202626253 · AZ ↑ parent cluster ·
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LOCAL FIRST FOR BUSINESS

AZ · EIN 202626253 · $560K rev · operational · www.localfirstaz.com
profile

Local First Arizona is a nonprofit organization dedicated to fostering inclusive community and economic development throughout Arizona. They provide resources and support to local businesses, particularly focusing on Black entrepreneurs and sustainability initiatives. Their programs aim to strengthen local economies and promote entrepreneurship across diverse communities in the state.

activities · 27

what they do

direct service · 12
  • Community Garden Operation Transformative Vacant Lot Gardening
    Operates the El Rancho Community Garden in Mesa, where volunteers contribute to gardening tasks such as cleaning, preparing beds, composting, and planting.
  • Community and Economic Development Initiatives Local Food System Development
    Organizes campaigns and events to encourage local spending, strengthens the Arizona food system through kitchen incubator and farm-to-fork programs, and assists communities in building self-reliant local economies. This includes managing the Keep Arizona Beautiful initiative for rural community support.
  • Culinary Events Showcasing Entrepreneurs
    Hosts "Dining for Dreams," an exclusive culinary event that showcases chefs, restaurateurs, and entrepreneurs who have graduated from the Fuerza Local Business Accelerator program.
  • El Rancho Community Garden Operation Transformative Vacant Lot Gardening
    Operates the El Rancho Community Garden in Mesa, engaging volunteers in gardening tasks such as cleaning, prepping beds, composting, and planting.
  • El Rancho Community Garden Operation Transformative Vacant Lot Gardening
    Operates the El Rancho Community Garden in Mesa, engaging volunteers in gardening tasks such as cleaning, bed preparation, composting, and planting.
  • Food System Strengthening Programs Local Food System Development
    Strengthens the Arizona food system through kitchen incubator and farm-to-fork programs, and operates the El Rancho Community Garden to engage volunteers in gardening tasks.
  • Loan Readiness and Access to Capital Small Business Term Loan Programs
    Offers Loan Readiness Boot Camps to prepare business owners for the lending process and provides micro-loans ranging from $5,000 to $250,000 with competitive interest rates and payback periods. This includes culturally relevant loans for Indigenous entrepreneurs and specialized Green Loan Funds.
  • Loan Readiness and Access to Capital Small Business Term Loan Programs
    Offers Loan Readiness Boot Camps to prepare business owners for the lending process and provides micro-loans ranging from $5,000 to $250,000 with competitive interest rates and payback periods. This includes culturally relevant loans for Indigenous entrepreneurs and Green Loan Funds for graduates of sustainability programs.
  • Local Spending Campaigns and Events Local Restaurant Promotion & Dining Campaigns
    Organizes and hosts various campaigns and events, such as the Devour Culinary Classic and Shop Local for the Holidays, to encourage local spending and educate consumers on its economic impact.
  • Promoting Local Spending and Businesses Local Restaurant Promotion & Dining Campaigns
    Organizes campaigns and events such as the Devour Culinary Classic, Arizona Fall Festival, Indie Week, and Shop Local for the Holidays to encourage local spending. It also educates consumers about the economic impact of their spending choices.
  • Promoting Local Spending and Events Local Restaurant Promotion & Dining Campaigns
    Organizes and hosts various campaigns and events, such as the Devour Culinary Classic, Arizona Fall Festival, Indie Week, and Shop Local for the Holidays, to encourage local spending and educate consumers on its economic impact. This also includes showcasing graduates of business accelerator programs through culinary events.
  • Offers micro-loan programs and business loans ranging from $5,000 to $250,000 with competitive interest rates and payback periods. This includes culturally relevant loans for Indigenous entrepreneurs and Green Loan Funds for graduates of the Green Business Boot Camp.
advocacy · 3
  • Advocacy for Local Businesses Industry-Specific Business Advocacy
    Advocates for the local business community by assessing proposed policies and legislation for their impact on local businesses and elevating concerns of business owners. The organization also partners with local government to involve businesses in climate action planning.
  • Advocacy for Local Businesses Industry-Specific Business Advocacy
    Advocates for the local business community by assessing proposed policies and legislation for their impact on local businesses and elevating concerns of business owners. The organization also partners with local government to involve businesses in community planning.
  • Advocacy for Local Businesses Industry-Specific Business Advocacy
    Advocates for the local business community by assessing proposed policies and legislation for their impact on local businesses and elevating concerns of business owners. The organization also partners with local governments to involve businesses in community planning initiatives.
capacity building · 12
  • Business Coalition and Networking
    Manages a Business Coalition that provides resources, expert-led education, and events to connect local businesses and communities, including exclusive culinary events showcasing program graduates.
  • Business Coalition and Networking
    Manages a Business Coalition that provides resources, expert-led education, and events to connect local businesses and communities, fostering collaboration and growth.
  • Business Coalition and Networking
    Manages a Business Coalition that provides resources, expert-led education, and events to connect local businesses and communities, fostering collaboration and support within the local business ecosystem.
  • Business Education and Training Programs Microfinance and Business Training for Entrepreneurs
    Provides various educational programs and boot camps in English and Spanish, including financial literacy, business development, and specialized training for micro-entrepreneurs, farmers, and food businesses. These programs aim to build capacity and provide administrative knowledge to local business owners.
  • Business Education and Training Programs Microfinance and Business Training for Entrepreneurs
    Provides various educational programs and boot camps in English and Spanish, including financial literacy, business development, and specialized training for micro-entrepreneurs, farmers, and food businesses. These programs aim to build business skills and prepare owners for lending processes.
  • Community and Economic Development Initiatives Local Food System Development
    Manages initiatives like Keep Arizona Beautiful to support rural communities in project planning and education. The organization also strengthens the Arizona food system through kitchen incubator and farm-to-fork programs and assists cities, towns, and tribal nations in building self-reliant local economies.
  • Community and Economic Development Initiatives Local Food System Development
    Engages in initiatives to strengthen the Arizona food system through kitchen incubator and farm-to-fork programs, and assists cities, towns, and tribal nations in building self-reliant local economies. This also includes managing the Keep Arizona Beautiful initiative to support rural community projects.
  • Community and Economic Development Support Local Food System Development
    Assists cities, towns, and tribal nations in securing resources to build self-reliant local economies and manages the Keep Arizona Beautiful initiative to support rural communities in project planning and management.
  • Green Business Certification and Support Building Decarbonization & Green Certification
    Operates the Arizona Green Business Certification program, providing guidance and recognition for environmentally friendly operations. This includes a Green Business Boot Camp that trains businesses in sustainability upgrades and helps them identify solutions and funding to reduce environmental impacts.
  • Green Business Certification and Support Building Decarbonization & Green Certification
    Operates the Arizona Green Business Certification program, providing guidance and recognition for environmentally friendly operations. This includes training businesses in sustainability upgrades and helping them identify solutions and funding to reduce environmental impacts.
  • Green Business Certification and Sustainability Support Building Decarbonization & Green Certification
    Manages the Arizona Green Business Certification program, offering self-guided consultation and certification to help businesses reduce environmental impacts and expenses. This includes a Green Business Boot Camp that trains businesses in sustainability upgrades and helps identify funding solutions.
  • Green Business Certification and Sustainability Training Building Decarbonization & Green Certification
    Operates the Arizona Green Business Certification program, offering guidance and recognition for environmentally friendly operations. This includes a Green Business Boot Camp that trains businesses in planning, financing, and implementing sustainability projects to reduce environmental impacts.
strategies · 25

