ACCESS TO CAPITAL FOR ENTREPRENEURS INC

Financials

From the e-filed returns the IRS publishes as XML (latest three processing years; amended returns replace the original). PDF copies at the IRS.

Officers, directors and key employees

As listed on the 990 for the year ended December 31, 2025, highest compensation first.

Address and contacts

Address (IRS master file)

3173 HIGHWAY 129 N, CLEVELAND, GA 30528-2715

In care of

% GRACE COVINGTON FRICKS PRES

Principal officer (990 for 2025)

MARTINA EDWARDS, 3173 HIGHWAY 129N, CLEVELAND, GA 30528

Signed the 990

MARTINA EDWARDS, PRESIDENT & CEO

Phone

(678) 335-5600

Website

ACELOANS.ORG

Return prepared by

MAULDIN & JENKINS LLC

Mission

ACCESS TO CAPITAL FOR ENTREPRENEURS, INC. (ACE), IS A NONPROFIT ORGANIZATION THAT PROVIDES LOANS TO START AND GROW BUSINESSES. ACE IS THE LARGEST GEORGIA-BASED COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT FINANCIAL INSTITUTION (CDFI) FOCUSED ON SMALL BUSINESSES. FOUNDED IN 2000 WITH A $50,000 GRANT TO SERVE FOUR NORTH GEORGIA COUNTIES, ACE WAS CERTIFIED AS A CDFI IN 2004. ACE HAS SIGNIFICANTLY EXPANDED ITS REACH AND IMPACT OVER THE YEARS, WITH OFFICES IN ATLANTA, TIFTON (SOUTHWEST GEORGIA) AND CLEVELAND (NORTH GEORGIA), ALONG WITH WOMEN'S BUSINESS CENTER IN NORCROSS (METRO-ATLANTA). ACE'S MISSION IS TO HELP SMALL BUSINESSES GROW BY REMOVING BARRIERS TO ACCESSING CAPITAL. ACE OFFERS ITS BORROWERS BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT RESOURCES TO CREATE FINANCIALLY AND ENVIRONMENTALLY SUSTAINABLE BUSINESSES. SINCE ITS INCEPTION, ACE HAS PROVIDED OVER $295 MILLION IN LOANS TO 2,950 SMALL BUSINESSES, CREATING OR RETAINING MORE THAN 24,300 JOBS.

