Responsible Business Lending Coalition (RBLC)

The Small Business Borrowers’ Bill of Rights is a product of the Responsible Business Lending Coalition, a network of non-profit and for-profit lenders, investors, and small business advocates that share a commitment to innovation in small business lending and serious concerns about the rise of irresponsible small business lending. In 2015, the coalition created the first cross-sector consensus on the rights that small business owners deserve and what financing providers, brokers and lead generators can do to uphold those rights. Since the creation of the Small Business Borrowers' Bill of Rights, nearly 60 small business lenders, brokers and lead generators have committed to uphold these rights, and nearly 50 advocacy and support organizations have endorsed them.

The mission of the RBLC is to drive responsible practice in the small business lending sector. The RBLC’s members are the Aspen Institute, a nonpartisan policy studies organization and the facilitator of the coalition; Opportunity Finance Network, the national association of community development financial institutions (CDFIs); Camino Financial, BlueVine and LendingClub, three leading FinTech innovators in marketplace lending; Accion Opportunity Fund, the largest nonprofit CDFI small business lender; Community Investment Management, an impact-driven investor in small business financing; Small Business Majority, a nonprofit trade association and advocate for small businesses; the National Association for Latino Community Asset Builders, a nonprofit CDFI specialized in delivering loans to Latino-owned businesses, and the National Community Reinvestment Coalition, a network of organizations and individuals dedicated to creating a nation that delivers opportunities for all Americans to build wealth and live well.

The RBLC governance committee is responsible for reviewing the governance structures and practices of the RBLC. The committee is comprised of the following Elected Officers: 

•       Joyce Klein, Chairwoman
•       Awesta Sarkash, Vice Chair
•        Jacob Haar, Treasurer

In addition to authoring the Small Business Borrowers' Bill of Rights, the Coalition advocates for policies that enshrine the principles of the Rights into law. Signatories and endorsers of the Rights do not necessarily endorse the Coalition’s policy recommendations, but they are regularly invited to sign onto specific proposals and support RBLC advocacy efforts. 
Learn more about our policy recommendations.

Are you interested in advancing responsible business lending practices as a member organization of the RBLC? Click here to learn more. For general inquiries and media inquiries please email RBLC staff member Hannah Toriz Perez ([email protected])