Mercy Corps Northwest serves local entrepreneurs and small business owners who have been boxed out of traditional means of financing or education - creating a more equitable economic landscape for the PNW. We offer grants, loans and education to entrepreneurs addressing their present needs and supporting them as they build toward economic self-sufficiency. We fulfill our mission to build a resilient, just and productive PNW by serving women, people of color, immigrants and low-income individuals
Mercy Corps Northwest (MCNW) was established in 1998 as the only U.S.-based field office of Mercy Corps, the Portland-based international relief and development agency. MCNW works to address the root causes of persistent economic hardship for entrepreneurs in the Puget Sound, Clark County, and Tri-Cities areas by creating access to business financing or resources for those with limited access to capital, imperfect credit, or businesses that are not yet profitable. Our goal is to support the most underserved populations in our community - empowering entrepreneurs to be better prepared, competent and capable small business owners. To do this we offer the most essential resources including grants, loans, and small business education to entrepreneurs from marginalized communities.
We serve over 2,420 unique entrepreneurs annually through classroom-based training, workshops, 1:1 counseling in multiple areas of technical expertise, matched savings grants (IDAs), credit repair and credit builder loans, and micro- and small business loans. We believe that our clients will experience the greatest success when they participate in multiple MCNW services, integrating various paths for them to achieve their goals.
Your donation directly impacts entrepreneurs from underserved communities who create a vibrant economic landscape in Washington. MCNW receives several grants that are highly restricted to support loan and grant capital. Often this capital is intended to make a direct impact on entrepreneurs but is offered without the needed funding to administer the loans. In some cases, MCNW can't accept the funds without the needed support to service the loans. A donation from you enables MCNW to accept such restricted donations, thereby leveraging your generous donation by several fold.