Small Business Administration
Supports small businesses and entrepreneurs
Mission & Role
We owe you an explanation.
June 20: An important update for readers in the United States.
You deserve an explanation, so please don't skip this 1-minute read. It's Saturday, June 20, and you only had a small chance of seeing our message. This year, Wikipedia has seen fewer visitors and fewer new supporters, so your visit today means a lot. We hope that Wikipedia has given you at least $2.75 of knowledge recently. If everyone who finds Wikipedia useful gave $2.75, we'd hit our goal in a few hours.
It's been 25 years and Wikipedia is still free. It's still created by people, not machines, and we don't run ads or put up paywalls because we're not here to make a profit off your attention. In other words, it's still the internet we were promised.
Less than 2% of our readers donate, so if you've never given and Wikipedia has provided you with at least $2.75 worth of knowledge, donate today. If you are undecided, remember any contribution helps.
Wikimedia Foundation
Proud host of Wikipedia and other free knowledge projects
How often would you like to donate?
- Once
- Monthly
- Yearly
Support Wikipedia year-round
Thanks for your generous support
Please select an amount (USD)
The average donation in the United States is around $13.
$2.75
$15
$25 Preferred Amount
$50
$100
$250
$500
Other amountOther
I'll generously add a little to cover the transaction fees so you can keep 100% of my donation.
Please select a payment method
Online Banking
Credit / Debit CardVisaMastercardAmerican ExpressJCBDiscover
PayPal
Venmo
Apple Pay
Google Pay
ContinueDonate one timeDonate monthlyDonate yearly
Please select an amount (minimum $1)
We cannot accept donations greater than 25000 USD through our website. Please contact our major gifts staff at benefactors@wikimedia.org.
Please select a payment method
Maybe later
Can we follow up and let you know if we need your help again? The support and advice we get from donors in the United States is priceless, but many donors don't let us stay in touch. Will you commit today, this Saturday, to staying in touch with the Wikimedia Foundation?
- Yes
- No
Sorry to hear that. We don't email often; would you consider changing your mind?
Thanks for changing your mind! We’ll respect your inbox.
Your information is handled in accordance with our donor privacy policy, and each email you receive will include easy unsubscribe options.
Continue
Please select an email option
Almost done: Please, make it monthly.
Monthly support is the best way to ensure that Wikipedia keeps thriving.
No thanks! I'll make a one-time donation of Yes, I'll donate each month
Yes, I'll donate monthly, but for a different amount
Thank you for your support!
Enter your monthly donation amount
Please select an amount (minimum $1)
We cannot accept donations greater than 25000 USD through our website. Please contact our major gifts staff at benefactors@wikimedia.org.
Donate monthly
|
|
Where your donation goes
|
|
I already donated
We never sell your information. By submitting, you are agreeing to our donor privacy policy and to sharing your information with the Wikimedia Foundation and its service providers in the USA and elsewhere. Donations to the Wikimedia Foundation are likely not tax-deductible outside the USA.We never sell your information. By submitting, you are agreeing to our donor privacy policy. The Wikimedia Foundation is a nonprofit, tax-exempt organization.We never sell your information. By submitting, you are agreeing to our donor privacy policy and to sharing your information with the Wikimedia Foundation and its service providers in the U.S. and elsewhere. The Wikimedia Foundation is a recognized public welfare institution (ANBI).If you make a recurring donation, you will be debited by the Wikimedia Foundation until you notify us to stop. We’ll send you an email which will include a link to easy cancellation instructions.
Sorry to interrupt, but we can't show this to everyone. In fact, only a small fraction will see it. Please, donate $2.75.
No, but maybe later when I have more timeYes, I'll donate $2.75
How would you like to be reminded?
Whether you give now or later, any contribution helps. We can send you an email or text message reminder to join the 2% of readers who donate.
Send me an emailSend me a text message
Send me an email reminder
We’ll gladly send you an email reminder and get out of your way so you can get back to reading.
