Welcome to the Community Loan Fund of the Capital Region

The Community Loan Fund of the Capital Region is a nonprofit community development financial institution serving the Capital Region of New York State — Albany, Columbia, Fulton, Greene, Montgomery, Rensselaer, Saratoga, Schenectady, Schoharie, Warren & Washington Counties. Incorporated in 1985, our mission is to provide unique access to financing and business training to nonprofit organizations, small businesses, and entrepreneurs, in partnership with community minded stakeholders, helping deliver essential services to the economically underserved. Our vision is for a Capital Region where all residents have equitable access to the resources they need to build a sustainable, resilient, and prosperous community.

We provide access to capital by pooling investments and donations from socially concerned individuals and organizations, and re-lending it to nonprofit organizations and small businesses. We also offer training and technical assistance programs for small business owners and nonprofit leaders.

Explore our work and join us in this partnership by becoming an investor, a donor, or a nonprofit or small business borrower – together we are strengthening communities and changing lives.

Online Learning

free online training

Lending

Learn about our lending services

Community Solutions

Meet our business owners!

Our Community Members

“Without the Community Loan Fund, we would not have been able to get construction started. People that were homeless for years and years, now have permanent housing.”

Janine Robitaille
Interfaith Partnership for the Homeless

“The Community Loan Fund made Bliss possible, as they were our first source of funding. Without their faith in our business, we would not have been able to bring this business to life.”

Katie Dievendorf
Bliss Juice.Smoothie.Self

“The Community Loan Fund was very patient and helpful during the entire process and helped speed up our process! The staff was always very accommodating and ready to assist us.”

Ruth Randall & Selma Ogresevic
Green Sugar Leaf Farms

Borrower Bios

HomeFront working on the frontlines to keep low-income seniors in safe, warm homes

Owners of older mobile homes can face a number of challenges: water damage, wiring that isn't up to code, damaged insulation, and roofing issues. Plus, many don't hold heat well, which leads to [Read More]

Joyful Beginnings opens second location to meet childcare demand in Capital Region

Joyful Beginnings Early Education Program is a daycare center built on the premise that every child needs to be nurtured as an individual. The not-for-profit provides care for preschool age children, 91% of whom receive substantial DSS support. In 2019, Joyful Beginnings opened a second location in Waterford with assistance from the Community Loan Fund of the Capital Region.

Cambridge Food Co-op shores up store

The Cambridge Food Co-op has been serving the community since 1978. This year, with help from the Community Loan Fund they were able to tackle some important capital improvement projects and shore up the store for future generations.

Wilbur Session, owner of WJ’s Ultimate Cleaning, makes a clean sweep

Wilbur Session’s company WJ’s Ultimate Industrial Cleaning and Floors has nearly tripled in size since he started it in 2015. With a loan from the Community Loan Fund of the Capital Region, Session was [Read More]

Latest News

Community Loan Fund Training Director Paul Stewart Announces Retirement After 23 Years

Paul Stewart, Director of Training at the Community Loan Fund announced that he is retiring in January 2022, after 23 years with the organization. During his time with the organization, he has helped hundreds [Read More]

Community Loan Fund celebrates 36 Years of Community-Supported Lending

On Thursday, October 21, the Community Loan Fund celebrated 36 years of community-supported lending and training at the STEAM Garden on Central Avenue. The party included food from local restaurants, exhibits by small business [Read More]

TD Charitable Foundation Supports Helps Community Loan Fund of the Capital Region Provide Training and Flexible Financing to Grow Small Businesses

The TD Charitable Foundation, the charitable giving arm of TD Bank, America’s Most Convenient Bank®, recently donated $25,000 to the Community Loan Fund of the Capital Region to support the organization's efforts to provide [Read More]

Taofeek Abijako’s brand HEAD OF STATE+ returns to New York Fashion Week

Taofeek Abijako is a 22-year old entrepreneur who started his fashion line when he was just 17. He was a gifted artist who excelled in the graphic arts since childhood. In his early teens, [Read More]