FORGE FINANCING OZARK RURAL GROWTH AND ECONOMY

FORGE, Inc. is the oldest revolving community loan fund in Arkansas. As a nonprofit, mission-driven organization, FORGE provides access to affordable capital and business development services to small businesses and nonprofit organizations that are financially viable but otherwise have difficulty obtaining loan capital from banks and other conventional lenders. Since its founding in 1988, FORGE has served entrepreneurs throughout the Ozarks and the state of Arkansas with technical assistance, business development training, and microlending, working primarily with low-income individuals and services tailored to those communities. Headquartered in Huntsville, Arkansas, FORGE is a 501(c)3 non-profit corporation, a U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) Intermediary Microlender, and is certified by the U.S. Department of Treasury as a Community Development Financial Institution (CDFI). FORGE has been honored as SBA Arkansas Micro-Lender of the Year since 2014 and ranks among the top 20 microlenders in the United States. Key foundation partners include the Winthrop Rockefeller Foundation, the Arkansas Community Foundation, and the Sachs Foundation. Key state partners include the Arkansas Department of Finance and Administration Capital Access Program, the Arkansas Economic Development Commission (AEDC), particularly its Minority and Women’s Business Development program, and the Arkansas Small Business Technology and Development Centers (SBDTC). Other key partners include Consumer Credit Counseling of Arkansas (CCOA), The Senior Corps of Retired Executives (SCORE), BankOn Arkansas, and the U.S. Small Business Adminstration (SBA).