Ten years ago, MEDA launched Fondo Adelante, a CDFI created to expand access to capital for small-business owners shut out of traditional banks.
Since then, Fondo Adelante has become a cornerstone for micro-entrepreneurs across the Bay Area, deploying $18.17 million in loans to 600 small businesses. While our reach is regional, our deepest impact is rooted in the Mission Corridor, where—through MEDA’s place-based strategies—Fondo Adelantes strengthens the local economy by providing low-interest lending and technical assistance to 132 brick-and-mortar businesses across multiple industries.
Thirty-one of these businesses operate out of affordable housing buildings owned by MEDA, ensuring that community spaces remain hubs of both stability and opportunity. Among them are nine businesses at El Mercadito, our small-business incubator at Plaza Adelante, MEDA’s headquarters. El Mercadito serves as a launchpad for entrepreneurs to test, grow, and sustain their ideas—right in the heart of the Mission.
And it is in the Mission Corridor where we have pivoted the New 4 Cs of Credit—Character, Commitment, Conditions, and Capacity—an innovative framework that recognizes the strengths of small businesses often overlooked by traditional lenders. This approach ensures that entrepreneurs are not left vulnerable to predatory loans or forced to abandon their dreams.
The results speak for themselves: between July 2023 and December 2024, Fondo Adelante businesses generated $9.15 million in revenue and employed 250 people. During this period, our lending team disbursed $864,000 in low-interest loans, while our Business Development team secured $462,000 in grants to help entrepreneurs stabilize and grow.
Looking ahead, we see a future where even more entrepreneurs can access fair capital, build wealth, and strengthen their communities. Over the next decade, Fondo Adelante will continue to innovate lending practices, deepen our Mission Corridor work, and expand opportunities across the Bay Area—proving that when local businesses thrive, neighborhoods flourish.
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