Ascendus Inc.

What their website says about applying

• Get a referral from a partner, like an SBDC or SCORE. source
• Submit your online application, and name your partner when asked “How did you hear about us?” source
• We’ll be in touch within 2 business days to let you know if you’re a good fit for us. source
• This will include documentation to confirm some of the information submitted in your application source

Phone numbers and addresses are the ones on the lender's own site and the CDFI Fund list. CDFI Atlas does not take applications.

• Minimum credit score: 575 FICO score of 575 or higher. source
• Minimum time in business: 6 months Most of our loans need at least 6 months of consistent revenue source
• Low or damaged credit considered If your credit isn’t well established or is damaged, we can work to find strengths in your business or finances to make the loan possible. source

Only rules the lender's own pages state. Other requirements may apply.

Read from 5 pages of the lender's website on 29 Oct 2026. Quotes are verbatim. Reviewed by a person (Oct 2026). Items added later were extracted with AI help and checked automatically against the pages listed below. Confidence: high. "Nonprofit organizations" appears in an ineligible-business list on the site, so not a borrower focus. Terms change — confirm with the lender before applying.

Based on what their website said when we read it on 29 Oct 2026, and what it left out. Something missing here does not mean they don't offer it: ask.

1. Do you lend where I live, or where my business is?
   Their website does not say which area they serve.
2. Is there a minimum loan amount?
   Their website gives a maximum ($100,000) but no minimum.
3. What is the APR, including fees, on your credit-builder loans?
   Their website does not state an APR. The APR includes fees, so it is the number to compare.
4. What interest rate and fees should I expect on your child-care facility loans and small-business loans?
   Their website does not state a rate for this.
5. How long can I take to repay?
   No repayment terms are stated on their website.
6. Do you offer free coaching or help preparing my application?
   CDFI certification requires development services, such as training or advice, alongside lending.
7. What documents will you need from me, and how long does a decision usually take?
   Their website describes some application steps (above); ask for the full document list.

Write down the answers, who you spoke to and the date, and ask for the terms in writing before you sign.

End-of-year figures from the Form 990 this organisation filed with the IRS for the fiscal year ending December 2023 (tax year 2023; EIN 11-3317234, filed as “ASCENDUS INC”), taken from the IRS Annual Extract of Tax-Exempt Organization Financial Data (returns processed in 2024). Figures are self-reported to the IRS, not audited by us, and lag one to two years behind today. The lender’s own annual report may show newer numbers. This organisation’s filings on ProPublica Nonprofit Explorer

Filings over time

Total assets fell 3% from Dec 2021 to Dec 2023; notes and loans receivable rose 43%. One row per fiscal year in the IRS extracts of returns processed in 2022, 2023, 2024; “—” = the line was empty or zero on that return (a fund can book its loans on other lines).

For comparison, not an offer and not a rating. Past records show what this lender did, not what you would be offered. Peer groups and sources: methodology. Form 990 figures: IRS annual extracts (see the Form 990 section).

The SBA's public loan data lists 4 SBA-backed approvals for Ascendus Inc. in fiscal years 2020–2026 (October 2019 to September 2026):

• 4 7(a) loans as the lender: $460,000 in total (gross amount approved), median $100,000

By fiscal year: FY2020 4 · FY2021 0 · FY2022 0 · FY2023 0 · FY2024 0 · FY2025 0 · FY2026 0.

How this lender was matched in the SBA files: SBA lender ID 0466156: same name, state and city (SBA lists “Ascendus, Inc.”).

Approved is not the same as paid out: an approved loan can be reduced or never drawn. SBA lists the lender each loan is currently assigned to, which can differ after a merger or loan sale. Ascendus Inc. may also make loans outside SBA programs, which are not counted here, and SBA Microloans are not in these files.

Source: U.S. Small Business Administration, 7(a) & 504 FOIA loan data, files as of 30 Sep 2026, downloaded 3 Nov 2026. Our counts, cancelled approvals left out. How we match lenders.

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