SOAR Fund offers COVID relief loans to Texas small businesses and nonprofits

By Atlas Watchline Staff · News · August 26, 2026

The Southern Opportunity and Resilience Fund is offering loan help for eligible Texas businesses and nonprofits affected by the pandemic.

The Southern Opportunity and Resilience Fund, or SOAR Fund, is offering COVID-19 relief loans to eligible small businesses and nonprofits in Texas and other Southern states, according to KSAT.

The program is aimed at businesses and nonprofits rebuilding after the pandemic-related economic shock. KSAT cited U.S. Census Bureau data showing that 57% of small businesses in Texas have less than two months of cash on hand, and 35% expect to seek capital in the next six months.

The fund is backed by philanthropic, private and corporate investors. KSAT reported that it is designed to reach the smallest businesses and historically underbanked owners, including rural businesses and those owned by women, people of color and immigrants.

Applicants are matched with a participating lender that helps with the application and provides advisory support. KSAT said business owners can sign up online and be matched in less than five minutes.

The maximum loan amount is $100,000, or up to 100% of revenues for any three-month period before the pandemic in 2019 or the first quarter of 2020, whichever is less. To qualify, a business or nonprofit must have 50 or fewer employees and must have suffered a direct economic disruption from the coronavirus pandemic.

Patrick Davis, vice president of program strategy and development at Community Reinvestment Fund, urged impacted small businesses and nonprofits to apply. KSAT quoted him describing the capital as affordable and saying it can help owners and nonprofit leaders hang on and rebuild.

The fund has $50 million in initial commitments and a goal of lending $150 million across southern states, including Texas. KSAT said the coverage area includes Texas and 15 other states plus the District of Columbia.

Sources

• KSAT: Texas small business owners can apply for COVID relief loans through new fund
• Google News RSS lead

Editorial note: This article was prepared with AI assistance and includes source attribution for reader review.

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