Program accomplishments

• ACCESS TO CAPITAL FOR ENTREPRENEURS (ACE) PROVIDES THE FOLLOWING PROGRAM SERVICES TO SMALL BUSINESSES: 1.) LENDING: ACE IS COMMITTED TO DEPLOYING CAPITAL TO HIGH-POTENTIAL SMALL BUSINESS OWNERS WHO ARE OFTEN OVERLOOKED BY TRADITIONAL FINANCIAL INSTITUTIONS. THROUGH A THOROUGH AND EXPERIENCED REVIEW PROCESS, THESE ENTREPRENEURS DEMONSTRATE STRONG POTENTIAL AND REPRESENT SOUND, MISSION ALIGNED INVESTMENTS. ACE'S TRACK RECORD SHOWS THAT COMBINING CAPITAL WITH COACHING AND CONNECTIONS IS AN EFFECTIVE AND SUSTAINABLE APPROACH TO SUPPORTING SMALL BUSINESS GROWTH. ACE OFFERS SMALLER LOANS THAT MAY NOT BE SUFFICIENTLY PROFITABLE FOR BANKS BUT ARE CRITICALLY IMPORTANT TO MANY EMERGING SMALL BUSINESSES. INDEED, THE ORGANIZATION TYPICALLY PROVIDES LOANS RANGING FROM $15,000 UP TO $1 MILLION. IN CASES WHERE A BUSINESS CANNOT QUALIFY FOR TRADITIONAL FINANCING AND THE PROPOSED PROJECT HAS SIGNIFICANT COMMUNITY IMPACT, ACE CAN FACILITATE ACCESS TO CAPITAL IN EXCESS OF $1 MILLION. ADDITIONALLY, THE SAVE AND SUSTAIN PROGRAM PROVIDES LOW INTEREST LOANS TO BUSINESSES IMPLEMENTING ENERGY-EFFICIENCY IMPROVEMENTS. 2.) CREDIT ENHANCEMENTS: TO EXPAND ACCESS TO AFFORDABLE CAPITAL, ACE EMPLOYS INTEREST RATE BUYDOWNS AND LOAN GUARANTEES AS STRATEGIC TOOLS TO SUPPORT SMALL BUSINESS BORROWERS. A.) LOAN GUARANTEES: ACE USES AN IN-HOUSE LOAN GUARANTEE TO DEPLOY CAPITAL TO SMALL BUSINESS OWNERS WHO HAVE LESS NET WORTH AND FEWER ASSETS TO PROVIDE THE EQUITY OR COLLATERAL NEEDED TO SECURE THEIR LOANS. IN THESE CIRCUMSTANCES THE GUARANTEE WILL BACKSTOP THE LOANS AND SERVE AS THE CLIENTS' COLLATERAL. B.) INTEREST RATE BUYDOWNS: ACE UTILIZES INTEREST RATE BUYDOWNS TO REDUCE THE INTEREST RATE OF LOANS TO BUSINESS BORROWERS STRUGGLING TO RECOVER FROM THE ECONOMIC IMPACT OF THE PANDEMIC, INFLATION, AND OTHER ECONOMIC PRESSURES, AND IN NEED OF CAPITAL TO INCREASE SUSTAINABILITY. CONCESSIONARY TERMS MAY BE LOWER INTEREST RATES AND A LONGER PAYBACK PERIOD, SO THE BUSINESSES HAVE MORE CASH TO GROW THEIR BUSINESSES. 3.) SUPPORT SERVICES FOR SMALL BUSINESS OWNERS: ACE OFFERS COMPREHENSIVE SERVICES DESIGNED TO SUPPORT SMALL BUSINESS OWNERS IN ACHIEVING THEIR ENTREPRENEURIAL GOALS. FOCUSED ON POTENTIAL AND ESTABLISHED BORROWERS, THESE SERVICES ARE INTEGRAL TO ACE'S MISSION OF HELPING SMALL BUSINESSES GROW BY REMOVING BARRIERS TO ACCESSING CAPITAL AND PROVIDING THE NECESSARY TOOLS FOR SUCCESS. KEY SMALL BUSINESS SUPPORT PROGRAMS OFFERED BY ACE INCLUDE: A.) TRAINING AND WORKSHOPS: ACE HOSTS A RANGE OF TRAINING SESSIONS AND WORKSHOPS ON CRITICAL BUSINESS TOPICS, INCLUDING FINANCIAL LITERACY, BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT, MARKETING, AND OPERATIONAL EFFICIENCY. THESE SESSIONS ARE DESIGNED TO GIVE ENTREPRENEURS THE KNOWLEDGE AND SKILLS NEEDED TO MANAGE AND GROW THEIR BUSINESSES EFFECTIVELY. B.) WEBINARS: TO INCREASE ACCESSIBILITY AND REACH A WIDER AUDIENCE, ACE OFFERS WEBINARS ON TIMELY AND RELEVANT BUSINESS TOPICS. THESE VIRTUAL SESSIONS ALLOW ENTREPRENEURS TO LEARN FROM SUBJECT MATTER EXPERTS AND ENGAGE IN DISCUSSIONS WITHOUT LEAVING THEIR HOME OR OFFICE. C.) NETWORKING OPPORTUNITIES: ACE FACILITATES NETWORKING EVENTS THAT BRING ENTREPRENEURS TOGETHER TO SHARE EXPERIENCES, EXCHANGE IDEAS, AND LEARN FROM ONE ANOTHER. THESE OPPORTUNITIES FOSTER COLLABORATION, SUPPORT PEER LEARNING, AND HELP BUILD A STRONG COMMUNITY OF BUSINESS OWNERS. BY PROVIDING HIGH-TOUCH, PERSONALIZED SERVICES, ACE SEEKS TO ENSURE THAT ENTREPRENEURS HAVE ACCESS TO THE COACHING, TRAINING, AND CONNECTIONS THEY NEED TO SUCCEED. 