Working Solutions — CDFI Small Business Loans
Working Solutions CDFI
$5,000–$100,000
The Bay Area's most accessible CDFI lender — no credit minimum, ITIN OK
Working Solutions is a nonprofit CDFI based in San Francisco, serving small businesses across the nine San Francisco Bay Area counties and select California geographies. It provides fixed-rate loans of $5,000–$100,000 with no minimum credit score, no revenue threshold, and no collateral requirement. ITIN is accepted in lieu of SSN, and the program is open regardless of citizenship or immigration status — making it one of the most accessible small business lenders in California. Every loan is paired with free one-on-one business consulting. The program specializes in startup and early-stage businesses owned by people of color, women, and lower-income entrepreneurs.
- Funding type
- Loan
- Level
- Private
- Amount range
- $5,000 – $100,000
- Realistic amount
- Typical loan is $10,000–$50,000. Startup businesses in the $5,000–$25,000 range are common. Select local partnership pro…
- Deadline
- Rolling — applications accepted year-round.
- Status
- active
- States
- CA
- Payment model
- loan
Who qualifies
- Business must be located in the San Francisco Bay Area (nine counties) or select California geographies — contact Working Solutions to confirm your area
- SSN or ITIN accepted — program is open regardless of citizenship, residency, or immigration documentation status
- No minimum credit score required
- No minimum revenue threshold required
- No collateral required
- For-profit businesses; startups and established businesses both eligible
- All owners holding 20% or more equity must be included on the application
- Certain industries may be ineligible — check Terms & Eligibility page at workingsolutions.org
Hard requirements
- Location restriction: San Francisco Bay Area and select California geographies
What it covers
Eligible expenses
- Startup costs
- Working capital and operating expenses
- Inventory
- Equipment and tools
- Leasehold improvements
- Refinancing of predatory business debt (prior high-cost loans)
Ineligible expenses
- Personal expenses unrelated to the business
- Certain restricted industries (see workingsolutions.org Terms & Eligibility)
- Speculative real estate investment
How to apply
-
1
Submit a loan inquiry online
Visit workingsolutions.org/loan-program and submit the loan inquiry form. Provide basic business information, requested loan amount, and intended use. Takes approximately 15–20 minutes.
~0.25 hrs
-
2
Complete the full loan application
Working Solutions will send you a complete loan application after your inquiry is reviewed. The full application includes business history, financial information, and the planned use of funds. All owners with 20%+ equity must be listed.
~2 hrs
-
3
Upload supporting documents
Working Solutions will request: government-issued ID (SSN or ITIN accepted), 3–6 months of business bank statements, most recent year's business tax return or YTD profit & loss statement. Specific requests vary based on loan size and business stage.
~2 hrs
-
4
Loan review and decision
Working Solutions reviews your application, typically 2–4 weeks from submission of a complete file. A free business consultant is assigned during this process to provide guidance.
~0.5 hrs
-
5
Sign loan documents and receive funds
Upon approval, sign loan documents (including $5 UCC filing fee and 5% closing fee at signing). Funds disbursed within 1–2 weeks. Free consulting continues post-loan.
~1 hrs
Working Solutions is genuinely immigration-status-agnostic — they accept ITIN and explicitly welcome undocumented founders, making this unique among California CDFI lenders. The 5% closing fee at signing reduces effective capital received (a $50K loan nets $47,500 after fees), so factor that into your request amount.
Deadline & timing
Working Solutions accepts applications on a rolling basis. Timeline from application inquiry to funding is typically 2–6 weeks, with funds disbursed within 1–2 weeks of approval.
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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.