Circle Foundation awards inaugural grants to Accion Opportunity Fund and Pacific Community Ventures

Circle, the company behind the USDC stablecoin, is putting philanthropic dollars behind a decidedly non-crypto cause: helping small businesses that traditional banks tend to ignore. The Circle Foundation has made its first-ever grants to two Community Development Financial Institutions, Accion Opportunity Fund and Pacific Community Ventures, to build AI-based tools that streamline access to capital for underserved entrepreneurs. The grants mark the Foundation’s opening move since its launch on December 2, 2025. Where the money is going Accion Opportunity Fund is a national CDFI formed in 2020 through a merger, and its scale is notable. The organization has deployed over $1 billion in capital to more than 4.5 million clients since inception. Over 90% of those clients come from underserved or low-to-moderate-income communities. Pacific Community Ventures takes a more geographically focused approach, concentrating its efforts in California. PCV has built a reputation for innovative lending programs, including 0% interest restorative loans targeted at specific communities like Oakland. Both organizations will use the Circle Foundation funding to develop AI-driven tools. The specific na...