Kiva conducts regular, ongoing monitoring of all Lending Partners, but only posts status updates here in response to relevant, major changes at the partner.

Update on 21 August 2023:

Kiva and LiftFund have agreed to end their partnership after more than $1.5 million in loans raised. This partner has repaid its outstanding balance to Kiva in full, and these funds have been distributed to lenders. We thank LiftFund for the years of collaboration and wish them success in their future endeavors.

Status update — April 1, 2016

Kiva has moved this Lending Partner to inactive status. This means LiftFund is no longer fundraising loans on Kiva, though Kiva fully expects the partner to continue to send repayments owed to Kiva lenders for as long as the partner has an outstanding balance. The reasons a partner might become inactive include: taking time to develop a new type of loan, turnover on the partner’s management team, a shift in overall strategy or changes in funding sources. If and when this partner requests to fundraise again on Kiva, Kiva will first conduct any additional monitoring and due diligence tasks we believe necessary.

Partner Description:

Accion Texas Inc. will now be known as LiftFund. The name reflects its expanded mission to help small businesses gain access to capital not only in Texas but beyond. LiftFund also works in Alabama, Arkansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri and Tennessee.

LiftFund. is an award-winning nonprofit organization established in 1994 in San Antonio. LiftFund has helped Texas and Louisiana entrepreneurs strengthen their businesses, stabilize and increase their incomes, create employment, and contribute to the economic revitalization of their communities. Learn more at www.liftfund.org.

Our Mission

To provide credit and service to small businesses that do not have access to loans from commercial sources, and to provide leadership and service to the micro lending field on a national level.

Our Services

--Individual business loans from $500 to $100,000 for existing and start-up businesses.

--Business lines of credit from $5,000-$50,000 for established businesses with two years of financial history.

We provide underwriting services for nine other nonprofits across the United States.

We also run the South Texas Women’s Business Center, whose mission is to educate, support, and strengthen women and small business entrepreneurs in establishing and expanding their businesses through quality business technical assistance, counseling, and advocacy.

Our Impact

--LiftFund’s micro loans create employment. Since 1994, LiftFund has helped to create or sustain more than 13,000 jobs.

--Between 1994 and 2012, LiftFund made $139 million in loans.

--A 2009 study shows that $93.6 million in LiftFund loans made between 1994 and 2009 produced $173.8 million in new economic activity, including earnings (payroll) of $55.2 million and state and local tax revenue of $10.1 million. These results represent a 60 percent social return on investment – every dollar loaned creates an average of 60 cents annually in new economic activity.

--The 2009 study also shows that those businesses that received a microloan with LiftFund had a 74 percent survival rate, compared to 30 percent of firms that survived overall within the data.

--After three small loans with LiftFund, clients increase business equity by 22%, bring in 67% more in monthly business profits and increase take home pay by 44%.

Why microlending in the U.S.?

Microlending—providing access to capital to those who are unable to access bank credit—is becoming an increasingly important strategy for helping low and moderate-income families. Income inequality continues to increase in the United States. Recent IRS data show that in 2005, the top 10 percent of Americans collectively earned almost as much as the bottom 50 percent of Americans. The poorest 20 percent of the population has only seen their real income increase by about 5 percent in the last 15 years—from $13,900 to $14,700. These families are finding it harder and harder to build a secure financial future—one with stable employment, a living wage, health insurance, savings, and homeownership. 

To gain greater control over their working lives, many families are turning to microbusiness. Research tells us that at least 1.8 million low income entrepreneurs do not have access to microfinance products. The demand is greater than ever. For the past year, LiftFund has been lending up to $1 million every month in microloans. We are disbursing capital as fast as we can get it! Across the country new and established microentrepreneurs can create stronger businesses and a brighter future with access to capital. 

Microloans impact families and communities

It’s easy to see how a micro loan ripples across families, communities, and even generations. Our loans:

--create jobs

--promote income stability

--improve credit scores

--help customers become bankable

--encourage new home ownership

They also benefit children who see at an early age how business works, becoming more likely to pursue higher education as family income grows.

How to get involved

Join the LiftFund lending team

Donate to LiftFund