Today, there are over 300 agencies in the United States that help businesses in different ways.  Some of these non profit organizations provide micro business loans and others simply provide information and guidance to small businesses.  The Great Recession affected the financing industry entirely including non profit organizations that provide funding to small businesses.

Foundations and the US Small Business Administration have cut back on providing funding to many non profit organizations that are registered as US SBA certified micro lenders and or intermediaries.  These cut backs have affected the ability of businesses being served by the non profit organizations who once provided funding to these businesses.  While this is not the case for every non-profit, there are many who have gone 6 months to even 1 year without obtaining funding from the SBA or foundations to provide business funding to businesses in their respective community.

One solution that has worked for some agencies is pairing up with alternative business funders who have access to capital.   Alternative business lenders access their capital form institutional investors, private equity funds, hedge funds, and venture capital firms.  They have liquidity and have access to capital.  Brokers within the alternative business funding industry are another solution because they can pick and choose the best funding option for a business.