At a glance
From its website, read 2 Nov 2026CLIMB Fund is a loan fund based in Charleston, South Carolina. Its website describes commercial real estate loans, microloans and small-business loans. Where it lends: Entire state of South Carolina. 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
| intake@climbfund.org source | |
| Apply online | Page with the application link |
| Website | www.climbfund.org |
| Office (official list) | 2 Race Street, Charleston, SC 29403 |
What their website says about applying
Step 1: Start Your Application This will take you to our official loan application portal.
sourceYou must complete the Application Workshop (Step 2) before we can process your submission.
sourceTo start a loan application with CLIMB Fund, all prospective borrowers are required to complete our Small Business Loan Application Workshop.
sourceReview our checklist to know what documents you will be asked to submit with 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.
Rates and terms they state
Read 2 Nov 2026| Loan | Stated | Text on the lender's site (verbatim) | Page |
|---|---|---|---|
| Loans (general) | Term: see their wording | Line of Credit Loan Amount: up to $25,000 Term: 1 year, may renew | source |
| Commercial real estate loans | Term: up to 10 yr | Real Estate Loan Loan Amount: no limit Term: up to 10 years, 25 year amortization | source |
| Microloans | Term: up to 7 yr | Microloan Loan Amount: up to $50,000 Term: up to 7 years | source |
| Small-business loans | Term: up to 10 yr | Small Business Loan Loan Amount: $50,001 and over Term: up to 10 years | 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.
Official record
CDFI Fund list, 21 Oct 2026| Institution type | Loan fund |
|---|---|
| Native CDFI | No |
| Date certified (as listed) | 25 Oct 2013 |
| RSSD ID | — (none listed) |
| Address | 2 Race Street, Charleston, SC 29403 Directions (Google Maps) |
| Website | www.climbfund.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 7 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. Line of credit is listed under small-business; the real estate loan has no stated amount limit and applies only to owner-occupied property. Terms change — confirm with the lender before applying.
| Product | Amount stated | Text on the lender's site (verbatim, incl. menu labels) | Page |
|---|---|---|---|
| Commercial real estate loans | — | Use of Funds: purchase or improve owner-occupied real estate | source |
| Microloans | up to $50,000 | Microloan Loan Amount: up to $50,000 | source |
| Small-business loans | from $50,001 | Small Business Loan Loan Amount: $50,001 and over | source |
Loan sizes
Service area
Entire state of South Carolina
Serving the entire state of South Carolina as the state's largest microlender
source
Statewide: South Carolina
Borrower focus
- Not stated on the pages we read.
Languages
- No non-English service found on the pages we read.
Online application
Yes — the site links to an application. This will take you to our official loan application portal.
source
Pages read (7)
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 interest rate and fees should I expect on your commercial real estate loans and microloans?
Their website does not state a rate for this. - Do you need collateral, a business plan or a minimum time in business?
Their website does not say what they require. - Do you offer free coaching or help preparing my application?
CDFI certification requires development services, such as training or advice, alongside lending. - 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$4.7 million in 2 awards from the U.S. Treasury's CDFI Fund, 2021–2022 (CDFI Equitable Recovery Program; CDFI Rapid Response Program).
| Round year | Program | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| 2022 | CDFI Equitable Recovery Program | $2,850,664 |
| 2021 | CDFI Rapid Response Program | $1,826,265 |
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 Sep 2023| Total assets | $35.5M |
|---|---|
| Total liabilities | $11M |
| Net assets | $24.6M |
| Total revenue | $5.1M |
| Notes and loans receivable, net (Part X line 7) | $13.5M |
End-of-year figures from the Form 990 this organisation filed with the IRS for the fiscal year ending September 2023 (tax year 2022; EIN 57-0707663, filed as “CLIMB FUND”), 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 2021 (990) | $28.5M | $21.1M | $3.8M | $9.8M |
| Sep 2022 (990) | $29.7M | $22M | $3.1M | $10.1M |
| Sep 2023 (990) | $35.5M | $24.6M | $5.1M | $13.5M |
Total assets grew 25% from Sep 2021 to Sep 2023; notes and loans receivable rose 38%. 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 | $35.5M | Larger than 71% of the 449 other certified loan funds and venture funds nationwide with a matched Form 990 (median $15.6M). |
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, nationwide | 449 | larger than 71% |
“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).
SBA loans approved
SBA data as of 30 Sep 2026The SBA's public loan data lists 2 SBA-backed approvals for CLIMB Fund in fiscal years 2020–2026 (October 2019 to September 2026):
- 2 7(a) loans as the lender
By fiscal year: FY2020 0 · FY2021 0 · FY2022 0 · FY2023 0 · FY2024 0 · FY2025 0 · FY2026 2.
By program
- 7(a) standard (2, 100%)
How this lender was matched in the SBA files: SBA lender ID 0188432: same name, state and city (SBA lists “CLIMB Fund”).
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. CLIMB Fund 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.
Other certified CDFIs in Charleston and South Carolina
- Charleston Redevelopment CorporationLoan fund · Charleston, SCOfficial list only
- South Carolina Community Loan FundLoan fund · Charleston, SCAffordable housing development loans, Nonprofit / community facility loans, Small-business loansVerified
- Berkeley Community Federal Credit UnionCredit union · Moncks Corner, SCAuto / vehicle loans, Personal / consumer loansVerified
- Business Development Corp of SCLoan fund · Columbia, SCCommercial real estate loans, SBA-backed loans (7(a)/504/Community Advantage), Small-business loansVerified
- Carolina Foothills FCUCredit union · Spartanburg, SCAuto / vehicle loans, Commercial real estate loans, Credit-builder loans, Equipment loans…Verified
- CommunityWorksLoan fund · Greenville, SCCredit-builder loans, Microloans, Small-business loansVerified
Work at CLIMB Fund? Link to this page
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CDFI Atlas is not a lender and does not give financial advice. Inclusion is not an endorsement, and lenders have not reviewed or approved these pages. Disclaimer.