Business financing in Charleston County.
County-by-county financing guides. No paperwork. No social. No ID.
6 institutions are headquartered inside the Charleston County line, Charleston included, and 2 more keep a branch here. Below, we say which is which.
Not this lane? Home FinancingPersonal Financing
The doors in Charleston County.
The CDFIs, credit unions, and microlenders that actually say yes — county by county, in two languages. We are not a lender. Nobody paid to be listed. And where a county has no good doors, we say so.
- 8
- DOORS HERE
- 6
- BASED HERE
- 35
- SC COUNTIES WITH DOORS
- Lane
- Business Financing
- People
- 408Kresidents of Charleston County
- Covers
- Charleston
- Elsewhere in SC
- Greenville County →17 doors — the biggest list of any other county in South Carolina
- State
- South Carolina →35 of 46 counties hold a door in this lane
Certified by the U.S. Treasury to lend where a bank will not. Nonprofit, patient, and used to a file that is not clean.
Charleston Redevelopment Corporation · CLIMB FundOwned by their members, not by shareholders. They look at your whole story rather than a score, and that is the difference when a bank says no.
CPM Credit Union · Rev Credit Union- Charleston Redevelopment CorporationCommunity lending · Business capital
- CLIMB FundCommunity lending · Business capital
- CPM Credit UnionPersonal · Home · Business capital
- South Carolina Credit UnionPersonal · Home · Business capital
- South Carolina Community Loan FundCommunity lending · Business capital
- IN THIS LIST
4 of the 8 doors inside the county line are CDFI-certified.
The U.S. Treasury certifies them to lend to the people banks pass over. It is a loan, not a favour.
- Latitude 32 Credit UnionPersonal · Home
Based elsewhere, with a member-facing office inside the Charleston County line. You can walk in.
- Rev Credit UnionCDFI-certifiedPersonal · Home · Business capital
- State Department Credit UnionPersonal · Home · Business capital
- Accion Opportunity FundAccepts ITIN
Nonprofit small-business lender. Accepts ITIN in place of SSN. Serves most states, in English and Spanish.
Business capital - Grameen AmericaAccepts ITIN
Microloans for women entrepreneurs. Requires photo ID and proof of address — no SSN requirement. Branches in major metro areas.
Business capital - Mission Asset FundAccepts ITIN
Zero-interest lending circles and credit building. SSN or ITIN accepted. Works through nonprofit partners across the country.
Personal
How to read this list.
We do not ask for your name, your email, or your number. Nothing on this page changes based on who you are.
A door is headquartered here when its head office sits inside the county line. The rest are based elsewhere and keep a branch you can walk into. We list both, and we label which is which.
Every institution on this page comes from public federal data — the CDFI Fund certified list (Aug 2026), NCUA credit union data (Jun 2026), and the SBA microloan intermediary list (Sep 2026) — plus a short national tier we verified by hand. We refresh each list as its agency publishes. No listing is paid.
Charleston County runs on the port, the tourists, the bases, the hospitals, and a construction boom that never seems to slow down. If you are a subcontractor, a landscaper, a cleaner, a food vendor, or a small shop owner here, this guide explains how business financing works in this economy, who tends to qualify, what paperwork to gather, and which doors to try first — including three CDFI loan funds based in the county and national nonprofits that lend with an ITIN.
It's a process, not a rejection.
Business financing is money you use to start, run, or grow a business and pay back over time. It can be a term loan for a trailer or a mower fleet, a line of credit to cover materials while you wait on a general contractor's draw, a microloan for something smaller, or an equipment loan secured by the equipment itself.
Charleston County's economy has a few big engines. The port moves containers and keeps truckers, warehouse crews, and logistics outfits busy.
Tourism fills the historic peninsula, the beaches, and the islands with visitors who need restaurants, hotels, tours, cleaners, and drivers.
The military bases, the medical center, and aerospace manufacturing in North Charleston bring steady paychecks that support every kind of local service. And growth across Mount Pleasant, West Ashley, North Charleston, and the sea islands has kept framers, roofers, drywall hangers, painters, landscapers, and concrete crews in demand. Many of those crews are Latino-owned, and Spanish is heard on job sites from North Charleston to Johns Island.
That economy has a rhythm lenders should understand. Tourism peaks in spring and summer and quiets in winter. Hurricane season can stop work for a week, then bring a rush of repairs. Construction subcontractors often wait weeks for payment from a general contractor while paying their own crews every Friday.
A lender who knows Charleston sees that cash gap as normal.
Your job is to show it clearly.
Forget what the banks say.
Lenders look at your ability to repay, your credit history, how long you have been in business, and whether the plan makes sense. In Charleston County, the people who often fit small-business financing include:
- 01Framing
Roofing, drywall, painting, and concrete subcontractors paid on 1099s
- 02Landscaping and lawn-care crews with seasonal contracts in the suburbs and on the islands
- 03Cleaning businesses that turn over vacation rentals and service hotels
- 04Food trucks
Caterers, and small restaurants in North Charleston and West Ashley
- 05Truckers and small hauling outfits working port and warehouse freight
- 06Tour operators
Boat captains, and small tourism businesses with a strong summer
- MISSING ONE?Ask Iris which one you're missing.ASK A QUESTION ↓
Get your papers in order.