Email addressSubmit
Please enter a valid email address i.e. name@domain.com
We never sell your information. By submitting, you are agreeing to our donor privacy policy. The Wikimedia Foundation is
…
History
History
[ edit]
The SBA was created on July 30, 1953, by Republican President Eisenhower with the signing of the Small Business Act, currently codified at 15 U.S.C. ch. 14A. The Small Business Act was originally enacted as the "Small Business Act of 1953" in Title II (67 Stat. 232) of Pub. L. 83–163 (ch. 282, 67 Stat. 230, July 30, 1953); The "Reconstruction Finance Corporation Liquidation Act" was Title I, which abolished the Reconstruction Finance Corporation (RFC). The Small Business Act Amendments of 1958 ( Pub. L. 85–536, 72 Stat. 384, enacted July 18, 1958) withdrew Title II as part of that act and made it a separate act to be known as the "Small Business Act". Its function was and is to "aid, counsel, assist and protect, insofar as is possible, the interests of small business concerns".
The SBA has survived a number of threats to its existence. In 1996, the Republican-controlled House of Representatives planned to eliminate the agency.[8] It survived and went on to receive a record high budget in 2000.[9] Renewed efforts by the Bush Administration to end the SBA loan program met congressional resistance, although the SBA's budget was repeatedly cut, and in 2004 certain expenditures were frozen. The Obama administration supported SBA budgets and strengthened it through The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009. SBA budgets were further strengthened by the Small Business Jobs Act of 2010, and in 2011, President Obama announced that the SBA would double its support of rural small businesses to $350 million in the next 5 years.
Programs & Activities
Lending programs
[ edit]
 |
This article contains promotional content. Please help improve it by removing promotional language and inappropriate external links, and by adding encyclopedic text written from a neutral point of view. See our advice if the article is about you and read our scam warning in case someone asks for money to edit this article.(October 2020)__(Learn how and when to remove this message) |
Loan Guarantee Program
[ edit]
The 7(a) Loan Guarantee Program is designed to help entrepreneurs start or expand their small businesses. It is the most common loan program offered by the SBA.[11] The program makes capital available to small businesses through bank and non-bank lending institutions.[12] The Small Business Jobs Act of 2010 increased the maximum size of these loans, indefinitely, from $2 million to $5 million. According to the SBA website, it can be used for working capital (both short and long term), refinancing debt, and purchasing furniture, fixtures, and supplies.[11] There are some businesses that are ineligible for this program, such as real estate investment firms (where property is held for investment purposes), dealers of rare coins and stamps, and lending institutions like banks.[13] The SBA's guarantee on these loans encourages lenders to provide financing to small businesses that may not meet traditional loan criteria, making it a valuable lifeline for many entrepreneurs. SBA loans may have lower down payment and collateral requirements than with other forms of loan.[14]
Disaster Loan Program
[ edit]
The SBA opens Disaster Loan Center in Austell, Georgia, October 26, 2009.
Homeowners and renters are eligible for long-term, low-interest loans to rebuild or repair a damaged property to pre-disaster condition.[15]
Businesses are also eligible for long-term, low-interest loans to recover from declared disasters.[16] Disaster Relief Loans are often approved within 21 days, an improvement since Hurricane Katrina, when the SBA took an average of 74 days to process applications.[17]
If a business with a Disaster Relief Loan defaults on the loan and the business is then closed, the SBA will pursue the business owner to liquidate all personal assets to satisfy an outstanding balance. The IRS will withhold any tax refund expected by the former business owner and apply the amount toward the loan balance.
Microloan Program
[ edit]
The Microloan program provides direct loans to qualified nonprofit intermediary lenders who, in turn, provide "microloans" of up to $50,000 to small businesses and nonprofit child-care centers. It also provides marketing, management, and technical assistance to microloan borrowers and potential borrowers.[18]
Entrepreneurial development programs
[ edit]
Small Business Development Centers
[ edit]
Approximately 900 Small Business
…
Agency overview, history, and program data sourced from Wikipedia (CC-BY-SA 3.0).
Key Regulations
Small Business Size Regulations
Defines what qualifies as a small business for federal programs based on industry-specific employee counts or revenue.
8(a) Business Development Program
Helps socially disadvantaged small business owners compete for federal contracts through the 8(a) development program.
Enforcement Actions
No enforcement actions found for SBA in the current dataset.