MAF was built on a simple but radical idea: that trust — not transactions — is the true foundation of financial success.

When Lending Circles first launched in San Francisco, the results were clear. Immigrant and low-income families were improving their credit, accessing safe loans, and building stability. The challenge was how to bring that success to more communities across the country.

The traditional approach — opening new branches like a bank — was unrealistic and missed a deeper truth: trust lives locally.

So MAF chose a different path — to scale through partnerships with community-based nonprofits that already had the relationships and cultural knowledge to make Lending Circles thrive. MAF provided the technology, infrastructure, and compliance backbone. Together, they created a model that allows local organizations to deliver a national solution.

Today, this network has reached thousands of families across the country, proving that shared infrastructure and collective trust can drive lasting change.

MAF was built on a simple but radical idea: that trust — not transactions — is the true foundation of financial success.

When Lending Circles first launched in San Francisco, the results were clear. Immigrant and low-income families were improving their credit, accessing safe loans, and building stability. The challenge was how to bring that success to more communities across the country.

The traditional approach — opening new branches like a bank — was unrealistic and missed a deeper truth: trust lives locally.

So MAF chose a different path — to scale through partnerships with community-based nonprofits that already had the relationships and cultural knowledge to make Lending Circles thrive. MAF provided the technology, infrastructure, and compliance backbone. Together, they created a model that allows local organizations to deliver a national solution.

Today, this network has reached thousands of families across the country, proving that shared infrastructure and collective trust can drive lasting change.

Scaling Lending Circles required more than partnerships — it required reimagining how technology could serve people.

In the early days, partners mailed paper applications and tracked repayments by hand. MAF transformed that process by building a secure digital platform that connects families, partners, and credit bureaus seamlessly.

Now, families apply online, make payments automatically, and see their progress in real time. Partners can track performance, access reports, and manage their programs efficiently. Even the smallest nonprofit can now offer a regulated financial product with the backing of MAF’s infrastructure.

MAF’s digital backbone continues to evolve, connecting new tools, data, and insights — always guided by one principle: technology should amplify trust, not replace it.

MAF’s approach to growth is rooted in relationships. Scaling Lending Circles meant cultivating a network of mission-aligned partners — nonprofits that could deliver the program locally while staying true to its values.

Once onboard, partners receive training, technical support, and access to MAF’s platform. They adapt the program to fit their communities — from churches to immigrant resource centers to financial coaching nonprofits — while maintaining consistent quality and outcomes.

Scaling community lending also meant changing the systems that govern it.

Before 2014, nonprofits were legally barred from collaborating on financial products. MAF led the charge to change that, championing California Senate Bill 896 (SB 896) with Senator Lou Correa and Governor Jerry Brown.

SB 896 formally recognized credit-building loans as legitimate, enabling nonprofits to safely deliver programs like Lending Circles statewide. It was the first law of its kind — a breakthrough that legitimized community-based finance and laid the foundation for national scale.

In a sector often driven by competition, MAF took a different approach: collaboration. Instead of guarding its technology or brand, MAF opened its infrastructure so that others could deliver Lending Circles too.

This abundance mindset redefined what partnership means. It allowed local nonprofits to raise their own funding, expand services, and integrate credit-building into broader initiatives — from workforce development to immigrant inclusion.

MAF’s willingness to share what it built didn’t dilute impact — it magnified it.

The story of Lending Circles is about more than credit — it’s about rewriting what’s possible in the nonprofit sector.

MAF’s vision is to ensure that every family, regardless of income or immigration status, has access to safe, dignified financial tools. To make that vision real, MAF is:

• Expanding its digital infrastructure to welcome new partners.

• Strengthening its network through training and shared learning.

• Advancing policy reform to make inclusive finance possible nationwide.

• Elevating client and partner voices to shape a more equitable financial system.