Emergency Bridge Loans

These short-term, low-interest loans are designed to help eligible applicants manage temporary cash flow gaps while awaiting committed support, such as grants or reimbursements. Eligible applicants include 501(c)(3) nonprofit organizations and for-profit businesses that provide direct services, assistance, or benefits to residents of DeKalb County, IL. To qualify, projects must be located within DeKalb County.

Bridge loans provide flexible, timely assistance that helps organizations stay stable during periods of transition. This support allows nonprofits to maintain operations and stay focused on their mission without interruption. Small business applicants can access funds to “bridge the gap” between the time a disaster impacts a business and when a business has secured longer term recovery funding such as federally or commercially available loans, insurance claims or other resources. Loans are available for up to $75,000, based on current availability.

Please note: Availability is extremely limited. These loans are intended only for organizations that do not have access to other borrowing options, such as a bank line of credit. We strongly encourage all nonprofits to establish a line of credit as a proactive step in managing short-term cash flow needs.

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Apply for an Emergency Bridge Loan

Please complete the application below to submit your request. The application must be completed in a single session. It cannot be saved and resumed later.

For questions, please contact Finance Director Scott Gulke at 815-748-5383 or s.gulke@dekalbccf.org.

Application submission date
Application contact name
Application contact phone
Application contact email
Organization requesting loan
Loan amount requested ($75,000 maximum)
Date the organization needs the money by
Date the organization will repay the loan by (6-month maximum term from loan date)
Funding source used to repay the loan
Details how the loan benefits the DeKalb County community
Drag & Drop Files, Choose Files to Upload You can upload up to 2 files.
(1) Proof of 501(c)(3) status
Drag & Drop Files, Choose Files to Upload You can upload up to 2 files.
(2) Governance document(s) showing who is currently authorized to sign for the organization and commit the organization to borrowing and repaying money.
Drag & Drop Files, Choose Files to Upload You can upload up to 4 files.
(3) Current year-to-date financial statements (this year).
Drag & Drop Files, Choose Files to Upload You can upload up to 4 files.
(4) Last full year of financial statements (prior year).
Drag & Drop Files, Choose Files to Upload You can upload up to 2 files.
(5) Proof of the repayment source – amount and timing.

Key terms and requirements:

Eligible borrowers: 501(c)(3) organizations headquartered in DeKalb County

Maximum term: 6 months

Interest rate: 50 basis points below the 3-month US Treasury yield on the first business day of the month in which the loan is funded.

Maximum loan size: $75,000, subject to available dollars. The DeKalb County Community Foundation will set a limit of monies allocated to emergency bridge loans each year. The money will be allocated on a first come, first served basis.

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