Credit-building is just the beginning. Through ten years of issuing close to $10 million in zero-interest social loans, MAF uncovered what it really looks like when communities build financial power on their own terms. Spanning more than 20 states and 63 nonprofit partners, this research draws on a decade of data from clients navigating complex financial lives — combining formal wages with informal income, leveraging social capital, and finding creative paths to economic security.
What’s inside
What’s inside
- Credit outcomes: how Lending Circles move people out of poor credit and into new financial possibilities
- Community building: why nearly half of clients join for connection, not just credit
- Financial complexity: the diverse income sources, savings strategies, and entrepreneurial hustle behind the numbers
- 10 key findings that challenge assumptions about who is “risky” — and who isn’t
