About ECDI
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About ECDI

Small businesses create communities. They enrich and support the lives of entrepreneurs, their employees and families, and the people they serve. They are what makes local economies thrive!

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At the root of every business are determined, dedicated peopleand at ECDI, we support and invest in those people.

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We are fiercely dedicated to assuring every entrepreneur – regardless of where they came from, where they live, their gender or their race – has access to funding and the business mentoring services they need to build a small business that thrives.

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The Economic & Community Development Institute (ECDI) is based in Columbus, with offices in Cleveland, Cincinnati, Akron, Canton, Toledo and Portsmouth. For small business clients in Ohio, Kentucky and Indiana, we serve a one-stop resource center. We are a leading SBA microloan intermediary, a certified Community Development Corporation, and Treasury-designated Community Development Financial Institution. 

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Learn more about the people we invest in, in our latest Impact Report.

 

Updated reports posted per ECDI fiscal year end. See previous reports:

20212020 | 2019

Our offices

Columbus   |   Cleveland   |   Cincinnati   |   Akron   |  Toledo  |   Canton  |   Portsmouth  |  All

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Educate

It takes more than loan funding to cultivate a successful small business. ECDI helps to transform entrepreneurs into well-rounded businesspeople, to exponentially increase their rate of success.

What We Do

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Invest

Unfortunately, not every business owner has equitable access to funding. It's our job to change that with equitable access to responsible, affordable loan capital.

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Innovate

ECDI's innovative approach to solving complex societal and systemic issues consistently brings about new offerings for entrepreneurs.

We invest in people, businesses and communities.

We believe that no entrepreneur should lack the resources they need to achieve their dreams.

Our Mission

Our Mission

Investing in people to create measurable and enduring social and economic change.

ECDI Cleveland staff at Nurturing Excellence Child Enrichment Center
ECDI at Dos Hermanos Grand Opening

Our Vision

We envision vibrant communities across our state of Ohio, each made distinct by the thriving and diverse small businesses that define their local character while enriching the lives of entrepreneurs and their families, employees and patrons.

Support Small Businesses Today

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