Small Business Leader Award
Funding Amount
Up to $75,000
Deadline
Deadline not published
Grant Type
Foundation
Deadline history & next window
- Cycle
- One-time opportunity
- Tracked since
- April 2026
Source: the cycle recorded on this listing. Confirm dates with the funder.
Can we apply?
Check your organization against each line. Taken from the listing; confirm with the funder's guidelines.
Other requirements
- Mission-driven small business lenders
- CDFIs
Overview
A national award recognizing innovation and growth in mission, impact, and financial sustainability among mission-driven small business lenders.
Geographic Scope: National
Focus Areas:
- Innovation and growth in mission-driven small business lending
- Mission, impact, and financial sustainability
- Excellence in CDFI and mission-driven lending sector
Eligibility:
- Mission-driven small business lenders
- CDFIs
Support:
- Supported by Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Businesses, Surdna Foundation, and OFN
- Winners honored at annual OFN Conference
- Grant funding up to $75,000 per winner
Award Years:
- 2016 winners: Accion (AZ, CO, NV, NM, TX), Carolina Small Business Development Fund, Community Reinvestment Fund USA (MT & ID)
- 2015 winners: Metropolitan Economic Development Association (MEDA), with finalists Pathway Lending and PIDC Community Capital
- 2014 winners: New York Business Development Corporation, with runner-up Opportunity Fund and finalists Business & Community Lenders of Texas and Bridgeway Capital
What Opportunity Finance Network actually gave
Source: IRS Form 990, 2025
- Grants in 2025
- 19
- Total given
- $2.87M
- Median grant
- $150K
- Range
- $100K–$215K
- By dollars: New York 18%, Minnesota 16%, California 10%. Top recipient cities: Minneapolis, MN; Syracuse, NY; Ontario, CA.
- 100% of grants with a stated purpose were for general or operating support.
- 68% of recipients were new grantees, not repeat recipients.
Example grants
Home Headquarters · Syracuse, NY
Operating grant
$215K
Ampac Business Capital · Ontario, CA
Operating grant
$150K
Atlanta Neighborhood Development Partnership · Atlanta, GA
Operating grant
$150K
Community Capital New York · Elmsford, NY
Operating grant
$150K
Community Health Center Capital Fund · Boston, MA
Operating grant
$150K
Focus Areas & Funding Uses
Fields of Work
- Small businesses
Categories
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