Self-Help is not your typical financial institution. Everything we do is deeply grounded in our mission: creating and protecting ownership and economic opportunity for all, especially people of color, women, rural residents and low-wealth families and communities. We work every day to expand financial opportunities for people who have faced systemic barriers to building wealth. Some key facts about Self-Help include:

Self-Help started as a social justice organization in the 1980's.

Self-Help is one of the nation’s largest community development financial institutions (CDFIs), and we have achieved measurable results. Since 1980, we’ve invested $11 billion to strengthen community resources and help families build wealth by buying a first home or starting a business.

We lend to organizations that help communities thrive, like nonprofits, childcare centers, public charter schools, sustainable food entrepreneurs, affordable housing developments, faith-based organizations, and more.

We work with people and organizations to put money/capital back into the communities we serve.