Southwest Georgia United is a not-for-profit Community Development Financial Institution and community development corporation serving rural Georgia. Southwest GA United began in 1994 through the USDA Empowerment Zone program, with a mission of reducing poverty and improving the quality of life in persistent poverty counties. USDA recognized it for operating one of the most successful rural Empowerment Zones in the nation. The organization’s vision is the creation of a well-educated, active, attractive, and sustainable community of healthy families. Its assets have grown from less than $250,000 in 1999 to more than $9.5 million. The organization has provided more than $30 million in grant funds and more than $10 million in loan funds to community development, housing improvement, and small business support. As a CDFI, It provides business loans, housing loans, and development services. It develops affordable housing and owns and manages 100 units of affordable single-family rental housing.  It provides and supports other development services including child care services, workforce development, a GED program, after school programs in two counties, housing counseling services, business development counseling services, re-entry services, and fiscal agency services for smaller nonprofits. https://www.swgau.org/