About Us

Community to People works with and through your community.

The reason is twofold

The diagram at the right provides an overview of the roles for each organization in a typical Micro Bridge Loan program. Move your cursor over the diagram and click for brief descriptions below.

Sponsor - Help people in your community through a financial crisis – before it becomes worse – with funds that can be recycled again and again. Any organization or individual that funds a Micro Bridge Loan (MBL) program becomes a Community to People Sponsor. Your gift is placed in a secure checking account at a local bank or credit union and is immediately available for a Micro Bridge Loan. Moreover, we provide all sponsors with direct web-based access to MBL account information (without name accreditation) to see the positive impact your donations have made . Return

Community Partner – A community partner is any organization that works to serve the needy, such as a non-profit, religious institution, or local government organization. Partners are critical to our success. As such, we prefer to work with partners that have, or are willing to assume, a case manager approach to working with each loan candidate. In turn, partners view Micro Bridge Loans as a valuable tool to serve their clients, in an emergency or when other funds are not readily available. Return

Community to People – Our role is primarily as an active supporter. We identify the community partner and and lending institution and work to ensure a successful Micro Bridge Loan program in the community. We also help with setting up proper accounts, candidate screening and approval, and managing the overall program. We provide all local stakeholders with access to our Partners Page on the website and with direct access to support staff who will answer questions and guide the program every step of the way. Return

The results benefit everyone. Sponsors help people with funds that can be recycled again and again. Partners gain a valuable tool not only to help clients through tough times, when other funds may be restricted, but to rebuild client credit. Lenders build relations with the under-banked and facilitate community investment goals. And People in need receive rapid assistance and the chance to re-build their lives.

Loan Candidate – Loan Candidates typically work with a community partner to complete an online application form. Once the Micro Bridge Loan is approved and the processing fee is received, a check for up to $300 will be issued directly to the vendor or creditor (such as a landlord, car repair shop, or public utility). The loan candidate should set up automatic bill payment if possible from their checking account for regular monthly payments. Since we know that personal financial crises often need immediate attention, we can normally process the Micro Bridge Loan application, approval and payment in less than a week. When the loan is paid in full, we report payment to a credit agency and the borrower typically receives a congratulatory letter from the lender that may be used to rebuild a positive credit history. Return

Liaison - Community-oriented banks and credit unions are an integral part of every MBL program. They serve as MBL Liaisons in building relations with the ‘under-banked’ and facilitating community redevelopment goals. Participation can be as simple as managing a checking account and loans do not appear on the lender's portfolio. We work with our local partner organizations to screen the loan candidates, approve payments, handle the paperwork and facilitate repayment. Return

by working with your community, we ensure that funds truly benefit those in your community

by engaging local groups as partners, we can build a sustainable program for years to come