We’re not your average lender.

We make loans based on who you are, not your financial history.

Everyone deserves equal access to funding.

A person is more than their credit score. Period.

LOAN DETAILS

  • Our lending primarily supports established businesses owned by low-income individuals. While we consider applications from all stages of business, we focus our resources on helping existing operations grow and stabilize within our community.

  • Receive up to $20,000 to grow your operations. Our 5-year loans start at 8% interest, with a built-in rate reduction each year you maintain a consistent payment history. We make it more affordable to succeed as you go.

  • Serving the Southern Tier and Finger Lakes. Living nearby but outside these regions? You may still be eligible if you meet low-income requirements or live in a designated CDFI area. Check our map below to see if we’re active in your neighborhood: CDFI map.

  • Ready to take the next step? To ensure a smooth review, please have your supporting documents ready before beginning the application. Below, you’ll find our requirements and the link to start your submission:
    Supporting Documents
    Application

The What and the Why of Compassionate Lending

Traditional bank lending focuses on an applicant’s access to capital, collateral, and their credit score. For generations, this has excluded potential entrepreneurs who are low-income, women, people of color, and justice-impacted because of the many systemic barriers that limit their ability to build wealth and achieve economic stability.

Compassionate (also called “character-based”) lending, on the other hand, takes a more equitable, holistic approach that focuses on who the applicant is, the strength of their business idea, and their potential contribution to the community.

This type of lending strives to remove barriers and undo harm caused by systemic injustices found in the banking industry.

What Sets Us Apart?

Community Loan Fund

Amplify Equity provides loans of up to $20,000, to be paid back within 5 years at 8% interest for small business owners in the Southern Tier and Finger Lakes regions of New York. There are no fees when applying for a loan, we don’t take collateral, and we don’t require a down payment. A decision is not made based on a credit score. Not only that, we lower the client’s interest rate each year, as long as they keep making payments.

Resources and Relationships

We’re as invested in every client’s business as they are. That’s why we offer self-paced online business courses, connections with resources in the community, and free one-on-one mentoring for the life of the loan… and beyond!