4.) BUSINESS ADVISORY SERVICES: ACE'S BUSINESS ADVISORY SERVICES MODEL IS WIDELY RECOGNIZED AS A LEADING PRACTICE WITHIN THE CDFI ECOSYSTEM, KNOWN FOR ITS CLIENT-CENTERED, DATA-INFORMED, AND IMPACT-DRIVEN APPROACH. AT THE CORE OF THE MODEL IS THE INTENTIONAL DEVELOPMENT OF STRONG PERSONAL RELATIONSHIPS WITH EACH SMALL BUSINESS IN ACE'S PORTFOLIO. THESE TRUSTED CONNECTIONS ENABLE ACE TO PROACTIVELY IDENTIFY AND ADDRESS CHALLENGES, OFTEN BEFORE CLIENTS RECOGNIZE THEM, WHILE TAILORING SUPPORT TO MEET EACH BUSINESS'S PACE, AVAILABILITY, AND LEVEL OF FINANCIAL KNOWLEDGE. ACE'S TEAM OF FINANCIAL ADVISORS BRINGS A DIVERSE RANGE OF EXPERTISE AND COLLABORATES TO DELIVER HIGH-QUALITY, CUSTOMIZED GUIDANCE. THE ORGANIZATION USES A ROBUST SET OF KEY PERFORMANCE INDICATORS (KPIS) TO INFORM STRATEGY AND EVALUATE OUTCOMES, INCLUDING ANNUAL FINANCIAL, REVENUE, AND EMPLOYMENT TRENDS, RISK ASSESSMENTS, CLIENT ENGAGEMENT RATIOS, AND CLIENT CONFIDENCE SURVEYS. SERVICES ARE DELIVERED THROUGH ONE-ON-ONE PROACTIVE COACHING AS WELL AS A RANGE OF INDUSTRY SPECIFIC AND CLIENT-FOCUSED COHORTS. THESE INCLUDE HIGH PERFORMANCE GROUPS (HPG) WITH MENTORING COMPONENTS, STRATEGIC PLANNING & IMPLEMENTATION SESSIONS, THE BOOKKEEPING FOR GROWTH PROGRAM, AND THE RESTAURANT GROWTH PROGRAM. EACH INITIATIVE IS DESIGNED IN DIRECT RESPONSE TO RECURRING CHALLENGES IDENTIFIED BY SMALL BUSINESS CLIENTS. TO ENSURE RELEVANCE AND DEPTH, ACE ALSO ENGAGES SUBJECT MATTER EXPERTS ALIGNED WITH SPECIFIC INDUSTRIES AND BUSINESS NEEDS. THE BUSINESS ADVISORY SERVICES MODEL EXEMPLIFIES ACE'S DELIBERATE BLEND OF EMPATHY, STRATEGIC INSIGHT, AND ACCOUNTABILITY, ENSURING THAT SMALL BUSINESSES RECEIVE NOT ONLY EFFECTIVE SUPPORT BUT ALSO ACHIEVE SUSTAINABLE, LONG-TERM GROWTH. 5.) WOMEN'S BUSINESS CENTERS: ACE OPERATED A WOMEN'S BUSINESS CENTER (WBC) THAT PLAYS A CRUCIAL ROLE IN SUPPORTING ENTREPRENEURS ACROSS GEORGIA. FUNDED IN PART THROUGH A COOPERATIVE AGREEMENT WITH THE U.S. SMALL BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION, THIS CENTER IS DESIGNED TO PROVIDE COMPREHENSIVE RESOURCES, COACHING, AND TRAINING TO HELP ENTREPRENEURS START, GROW, AND SUSTAIN THEIR BUSINESSES. LAUNCHED IN 2015, THE ACE WOMEN'S BUSINESS CENTER SERVING METRO-ATLANTA HAS SUPPORTED MORE THAN 18,000 CLIENTS, TRAINED OVER 16,000 INDIVIDUALS, AND DELIVERED MORE THAN 525 TRAINING SESSIONS. IN 2025 ALONE, THE CENTER SERVED 885 UNIQUE CLIENTS, TRAINED NEARLY 1,701 INDIVIDUALS, AND CONDUCTED 84 TRAINING SESSIONS. IN RECOGNITION OF ITS IMPACT, THE U.S. SMALL BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION HONORED THE CENTER WITH THE 2022 WOMEN'S BUSINESS CENTER OF THE YEAR EXCELLENCE AWARD. AT THE 2022 SBA SMALL BUSINESS WEEK AWARDS LUNCHEON, THE WBC RECEIVED BOTH THE SOUTHEAST REGION IV AND GEORGIA DISTRICT WOMEN'S BUSINESS CENTER OF THE YEAR AWARDS. ACE'S SECOND WBC OPENED IN 2021 TO SERVE THE SAVANNAH REGION. SINCE ITS LAUNCH, THE SAVANNAH WBC HAS SERVED MORE THAN 750 UNIQUE CLIENTS, TRAINED NEARLY 1,000 INDIVIDUALS, AND FACILITATED 110 TRAINING SESSIONS. IN 2025, THE CENTER WAS CLOSED. THROUGH ITS EFFORTS, ACE EMPOWERS UNDERSERVED ENTREPRENEURS ACROSS GEORGIA TO ACHIEVE ECONOMIC EQUITY, CREATING A RIPPLE EFFECT THAT LEADS TO STRONGER, MORE STABLE COMMUNITIES.
  Expenses $14,245,170 · grants $2,000 · revenue $15,601,102

