The Microenterprise Collaborative of Inland Southern California was recently awarded a grant from The James Irvine Foundation for “Expanding Micro-Business in the Inland Empire.” The purpose of the grant is to link new and established small business owners with the resources and capital to grow their businesses.
Over 90% of the businesses in the Inland Empire (San Bernardino and Riverside counties) are micro-businesses and over half of these are operated by low and moderate-income individuals. The Microenterprise Collaborative plans to engage SourceLink of Kansas City to customize a resource matching webtool listing small business services and lenders in the area and promote the tool to small business owners and those who work with small businesses. It is hoped that more small businesses will access the small business resources and capital needed to grow their businesses and increase the number of quality jobs available in the region.
The Microenterprise Collaborative is fiscally sponsored by AmPac Business Capital. It is a diverse collaborative comprised of over 600 partners such as financial institutions, nonprofits, government agencies, and business associations “To create and sustain businesses and jobs through micro-business development.”
The James Irvine Foundation is a private, nonprofit grantmaking foundation dedicated to expanding opportunity for the people of California. The Foundation’s grantmaking is committed to a California where all low-income workers have the power to advance economically.