Local businesses are community anchors, and they deserve to thrive.
In Oakland and across the Bay Area, small businesses are more than storefronts. They are cultural landmarks, job creators, and gathering places. But far too often, Black, Brown, immigrant, and women entrepreneurs are denied the capital, coaching, and space they need to grow and sustain their work.
At the McFadden Finch Foundation, we invest in small business ecosystems that center equity, ownership, and long-term resilience. We believe in building local economies from the ground up, led by the people who live and work here.
Supporting small business is a powerful way to positively impact our communities and increase our shared prosperity. Interested in partnering with LISC to make it happen? Reach out here.
What We Fund
We support programs and partners that help small business owners start, grow, and stay in their communities.
We fund:
- Start-up and growth capital for BIPOC-owned and community-rooted businesses
- Technical assistance (bookkeeping, business planning, licensing, marketing)
- Commercial corridor revitalization efforts led by neighborhood organizatio
- Community kitchens, shared manufacturing spaces, and pop-up markets
- Business incubators and cooperatives
- Policy advocacy for equitable contracting, zoning, and access to city resources
We prioritize businesses that serve—and are owned by—residents of historically disinvested neighborhoods, especially in East and West Oakland.
Why It Matters
- Entrepreneurs of color face steeper barriers to financing, permits, and commercial space.
- Many small businesses were hit hardest by the pandemic and still haven’t recovered.
- Gentrification is pushing out legacy businesses that define neighborhood identity.
- When local businesses succeed, they create jobs, build wealth, and keep dollars in the community.
Backing small business is a direct investment in neighborhood strength and economic justice.
Our Approach
We move capital with flexibility and purpose:
- Grants for entrepreneurs who need startup or emergency funding
- Low-interest loans for growth and expansion
- Capacity-building support for long-term sustainability
- Partnerships with technical assistance providers and community lenders
- Place-based investment strategies that support whole commercial districts, not just individual businesses
We listen to business owners, meet them where they are, and walk with them—not over them.