In partnership with United Way of Greater Atlanta and the Community Restoration Project, Self-Help has helped develop a microloan program designed for families navigating financial instability.
The families this program serves are working hard, and many hold multiple jobs. But unplanned expenses can lead people to expensive solutions, such as high-interest payday loans, title pawns or buy-now-pay-later arrangements that quietly become another monthly bill. The average credit score of families in the program sits just below the threshold most conventional lenders require, effectively shutting these families out of the help that could make a world of difference.
This microloan program was designed to benefit the borrower twice. First, it addresses the immediate problem for anyone facing unexpected expenses, such as vehicle repairs, utility bills and other household emergencies. Second, it serves as a credit-building loan. Self-Help underwrites microloans of $500 to $1,500 at 7.25% interest. That rate would be unremarkable in most settings, but it represents a lifeline for borrowers who wouldn’t qualify for a standard loan product at a conventional bank.
Self-Help team members offer credit reviews at the initial meeting and can enroll those who wish in Self-Help’s free financial coaching. One borrower used her loan to cover rent after her employer delayed her start date, avoiding a high-interest payday loan and staying current on her new apartment. Another is paying her loan off ahead of schedule and plans to use the resulting credit improvement to refinance a high-interest car loan through Self-Help at a fraction of her current rate, freeing up money each month for savings.
The program, which launched in July 2025, has already benefited 42 individuals and families. The model is a kind of revolving loan fund: as loans are repaid, those same funds become available to the next family in crisis. Partnerships like this one grow from the deep relationships Self-Help builds with community organizations that share our commitment to economic inclusion
