El Paso Collaborative for Community & Economic Development (Collaborative/EPC) was established on September 16, 1999 as a 501(c)(3) Nonprofit Corporation.
On February 27, 2019, the Collaborative became an affiliate of Project Vida (PV), a Nonprofit Organization with similar values. Although affiliated with PV, the Collaborative remains its own separate entity. A separate organization within PV.
In 2001, the Collaborative was certified by the U.S. Treasury as a CDFI and has 23 years of lending experience and is the only local CDFI that serves the County of El Paso, TX. Since then, the Collaborative has provided access to capital for micro-and-small business lending as well as others type of loans.
Due to the COVID pandemic, the Collaborative has concentrated most of its efforts on business lending by offering forgivable loans under the SBA Payment Protection Program (PPP) and the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA).
An advantage to the Collaborative is its association with PV’s Microenterprise Technical Assistance Program (MTAP). The Collaborative and MTAP work hand-in-hand to provide business owners with the necessary tools to establish and grow their business. Both share an office in the same building where periodical meetings are held with businesses to provide technical support and lending opportunities. Individual and group training are offered in the area of economic literacy, fundamentals of banking, budgeting and technology. Training is also tailored to the individual needs of the client. Workshops and seminars are generally offered after-hours and are bilingual in English and Spanish.
The Collaborative serves the geographic, racial,ethnic and cultural diversity of its service area. It seeks partners with similar values and values them by partnering in their endeavors. The Collaborative and Project Vida envision a community where residents have equal access to capital, adequate housing, education, healthcare and the opportunity to support themselves and their families.
