57 YEARS | ONE MISSION

This Is Not Charity. This Is Investing in Economic Infrastructure.

Empowering entrepreneurs, strengthening small businesses, and preparing the workforce for the future economy.

INVEST IN HCC
OUR ANNUAL REPORT
 
 

WHY IT MATTERS

Philanthropy That Builds.
Not Philanthropy That Fills Gaps.

There is a persistent and damaging myth about investment in low and moderate-income communities — that it is charity. HCC rejects that frame entirely. What we build is infrastructure: the economic systems, institutions, and pipelines that allow communities to generate their own wealth, create their own jobs, and chart their own futures.

Roads, bridges, and water systems are infrastructure. So are lending institutions, workforce pipelines, youth development programs, and business accelerators. When we build infrastructure in wealthy communities, we call it investment. HCC is here to change that language — and prove it with data.

The One HCC Model

Three Pillars. One Integrated Pipeline.

Capital Access Infrastructure

HEF, our CDFI, provides the lending infrastructure that banks will not. 90% of our borrowers could not access conventional financing — not because they weren't creditworthy, but because the system excluded them. HEF is the bridge.

Talent Pipeline Infrastructure

From middle school to adult workforce, the Learning Collective builds the human capital pipeline that powers Harlem's economy. Every student we reach today is a potential entrepreneur, employer, or innovator tomorrow.

Business Ecosystem Infrastructure

The Small Business Solutions Center and Opportunity for Growth accelerator builds the institutional support Harlem entrepreneurs need to not just survive — but scale, hire, and create generational wealth.

FY2025 IMPACT

464

TOTAL LOANS CLOSED SINCE 2008

21

LOANS CLOSED FY2025

1,600+

YOUTH & ADULTS IN PIPELINE

9TH

OFG ACCELERATOR COHORT LAUNCHED

Our Programs

Infrastructure That Delivers Results.

Capital Access

Harlem Entrepreneurial Fund

CDFI-certified lending for entrepreneurs banks won't touch. $17MM+ deployed since 2008. 90% to people of color and women.

+102%
Portfolio Growth FY2025
Youth & Adult Education

The Learning Collective

Middle school through adult workforce — one integrated education platform. Includes NextGen Leaders, Harlem Wired, Level Up Learning Lab, and A 2nd Chance for Opportunity Youth.

1,600+
Youth & Adults in Pipeline
Technical Assistance

Small Business Solutions Center

Advising, training, and capital connections from 42nd Street to Inwood. Includes the Opportunity for Growth accelerator — 3.3× oversubscribed in Cohort 9.

2,250+
Businesses Served FY2026 YTD

“ When I came to HCC, I had a dream, but no roadmap. Today, I’ve opened multiple locations, and my net worth has grown significantly. HCC didn’t just help expand my business; they helped expand my future.”

Chef Cisse | Founder, The Ponty Bistro

JOIN US

The Student Today Is the Entrepreneur Tomorrow.

It starts with a young person who shows up, does the work, and dares to imagine a different future. It grows into a business owner who creates jobs, builds wealth, and reinvests in their community. And it ripples outward — for generations. We don't fund programs. We build infrastructure. And infrastructure is how communities rise — permanently.

INVEST IN INFRASTRUCTURE
READ THE ANNUAL REPORT