Melissa Baggett's Contact Details

Melissa Baggett's Company Details

Champion Community Investments

N/A, N/A, N/A • 5 - 9 Employees
Financial Services

Champion Community Investments (CCI), the dba for Southern Illinois Coal Belt Champion Community, Inc., is a 501(c)(3) non-profit corporation committed to supporting economic and community development primiarly in 5 Southern Illinois counties. Governed by a regionally representative Board of Directors, CCI has been active in the region since 2002. Today, we support socioeconomic growth in Jackson, Perry, Franklin, Jefferson, and Williamson Counties in Southern Illinois.CCI is particularly active in providing low-interest loans to small businesses and micro-enterprises in the region. By working closely with the United States Department of Agriculture Rural Development, CCI has closed over 50 loans to area businesses valued in excess of $3 million with an additional $5 million in owner equity and conventional banking finance.Effective September 17, 2013 CCI is now recognized by the United States Department of the Treasury as a Community Development Financial Institution, the only one operational south of Springfield. As a CDFI, CCI is able to work more closely with area banks to ensure that new and existing businesses have access to the financial tools they need to succeed and grow. CCI works closely with the Small Business Development Center at Southern Illinois University Carbondale to provide prospective borrowers with high-quality technical assistance at no charge. SBDC staff provide clients with business plan development, loan application preparation, financial analysis, marketing research, and other valuable services. The SIU SBDC can be reached at (618) 536-2424.Champion Community Investment's Directors are passionate about enhancing business viability in the region. By providing the financial tools needed by new and exisitng businesses, we are proud to be able to play a small part in increasing regional prosperity one business at a time.