West Philadelphia Promise Zone - Small Business Resources

About Us

The West Philadelphia Promise Zone is a place-based initiative created to support local leaders who are working to address challenges faced by people living in deep and persistent poverty. By working collaboratively in a collective impact model and focusing on one geographical area, Promise Zone partners can see the wider system, the interconnection of its parts, and make impactful direct and system changes. Roughly two square miles, the Promise Zone is bound by the Schuylkill River to the East, 48th Street to the West, Girard Avenue to the North, and Sansom Street to the South.

One of our priorities is to support equitable economic development so that the Promise Zone is a thriving commercial center providing needed goods and services to residents. Crucial to this goal is the support and creation of small businesses, especially by connecting them with financial resources. There are a number of resources that already exist, but they are not easily accessed. Small business owners are forced to click through dozens of websites searching for programs and furthermore, read about each program to determine if it fits their needs.

This Project

This project will create an online portal where all of the resources will be compiled in one central place. The user will click through a series of questions to filter out irrelevant resources and leave them with only the resources they are eligible for and that are applicable to their needs. This will make resources more accessible and create a financial pipeline for small business owners.