Seeding Change in Small Businesses and Communities

Entrepreneurs Eric and Naihma used a small business loan to finance their bike shop.

Photo by Juan Carlos Delgado
Erica and Naihma Deady, owners
of Bike Commuter received a loan
to expand their bike shop

Hear their story.



91% of our entrepreneurs are still in business two years later.

View our Program
Outcomes

Mercy Corps Northwest programs work to increase economic self-sufficiency and community integration through microenterprise development and self-employment. We assist low-income current and aspiring small-business owners throughout Oregon and Washington in order to reduce unemployment, grow personal incomes and assets, and increase economic growth.

Our mission runs parallel to the mission of our parent organization, Mercy Corps:
To alleviate suffering, poverty and oppression by helping people build secure, productive and just communities.

Our work

• Business seminars, courses and trainings
• Small business loans
• Individual Development Accounts (IDAs)
• Reentry programs and resources to assist formerly incarcerated individuals.
• Agricultural programs to help recent refugees and immigrants start small-scale farm enterprises.

Our Goals

We designed our programs to achieve the following outcomes for our clients:

  1. Increased income
  2. Asset and net worth accumulation
  3. Community integration
  4. Housing stability

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