Expanding Access, Creating Opportunity: A Year in Review

Dear FSWCF Customers, Partners, and Rural Communities,

As we close 2025 and celebrate our 10th anniversary, I want to pause and thank you. It is a privilege to serve Colorado’s rural entrepreneurs, nonprofit organizations, and community leaders. Every day, you push forward to strengthen your communities, and our work exists to support that effort.

This year brought real uncertainty for businesses across the country. In the midst of that, we chose to act: we developed new partnerships, deepened relationships, and expanded our work in additional rural counties. Together, we continue to advance our mission of increasing access to capital and opportunity in rural Colorado.

Throughout the state, we’ve met entrepreneurs who start and grow businesses in small towns, create jobs, and keep local economies vibrant. We see the challenges you face, and we also see your creativity, resilience, and determination. Each rural community is unique. Local leaders build on their own strengths, culture, and partnerships to create opportunity. We recognize there is no one-size-fits-all solution, so we listen, learn, and adapt alongside you.

I am deeply grateful for our board of directors, whose guidance shapes our strategy, and for the FSWCF team, whose dedication brings our lending, education, and community programs to life every day. I also want to thank our community partners and funders, who work with us to advance entrepreneurship and economic prosperity in every corner of the state.

Over the past 12 months, together we have:

• Launched the Northwest Catalyst Capital Microloan Fund serving Moffat, Rio Blanco, and Routt counties.
• Activated the ACF Regional Rise Fund to support entrepreneurs from Aspen to Parachute.
• Secured continued support from the Colorado Health Foundation, CLIMBER Fund, Start Up Colorado, and the USDA IRP and RMAP programs to advance our vision for rural business funding and prosperity.
• Expanded our Mentorship Program, which lowers barriers to lending and connects entrepreneurs across Colorado. Participants meet monthly to solve real-time challenges in both startups and established businesses.

The lending landscape in our communities continues to evolve. We are seeing businesses emerge and grow in general services, health-related industries, and childcare. Rural communities are using entrepreneurship and small business growth as pathways to long-term economic opportunity. You continue to innovate and adapt so that every community has a chance to thrive.

We also continue to track and measure impact. Our Entrepreneur Success Survey captures your experience and outcomes so we can better understand what is working and where support is most needed. I invite you to take part in this survey and share your story, so we can tell the story of rural Colorado more fully. Survey Here.

Looking ahead, the coming year will be an important one. We will continue to advance our expansion plan, launch and manage new funding programs for rural entrepreneurs, and participate in rural gatherings and events around the state. These are opportunities to connect, listen, learn, and strengthen the future of rural businesses—while celebrating your achievements and our shared progress.

On behalf of our entire team, thank you for your trust, partnership, and support. You make the mission and vision of First Southwest Community Fund possible. We wish you and your loved ones health, resilience, and success as we close out 2025 and step into the next decade together.

Best regards,

Rosy Aburto McDonough, Executive Director, First Southwest Community Fund