Affordability Rate Capital

Closing the rate gap.
Opening the door.

ARC Fund deploys philanthropic capital as an interest rate subsidy, reducing borrowing costs by 300 basis points for small businesses across Appalachian communities.

$0B+ Unmet capital demand in Appalachia
0% CDFI-eligible deals declined for affordability
0x Leverage ratio per pool dollar
0 bps Rate reduction for every qualifying borrower

Credit is not the barrier. Cost is.

Across Appalachia, small businesses are being turned away from capital they qualify for. The issue is not creditworthiness. It is monthly payment load at standard CDFI interest rates.

Post-Hurricane Helene emergency relief programs have wound down. Standard terms are back in effect for businesses still carrying storm damage.

  • 65% of CDFI-eligible small business borrowers are declined not for creditworthiness but because standard loan terms consume too much monthly cash flow. (Federal Reserve CDFI Survey, 2025)
  • 3% of small businesses in Western North Carolina access formal capital, the lowest documented rate in the Appalachian region.
  • $70B in unmet capital demand across Appalachian communities, estimated by the Appalachian Regional Commission and Next Street (2024).
The ARC Fund Solution

A $150K working capital loan at 300 bps lower

Standard CDFI Rate 9%
ARC Effective Rate 6%
$3,113
Monthly at 9%
$2,900
Monthly at 6%
Monthly saving to borrower
$213/mo

ARC pays a fixed quarterly subsidy directly to the CDFI partner. The borrower sees one loan, one payment, one lender. The pool is invisible.

Four stakeholders. One seamless structure.

01

Funders Commit Capital

Philanthropic funders contribute to the ARC pool. Capital is deployed as quarterly interest rate subsidies, not grants spent in one transaction.

02

CDFIs Originate Loans

CDFI partners underwrite and service loans under their existing standards. They absorb default risk. ARC holds no note, no collateral, and no lien.

03

ARC Pays the Subsidy

Each quarter, ARC pays the flat monthly payment difference directly to CDFI partners for every active qualifying loan in the portfolio.

04

Borrowers Access Capital

Small businesses receive loans at a 300 bps lower rate. One loan, one payment, one lender. The subsidy is invisible to the borrower.

See the Full Mechanics

Including fee structure, payment schedule, and a full deal example

For CDFI Partners

ARC Fund makes your qualified borrowers affordable. You originate. You service. You keep the relationship.

Learn How to Participate

For Funders

Your philanthropic dollar works harder than a direct grant. 23x leverage. 16% lower cost for the same borrower benefit.

Explore a Commitment

This model has worked elsewhere. For decades.

ARC Fund follows a structure with documented precedents across municipal, federal, and CDFI systems.

LiftFund / Corpus Christi FHLBank Indianapolis FHLBank Boston USVI Energy Efficiency Loan CDFI Fund
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Ready to close the rate gap?

ARC Fund is in active pre-launch development. We are building the initial CDFI partner network and first funder pool now.