At a glance
From its website, read 2 Nov 2026Cares Project, Inc., The is a loan fund based in Winston Salem, North Carolina. Its website describes auto loans. Where it lends: Davidson, Davie, Forsyth, Guilford, Stokes, Surry and Yadkin counties, North Carolina. It says it considers borrowers with low or no credit history. You can start an application online.
Each point is backed by a quote further down this page. Terms change: confirm with the lender.
How to reach them and apply
| Main | (336) 840-1555 source |
|---|---|
| info@thecaresproject.org source | |
| Apply online | Page with the application link |
| Website | thecaresproject.org |
| Office (official list) | 3410 Healy Drive, Suite 209, Winston Salem, NC 27103 |
What their website says about applying
you will complete the CARes Project application. As part of the application, you will be asked to upload copies of your most recent month's worth of paystubs, a copy of your NC Driver's License, and bank statements.
sourceprovide a down payment of $300.00.
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.
Rates and terms they state
Read 2 Nov 2026| Loan | Stated | Text on the lender's site (verbatim) | Page |
|---|---|---|---|
| Auto / vehicle loans | Rate stated, not as an APR: see their wording | All loans are 36 to 54-month, 9% simple interest loans. | source |
| Auto / vehicle loans | Term: see their wording | All loans are 36 to 54-month, 9% simple interest loans. | source |
As published on the lender's website on that date, not an offer or a quote. Your rate depends on the lender's review. A missing rate means the pages we read did not state one. For consumer loans we repeat a rate only when the lender states it as an APR (annual percentage rate, which includes fees); otherwise read the lender's own wording and ask for the APR.
Who qualifies, in their words
- Low or damaged credit considered
Have a credit score of 600 or less
source - Income limit applies
Have a household income of 80% AMI or less and/or live in a CDFI Investment Area
source - Training or counseling required
Willingness to participate in the financial coaching and credit counseling process
source
Only rules the lender's own pages state. Other requirements may apply.
Official record
CDFI Fund list, 21 Oct 2026| Institution type | Loan fund |
|---|---|
| Native CDFI | No |
| Date certified (as listed) | 11 Jul 2025 |
| RSSD ID | — (none listed) |
| Address | 3410 Healy Drive, Suite 209, Winston Salem, NC 27103 Directions (Google Maps) |
| Website | thecaresproject.org |
Head officeBranch or officeApproximate (ZIP code area)
Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors, © OpenMapTiles, tiles OpenFreeMap. Head-office points: U.S. Census Bureau geocoder.
Loans and eligibility
Verified from lender site on 2 Nov 2026Read from 4 pages of the lender's website on 2 Nov 2026. Quotes are verbatim. Extracted with AI help from the pages listed below and checked automatically against them. Not reviewed by a person. Confidence: high. The car loan amount of up to $15,000 is split across lines on the page, so no loan size is recorded. Terms change — confirm with the lender before applying.
| Product | Amount stated | Text on the lender's site (verbatim, incl. menu labels) | Page |
|---|---|---|---|
| Auto / vehicle loans | — | for the purchase of a used vehicle. All cars are purchased from franchise dealerships | source |
Loan sizes
No amounts stated on the pages we read.
Service area
Davidson, Davie, Forsyth, Guilford, Stokes, Surry and Yadkin counties, North Carolina
Now serving Davidson, Davie, Forsyth, Guilford, Stokes, Surry, and Yadkin Counties
source
Counties this matches: Davidson County, NC, Davie County, NC, Forsyth County, NC, Guilford County, NC, Stokes County, NC, Surry County, NC, Yadkin County, NC
Borrower focus
- Low- and moderate-income / underserved
We make low-interest vehicle loans to low-income working adults.
source
Languages
- No non-English service found on the pages we read.
Online application
Yes — the site links to an application. Online Application
source
Questions to ask when you contact them
Based on what their website said when we read it on 2 Nov 2026, and what it left out. Something missing here does not mean they don't offer it: ask.
- What are the smallest and the largest loans you make?
No loan amounts are stated on their website. - What is the APR, including fees, on your auto loans?
Their website states a rate, but not as an APR. The APR includes fees, so it is the number to compare. - 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.
CDFI Fund awards
CDFI Fund database, 3 Nov 2026$1.3 million in 7 awards from the U.S. Treasury's CDFI Fund, 2017–2024 (4 programs).
| Round year | Program | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| 2024 | CDFI Program, Financial Assistance | $143,000 |
| 2022 | CDFI Equitable Recovery Program | $500,000 |
| 2022 | CDFI Program, Financial Assistance | $125,000 |
| 2021 | CDFI Rapid Response Program | $200,000 |
| 2020 | CDFI Program, Technical Assistance | $125,000 |
| 2018 | CDFI Program, Technical Assistance | $114,148 |
| 2017 | CDFI Program, Technical Assistance | $123,241 |
These are awards and investments made to the institution itself to build its capital and capacity. They are not loans to borrowers, and an award does not mean the lender has money available for a particular loan today.
Source: CDFI Fund Searchable Awards Database, all 12,628 award records (1996–2025), read 3 Nov 2026. Years are the award round as the database lists it. Matched to the official CDFI list by exact name and state; see the method on the About page.
Size of the fund (IRS Form 990)
Fiscal year ending Dec 2023| Total assets | $504,552 |
|---|---|
| Total liabilities | $62,626 |
| Net assets | $441,926 |
| Total revenue | $424,564 |
| Notes and loans receivable, net (Part X line 7) | $387,075 |
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 81-2944362, filed as “CARES PROJECT 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
| Fiscal year ending | Total assets | Net assets | Revenue | Notes and loans receivable |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dec 2021 (990) | $342,424 | $338,661 | $352,040 | $116,069 |
| Dec 2022 (990) | $267,914 | $259,309 | $120,589 | $172,007 |
| Dec 2023 (990) | $504,552 | $441,926 | $424,564 | $387,075 |
Total assets grew 47% from Dec 2021 to Dec 2023; notes and loans receivable rose 233%. 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).
How it compares
Computed from public data| Measure | This lender | Compared with |
|---|---|---|
| Total assets, latest IRS Form 990 | $504,552 | Larger than 0% of the 13 other certified loan funds and venture funds in North Carolina with a matched Form 990 (median $9.2M). |
How these comparisons were worked out
| Measure | Peer group (this lender left out) | Peers | Where this lender sits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Form 990 total assets | certified loan and venture funds with a Form 990, in North Carolina | 13 | larger than 0% |
“Larger than X%” = the share of the peer group with a smaller value. Ranks count from the largest. Peer groups use the lender's home state when it has at least 5 peers, otherwise the whole country. Full definitions: methodology.
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).
Other certified CDFIs in Winston Salem and North Carolina
- Bragg Mutual FCUCredit union · Fayetteville, NCAuto / vehicle loansVerified
- Business Expansion Funding CorporationLoan fund · Charlotte, NCSBA-backed loans (7(a)/504/Community Advantage), Small-business loansVerified
- CAHEC Capital, Inc.Loan fund · Raleigh, NCAffordable housing development loansVerified
- Carolina Small Business Development Fund (The Support Center)Loan fund · Raleigh, NCMicroloans, SBA-backed loans (7(a)/504/Community Advantage), Small-business loansVerified
- Institute Capital, Inc.Loan fund · Durham, NCAffordable housing development loans, Small-business loansVerified
- Latino Community Credit UnionCredit union · Durham, NCAuto / vehicle loans, Home mortgages, Personal / consumer loansVerified
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