A nonprofit CDFI · working capital for small business
Money now, not in 60 days.
You've shipped the order or finished the job. The invoice says your customer pays in 60 days — but payroll, suppliers, and the next run of work won't wait. LEAF advances cash against your invoices in about three business days, and your customer's payment later squares everyone up. We're a certified Community Development Financial Institution — a mission-driven lender, which is why our pricing looks different from a commercial factoring company's. This page explains how it works and, just as honestly, who it isn't for.
The work
You win the work — a purchase order from a big buyer, a contract from a general contractor. You do it, you finish it, you invoice it. So far, so good.
The wait
The invoice is on net-60 terms — longer on plenty of jobs. The money is real — it's just two months away while your bills are due this week.
The squeeze
Growth makes it worse: every new order, every new crew and truckload of material, means more cash out the door before the last job has paid you back.
Makers and trades alike
The industry matters less than the pattern. If you invoice a solid business or institution and then wait 30, 60, or 90 days to get paid, this is built for you.
Product businesses
Food and beverage, consumer packaged goods, apparel, household products — makers shipping into retailers, distributors, and institutional buyers on net terms.
Trades and contractors
Fencing, electrical, plumbing, HVAC, roofing, concrete, landscaping and site work — subcontractors and specialty trades invoicing general contractors and public institutions.
Either way, the work has to be done and invoiced — we advance against completed, delivered work, not progress billings on a job that's still running. Retainage we consider case by case.
One track, two speeds
The coin is your cash; the track is one invoice's life. Take the long way and you wait the full 60 days while bills pile up. Take the LEAF shortcut and cash is home in about three business days — so the loop just keeps spinning: new invoice, new advance, another lap.
Payroll
Due day 7
Suppliers
Due day 21
Rent
Due day 30
Next-order deposit
Due day 45
Do the work and invoice it, as always
Nothing changes with your customers. You deliver the order or finish the job, and invoice it on the terms you already have.
Send LEAF the invoice
Upload it to your portal. If the customer is on your facility's approved list, LEAF advances a portion of the invoice's value — cash usually lands in about three business days.
Your customer pays, we settle up
When they pay the invoice, LEAF recovers the advance plus agreed interest and fees — and anything left over is yours.
What LEAF offers
Invoice factoring is the first product on the platform — it isn't the last.
Available now
Invoice factoring
Advances of up to 80% against invoices for work you've already completed and delivered, to customers on your facility's approved list — the exact rate follows that customer's payment history. Fees run 0%–1% per advance, with interest between 7% and 10% APR; your exact terms are set in your facility agreement.
Coming soon
Purchase order financing
Funding to produce an approved order, or buy the materials a job needs — before there's an invoice to factor. The same portal, the same terms-up-front approach. If this is what you need, it's on the roadmap; the timing isn't set yet.
How LEAF compares — honestly
A commercial factoring company is the natural alternative, and for some businesses it's genuinely the better fit. Here's the trade, plainly.
| LEAF | A typical factoring company | |
|---|---|---|
| Advance fee of 1% or less | ✓0%–1% per advance — that's the whole fee | ✗Typically 1%–5% of the invoice, most commonly 1.5%–3.5% — and often charged per 30 days outstanding, with add-on fees (per-invoice, ACH, minimum-volume) that can raise the real cost another 20%–40% |
| Interest under 10% APR | ✓7%–10% APR, accrued daily on what's outstanding | ✗A middling 2.5%-per-month factoring rate works out to roughly 30% APR |
| Advances up to 80% of the invoice | ✓Up to 80% — the exact rate follows that customer's payment history | ✓Commonly 70%–90% upfront, sometimes more |
| Works with any creditworthy customer | ✗We advance against customers we've approved — by preference, large institutional ones: retailers, distributors, general contractors, and public institutions. We can expand the list where it makes sense | ✓Often, yes |
| More than $150K outstanding at once | —Not our sweet spot — our facilities are sized to keep you under about that much advanced at any one time. Talk to us anyway and we'll explore options that make sense | ✓Usually |
| Cash in about 3 business days | ✓About 3 business days | ✓Comparable — sometimes faster |
| Nonprofit CDFI mission | ✓A certified Community Development Financial Institution — affordable capital is the point | ✗Commercial owners and their returns |
Two more honest notes. First: if you have a solid balance sheet and a few years of revenue history, a conventional bank line of credit may be cheaper than factoring — ours included — and with a line of credit it doesn't matter who your customer is. We'll tell you if that's your better path. Second: the market figures above are typical published ranges as of mid-2026, not quotes — always compare the actual numbers you're offered.
You see what we see
Every LEAF client gets a secure portal with the same numbers we work from, in plain language. No calling to ask where things stand.
See where you stand, live
What's outstanding, what interest has accrued, and how much room you have left to draw — updated as things happen.
Advances in days, not weeks
Drop invoices into your document inbox and request an advance. Approved funds are usually on their way in about three business days.
Statements on demand
Download a facility statement or a payment receipt whenever you need one — for your books, your accountant, or your own peace of mind.
A clear settle-up, every time
When your customer pays, you see exactly how the payment applied — the advance repaid, the interest and fees, and what's held for you.
A fit for some businesses — not for everyone
LEAF facilities come with real restrictions, and it's better you know them up front than three meetings in:
- Who you invoice matters as much as you doWe advance against customers we've approved — by preference, large institutional ones: established retailers and distributors on the product side; general contractors, school districts, municipalities, hospitals and universities on the trades side. Residential and homeowner work isn't a fit. Where it makes sense, we can expand the list.
- Need a bigger facility? Let’s talkOur facilities are sized for small businesses — figure on less than $150K advanced and unpaid at any one time. What's sized is that running total, not any single job. If you need more room than that, come talk to us anyway — we'll explore options that make sense, even if the best answer is pointing you somewhere else.
- Sometimes a bank beats usWith a solid balance sheet and a few years of revenue history, a conventional line of credit may be cheaper than any factoring — and then who your customer is doesn't matter. If that's you, we'll say so.
- Finished work, not work in progressWe fund work that's complete, delivered, and invoiced — not progress billings on a job still running. Retainage we'll look at case by case, so raise it early and we'll tell you where we land. Purchase order financing, for the production and materials that come before an invoice, is on the roadmap but isn't here yet.
Already working with LEAF?
Your facility, advances, and statements are waiting in the portal.
Sign inImportant disclosures
- Nothing on this page is an offer, commitment, or guarantee to lend. All facilities are subject to application, underwriting, credit approval, and buyer approval, and may not be available to all applicants or in all situations.
- LEAF's stated ranges — advance fees of 0%–1% and interest of 7%–10% APR — are indicative. The terms that govern any facility are exclusively those in its signed facility agreement, including advance rates, buyer eligibility, timing, and all fees.
- Funding timelines (about three business days) are typical, not guaranteed, and run from approval of a complete request.
- Figures shown for other providers are typical ranges drawn from publicly available industry sources as of July 2026. Individual providers, industries, and situations vary widely — always compare the actual quotes you receive.
- Nothing on this page is financial, legal, tax, or accounting advice. Consult your own advisors about whether factoring, a line of credit, or another product fits your business.
- Products described as coming soon, including purchase order financing, are under development; their features, terms, and availability may change or may not launch.