Four loan products. $2,500 to $350,000. One conversation to start.
HEF is the U.S. Treasury–certified lending affiliate of Harlem Commonwealth Council. We have deployed $17 million across 464 loans — and we underwrite the whole business, not just a credit score.
Bars show each product’s maximum. Smallest loan we write is $2,500.
Find your product in about ten seconds.
Four products, and that is the whole list. Match on the amount you need and the time you need to repay it.
HEF direct
HEF Small Business Loan
- TermUp to 5 years
- Qualifies onBusiness history and ability to repay
This may be for you if you have trading history and a specific, one-time investment to make.
HEF direct
HEF Business Line of Credit
- Term12 months, revolving
- Qualifies onCredit and cash flow
This may be for you if your gap is timing — seasonal swings, payroll before an invoice clears — not a single purchase.
SBA-backed
SBA Microloan
- TermUp to 7 years
- Qualifies onCreditworthiness and how you will use the funds
This may be for you if you are early-stage, or the amount you need is modest and you want a longer runway to repay it.
SBA-backed
SBA Community Advantage
- TermUp to 10 years
- Qualifies onCredit, business history and community impact
This may be for you if you need the most capital and the longest repayment window we offer.
Not sure which one fits? The Funding Navigator builds your funding profile live and points you to the product that fits.
Get Funded →Six ways owners put HEF capital to work.
If your plan is not listed here, it is still worth asking. Tell us what the money is for — or open the Funding Navigator and find out where you stand first.
Business acquisition
Buy an existing business, or buy out a partner.
Equipment purchase
Ovens, vehicles, chairs, machinery, hardware.
Inventory expansion
Buy deeper stock, or buy it earlier and cheaper.
Working capital
Cover payroll, rent and operations through a slow stretch.
Debt refinancing
Replace high-cost or predatory debt with affordable terms.
Tenant improvements
Build out or renovate the space you operate in.
Not sure whether we can fund your plan? The Funding Navigator tells you where you stand and what we will need from you.
Get Funded →A credit score is one input. Not the verdict.
Banks decline businesses that are working. We underwrite character and cash flow alongside the credit file, which means we can say yes where an automated scorecard says no.
We read the whole business
Cash flow, track record, standing in the community and the plan for the money. A thin or bruised credit file is a question we ask about, not a door that closes.
Capital comes with help
Through Harlem Commonwealth Council you can get free business advising before and after the loan. Lending is where we start, not where we stop.
Decisions are made here
HEF answers to this community, not a regional credit committee. You will talk to the people who make the decision.
Three ways in.
Use the Funding Navigator
Six questions, about two minutes. It builds your funding profile as you answer, then names the best-fit product, the documents we will need, and who to talk to.
Email us
Tell us the amount, what it is for, and how long you have been trading.
Call us
Speak to a lending officer about whether this is likely to work before you gather paperwork.