What it must file and when

IRS records say it files Form 990 or 990-EZ. Based on its last return; a smaller organization may file the 990-N. Its accounting year ends in December, so each return is due on the 15th day of the 5th month after that.

IRS record

EIN

58-2383669

Tax-exempt status

501(c)(3): Charitable, religious, educational or scientific organization

Foundation status

Publicly supported organization (170(b)(1)(A)(vi))

Donations deductible (Pub 78)

Public charity, 50% deduction limit

Exempt since

1998

Accounting year ends

December

Files

Form 990 or 990-EZ

Category (NTEE)

Community improvement and capacity building (S30)

Assets (IRS master file)

$149,347,655

Income (IRS master file)

$20,626,677

Filing history

990-N: the IRS bulk file holds only the latest e-Postcard per organization; earlier years come from archived copies of that file since 2020 and can have gaps (the IRS e-Postcard search lists every one). 990, 990-EZ, 990-PF, 990-T: every e-filed return in the IRS e-file index since 2019; XML for the latest three processing years, amounts from the IRS Statistics of Income extracts before that. PDF copies and determination letters at the IRS (search EIN 58-2383669).

Questions about ACCESS TO CAPITAL FOR ENTREPRENEURS INC

What is the EIN of ACCESS TO CAPITAL FOR ENTREPRENEURS INC?

The employer identification number (EIN) of ACCESS TO CAPITAL FOR ENTREPRENEURS INC is 58-2383669.

Is ACCESS TO CAPITAL FOR ENTREPRENEURS INC tax-exempt?

Yes. The IRS lists it as tax-exempt under section 501(c)(3) since 1998.

Are donations to ACCESS TO CAPITAL FOR ENTREPRENEURS INC tax-deductible?

Yes. It is listed in IRS Publication 78 (Public charity, 50% deduction limit).

Which annual return does ACCESS TO CAPITAL FOR ENTREPRENEURS INC file?

Form 990 or 990-EZ. Based on its last return; a smaller organization may file the 990-N.

When is the next return of ACCESS TO CAPITAL FOR ENTREPRENEURS INC due?

The return for tax year 2026 (the year ending December 31, 2026) is due May 17, 2027. Form 8868 extends it by six months; the 990-N cannot be extended.

When did ACCESS TO CAPITAL FOR ENTREPRENEURS INC last file with the IRS?

The latest return in the IRS public files is the 990 for the year ended December 2025.

Who is the principal officer of ACCESS TO CAPITAL FOR ENTREPRENEURS INC?

The 990 for the year ended December 31, 2025 names MARTINA EDWARDS.

Who are the officers and directors of ACCESS TO CAPITAL FOR ENTREPRENEURS INC?

The 990 for the year ended December 31, 2025 lists 19 people; 8 received compensation from the organization, the highest $335,775 (MARTINA EDWARDS, PRESIDENT & CEO (INCOMING)).

How much revenue does ACCESS TO CAPITAL FOR ENTREPRENEURS INC have?

On its 990 for the year ended December 31, 2025 it reported revenue of $20,626,677, expenses of $17,035,116 and total assets of $149,347,655 at year end.

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