Each lender has its own list, but most small-business applications in South Carolina ask for something like this:
- 01Photo ID (driver's license, passport, or other government ID; ask whether they accept a consular ID)
- 02Your SSN or ITIN
- 03Proof of your business
South Carolina Secretary of State filing for an LLC or corporation
- 04Business license from the city where you work
Or from Charleston County if you work in an unincorporated area
- 05Two years of personal tax returns
And business returns if you file separately
- 06Six to twelve months of bank statements
- 07Your 1099s or a list of the general contractors and clients who pay you
- 08A simple profit-and-loss statement
- 09Contractor license or registration if your trade requires it, plus insurance certificates
- 10One-page plan
What the money is for and how you will repay it
- MISSING ONE?Ask Iris which one you're missing.ASK A QUESTION ↓
The doors worth knowing.
Charleston County has something many counties do not: three CDFI loan funds based right here. CDFI lenders based in the county. Community development financial institutions are certified by the U.S.
ALL 8 DOORS, BY NAME AND BY TOWN- 8
- DOORS HERE
- 37
- ACROSS SC
Based in Charleston, South Carolina. A community development financial institution, certified by the U.S. Treasury to lend where a bank will not, and used to a file that is not clean.
BEST FORCommunity lending where a bank has already said no, and working capital, equipment and payroll for a small business.Based in Charleston, South Carolina. Treasury-certified as a CDFI, which is a mandate rather than a courtesy: reaching borrowers the mainstream market passes over is the job.
BEST FORWorking capital, equipment and payroll for a small business, and community lending where a bank has already said no.Based in Charleston, South Carolina. A CDFI — a mission lender, not a branch network. It is measured on who it reaches, which is why a thin file is not the end of the conversation.
BEST FORCommunity lending where a bank has already said no, and working capital, equipment and payroll for a small business.Based in Alexandria, Virginia. A credit union — owned by its members rather than by shareholders, which is exactly what changes the conversation after a bank has said no.
BEST FORA personal loan, or building a credit file from nothing, and buying, repairing or refinancing a home.
Don't fall into these traps.
They buy your future card sales at a steep discount and take money from your account every day. In a tourism economy, daily pulls through the slow winter can sink a business.
Selling your unpaid invoices from a general contractor can help with cash flow, but some agreements make you liable when the contractor pays late. Read every line.
A legitimate lender does not charge a large fee before approving and funding your loan.
After a hurricane, fake disaster-loan brokers and people claiming to represent FEMA or the SBA appear. Real SBA disaster loans have no application fee.
In South Carolina, a notary public only witnesses signatures. A "notario" is not a lawyer, cannot give legal advice, and cannot arrange loans or immigration papers. Anyone promising either for a fee is a red flag.
Real offers wait while you read them.
Everything below is set by South Carolina, and it reads the same in every county in it. The 8 marks above are this county's own doors — who opens one is decided by them, not by the state.
The rules where you are.
Register an LLC or corporation with the South Carolina Secretary of State. If you sell taxable goods, get a retail license from the South Carolina Department of Revenue.
Business licenses in South Carolina are local. The City of Charleston, North Charleston, Mount Pleasant, and the other towns each issue their own, and Charleston County issues licenses for unincorporated areas. If you work in several towns, you may need more than one.
Contractors and residential builders are licensed through the South Carolina Department of Labor, Licensing and Regulation. Licensing thresholds depend on the type and size of the work, so check before you bid.
South Carolina has a statewide business support network through the SBDCs and the state Department of Commerce. Ask an SBDC adviser what loan or training programs are open right now.
If you work on the islands or near the water, ask about insurance early. Coastal wind and flood coverage can be a large cost, and lenders may require it on equipment or property.
The short version.
- 01
If you work for yourself in Charleston County — on the job sites, in the kitchens, on the water, or behind the wheel — you have real options. The county is home to three CDFI loan funds and three local credit unions, and a CDFI credit union keeps a branch here.
- 02
Gather your bank statements, 1099s, city or county business license, and a one-page plan. Start with a CDFI microloan or a credit union, not an offer that showed up by text. If you have an ITIN, the national nonprofits here lend to you. Compare at least two offers, and use the free advisers at the SBDC or SCORE.
- 03
Origen Capital is a directory, not a lender. We do not collect your information or sell you anything. Use this guide as a starting point and talk directly with the institutions when you are ready.
Same county, another question.
Home FinancingPurchase, renovation, HELOC, and bridge loans for homeowners and investorsSEE IT IN CHARLESTON COUNTY →
Personal FinancingPersonal loans, credit building, and ITIN-friendly financing optionsSEE IT IN CHARLESTON COUNTY →35SC COUNTIES WITH DOORSThe whole stateEvery county in South Carolina, in this same lane.37 institutions fund small businesses inside South Carolina county lines.OPEN THE STATE →Still don't see your situation?
Ask Iris. She'll explain it the way it should have been explained the first time.