Financing Your Cooperative

Shared Capital Cooperative offers cooperative friendly financing. We have been providing loans to cooperatives for almost 40 years and have financed more than 800 cooperative projects. As a cooperative ourselves, we understand the unique ownership, governance, and capital structures of cooperatives.

With capital sourced from cooperatives and their allies, we offer capital that aligns with cooperative values and supports democratic ownership. A loan from Shared Capital can help your cooperative achieve its goals, while also strengthening the cooperative economy by keeping capital circulating in the cooperative economy.

We are committed to advancing racial equity and social and economic justice. Therefore, we especially seek to support cooperatives that are organized by low-income, economically and socially disadvantaged communities, and those that build economic opportunity, create living wage jobs, provide access to healthy food, and offer dignified, affordable housing.

Who Can Borrow

Any business or housing organization in the US operating and governed on a cooperative basis is eligible to apply for financing. Borrowers include worker, consumer, producer and housing cooperatives. A cooperative must be a member of Shared Capital Cooperative to borrow. Learn more about joining Shared Capital Cooperative.

What Kind of Loans are Available

Loans of $10,000 to $1,000,000 are available for one to ten years. For projects of $1 million or more, we can partner with other lenders. Loans are made to cooperatively owned small business, microenterprises, commercial real estate, and multi-family and affordable housing.

Business Loans

• Expansions and relocations
• Leasehold improvements
• Equipment
• Inventory
• Working capital
• Real estate acquisition or refinance
• Startup
• Conversion to cooperative ownership

Housing Loans

• Real estate purchase / mortgage
• Refinance a mortgage
• Rehab, repairs and improvements