how they think

Theories of action extracted from this org's own source material. Click any to see the full field of orgs running the same approach.

named programs · 4

what they call their work

Arizona Green Business Certification
A sustainability consulting and certification program that guides businesses in environmentally friendly practices.
Fuerza Local Business Accelerator
Program designed to educate and assist Hispanic business owners in developing and expanding their business capabilities.
Green Business Boot Camp
Training program focused on energy, water, waste, and transportation conservation for local businesses.
We Rise Business Accelerator
A no-fee six-month program offering business skills and mentorship to Arizona’s Black entrepreneurs.
relationships · 15

who they work with

  • Charity Navigator Partner — Received a four-star rating from Charity Navigator.
  • City of Phoenix Partner — Partners to involve local businesses in updating the City’s Climate Action Plan.
  • City of Safford Funder — Provides support for programs.
  • Coalition of Arizona’s Credit Unions Partner — Partners with Local First Arizona to offer the Loan Readiness Boot Camp.
  • Community Investment Corporation Partner — Partners to service agreements for the Southeastern Arizona Micro-Loan and Green Community Fund.
  • Freeport McMoRan Funder — Provides funding for the Southeastern Arizona Micro-Loan program.
  • Growth Partners Arizona Partner — Partners to service agreements for the Green Loan Fund and provides funding.
  • Guidestar Partner — Profile listed on Guidestar.
  • Kathleen Dreier Photography Partner — Credited for providing photography.
  • Keep Arizona Beautiful Partner — Keep Arizona Beautiful is now an initiative of Local First Arizona, continuing its work with rural communities.
  • Rural Community Assistance Corporation Partner — Serves as a community catalyst lending partner in their Rooted Relative Fund.
  • Social Prosperity Partners Partner — Co-founded by Matt Lehrman, works nationwide to build trust and align stakeholders
  • Thomas Resources Partner — Partners with Thomas Resources for the "Black in Business" module, which explores challenges faced by Black business owners.
  • USDA Rural Development Government — Promotes the Rural Energy for America Program (REAP) grant offered by USDA Rural Development.
  • Vitalyst Health Foundation Funder — Provides funding for the Green Loan Fund.