We Support Women & Children

By creating ownership opportunities, supporting strong community facilities, and providing responsible consumer financial services, Self-Help works to improve the lives of women and children.

Creating Ownership

Many qualified entrepreneurs and individuals find themselves without access to credit to start or grow their businesses or to purchase a home. As part of our mission, Self-Help provides loans to entrepreneurs and homebuyers—42% of whom are women. Our investments include:

• Over $55 million in home loans to more than 870  women
• Over $82 million in small business loans to 900 women

Community Facilities That Sustain Families

Self-Help finances nonprofits and other enterprises that bring critical infrastructure and services to underserved communities. We have provided over $142 million to 535 child care businesses and charter schools. Childcare centers provide children with a strong educational foundation, and working women with the assurance that their children are well-cared for outside the home. In addition, many women entrepreneurs start their own childcare facilities as a source of income and family wealth. Public charter schools provide underserved families with high-quality educational options that offer hope for bright futures.

Self-Help also finances a variety of other facilities providing essential services, including a woman-owned, rural residential facility for elderly women, a rape crisis center, and a group home and treatment center for teenaged girls.

Responsible Consumer Financial Services

Many women working to make ends meet use debit and credit cards to manage their finances. Some families use expensive fringe financial services like payday loans to fill in the gaps between paychecks. Self-Help offers responsible financial products with straight forward, affordable terms our members can trust. Families can then plan for their financial future knowing their credit union will not surprise them with hidden fees and unfair practices.