Since 1995, the VA has helped 50 veterans with expenses. The state Department of Labor and Industrial Relations also has grant money through the employment-training fund to help small businesses. Last year, the department funded training projects for about 2,500 clients from 100 employers. In addition, the employer-referral program funded training of 3,829 clients at various educational and training institutions. The training fund also supports the Fashion Industry Training and Technology Center administered by the Hawaii Fashion Industry Association.
Banks normally require a three-year history of operations in order to get a loan.
The Treasury Department provides a small monetary reward to those banks who make the capitalization loans. A bank might lend money at 3 percent to the nonprofit, which in turn relends this money at 13 percent. The difference is used to cover operational costs of the nonprofit. Through the program, banks help small businesses, meet the federal mandate for community reinvestment, and also make contacts with businesses that later can become customers.