Jack Bradley Sees ACCION USA as a Way to Support the Community

Jack Bradley’s work in high finance led him to several Latin American countries, including Argentina, Brazil, and Uruguay, where he led cross-border transactions and acquisitions. During these travels, he developed an affinity for the region and an awareness of microlending, which is used to provide small loans to populations underserved by traditional banking.

Working with a microlending leader
“I’ve always been interested in the idea of providing opportunities that are outside the traditional banking system,” says Jack, now president of Bingham Strategic Advisors LLC in Boston. “And I wanted the opportunity to work with an organization that was domestically focused. So I found ACCION USA.”

Jack is a generous individual donor to ACCION USA. He also serves as chairman of ACCION USA’s New England advisory board. Why does he support ACCION USA? “Not everyone in our country has the same opportunities,” he says. “Supporting ACCION USA is a way to give back to the community and to help fulfill the dreams of ACCION clients.”

A stringent loan process
The rigorous process that ACCION USA follows when making loans made a real impact on Jack. “At first, I was skeptical about the loan process and wanted to understand if the funds advanced were actually loans or more like grants or donations,” he said. “But what impressed me about the ACCION USA organization is that the underwriting process is done on a very stringent basis. They don’t ask for everything that a conventional bank might want, but they’re very careful about who gets a loan. And they offer more than just loans—they also provide training and other resources.”

More power from a donation
As a result, Jack is confident that his donation to ACCION USA is put to excellent use in the community. “It’s different than giving to a local charity,” he says. “ACCION USA leverages the dollars that people donate to help a lot of different businesses—and help people fulfill their dreams.”