Partner With Us
Elevating our region, together
At EFund, we know collaboration unlocks the full potential for small businesses to thrive. By combining your organization’s existing strengths with our resources and programs, we can work together to find the best solutions for local business owners in our region, ensuring they have the support they need to succeed.
Together, we can build strong, diverse communities fueled by entrepreneurship.
Partner Spotlight
Mille Lacs Corporate Ventures
The Entrepreneur Fund is an awesome partner. They have gone out of their way to engage with our rural, Tribal economy in Mille Lacs on so many different levels. From supporting and planning community convenings, to providing insight into strategic planning, to mentoring on how best to leverage financial tools.
Dustin Goslin
Northwest Regional Planning Commission
The Entrepreneur Fund’s presence in northern Wisconsin has brought added capacity to serve some of our most rural entrepreneurs and businesses. EFund brings a wealth of expertise and a proven track record of results that drives economic diversity and quality job creation. Having strong partnerships in our rural region is critical to the stability and sustainability of our economy.
Crystal Rohde
National Bank of Commerce
NBC is a strong supporter of small business in the region and a long-time partner of the Entrepreneur Fund. EF is unique in their ability to advance entrepreneurship and elevate business growth in our communities, as a philanthropic organization and referral partner their impact is exceptional.
Steven Burgess
How we work with banks
and small business lenders
At EFund, our goal is to complement and enhance resources already available in a community. We work with our partners to leverage the resources available and fill any gaps that remain so that small business owners have the greatest opportunity for success.
Partners, Not Competitors
We don’t compete with banks and small business lenders. We collaborate on larger projects, help build your client’s credit and help find the best solution for our region’s small business owners
Investing in the Entrepreneur
In addition to lending, we provide robust advising services to ensure clients can build their business acumen, while accessing capital and building their credit.
Filling Funding Gaps
We collaborate with banks and other small business lenders on gap financing, participations, or other arrangements to make deals happen.
Referral Pipeline
We take referrals from our banking partners for their clients who aren’t ready for bank financing yet. We help turn your “no” into a “yes.”
Financial Inclusion
As a certified CDFI and nonprofit, we are structured and funded differently than mainstream financing institutions. We work with those who may have credit issues, lower income, or lower wealth that would keep them out of traditional banks.
Targeted Approach
Our lending and advising services are designed to assist regional businesses in accessing capital and addressing areas that traditional lenders may struggle to support, such as working capital needs, technology, and gap financing.
We Can’t Do
This Work Alone
We understand that we are stronger together. When you partner with us, you partner with our mission. You partner with our vision of vibrant communities across our region that are created and sustained by entrepreneurs.
Whether it’s a partnership on a revolving loan fund, a banker referring a client for a small business loan, finalizing strategic business plans through local SBDCs, or filling a gap in financing to get a project to the finish line, we can collaborate with you and find the best solution for our region’s small business owners.
Interested in our impact?
Transforming communities through entrepreneurship.