Theory of Change

Working Solutions CDFI (WS) envisions a future where all small business owners are financially resilient and strengthen their communities through sustainable entrepreneurship. As a certified nonprofit CDFI, WS uses concessionary capital, philanthropic support, and strategic partnerships as a trusted contributor in a collective, community response to wealth inequity. WS’s primary activities are to originate low-cost loans, deliver restorative grants, and provide business consulting to historically marginalized entrepreneurs, prioritizing low-income, women, and BIPOC individuals, many of whom are at the cross-sections of several barriers. These activities provide small business owners—no matter their income level, race, ethnicity, gender, or legal status—with the funding, knowledge, and connections they need to operate thriving and sustainable businesses. The resulting knowledge, connections, and business performance position these small business owners in the long term as catalysts to build generational wealth and vibrant, stable communities.