.org)
- Minimum 1 year in business for standard loans; some exceptions for startups with strong business plans and job creation potential
- For-profit businesses only (not nonprofits)
- No minimum credit score published; PCV uses mission-aligned underwriting weighting both financial viability and job quality
- Priority given to women-owned, minority-owned, veteran-owned, and immigrant-owned businesses
- Business should have between 2–50 employees or a credible plan to reach this scale
What it covers
Eligible expenses
- Working capital and operating expenses
- Hiring and payroll for new quality jobs
- Equipment and technology
- Inventory and materials
- Training and workforce development
- Marketing and business development
- Physical space improvements
Ineligible expenses
- Personal expenses of the business owner
- Speculative investments
- Refinancing personal debt
- Nonprofit operations
How to apply
-
1
Submit online loan inquiry
Start at pacificcommunityventures.org/apply. Provide basic business information including industry, revenue, employee count, loan amount, and loan purpose. PCV also asks about job quality metrics — wages paid, benefits offered. A PCV loan officer follows up within 3–5 business days.
~1 hrs
-
2
Complete full loan application and job quality assessment
PCV's full application includes business description, financial history, owner background, and a Good Jobs assessment — questions about average hourly wages, benefits (health insurance, paid leave, retirement), and pathways for advancement. This distinguishes PCV from conventional lenders.
~4 hrs
-
3
Provide financial documentation
2–3 years of business tax returns, business bank statements (3–6 months), current income statement and balance sheet, and personal financial statement for owners with 20%+ ownership.
~3 hrs
-
4
Loan review and decision
PCV's credit team reviews applications and PCV's Impact Committee considers the job quality assessment. Decision typically issued within 2–6 weeks. Businesses may be matched to a mentor advisor during or after this phase.
~0.5 hrs
-
5
Receive loan and engage free mentoring
Approved borrowers receive funds and are connected to a PCV volunteer mentor — a business professional matched to the borrower's industry and stage. Mentoring is free and ongoing for the duration of the loan.
~1 hrs
PCV's Good Jobs assessment is not a hurdle — it's a differentiator that gets you more favorable terms. Businesses that already pay living wages and offer health benefits often qualify for lower interest rates than businesses with the same revenue but lower job quality. Come prepared to quantify your wage rates and benefits package.
Deadline & timing
PCV accepts loan applications on a rolling basis with no specific cycles. Turnaround time is typically 2–6 weeks from complete application to decision depending on loan size and complexity.
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Last reviewed 2026. GrantCompass is an independent funding-discovery tool and is not affiliated with any government agency. Always confirm details on the official program page.