Funding & Requirements
There are more than a billion underserved entrepreneurs in Africa and around the world who run their small businesses well year after year and live within their means.
We welcome you.
We accept applicants from all industries including full-time or part-time entrepreneurs. We provide safe, affordable, zero interest loans and grants. Program participants are encouraged to pay it forward and find ways to give back to their communities.
Our program is selective so please make a good first impression, be accurate, and read all our requirements and terms.
Program Summary
Evaluation and time to fund: 1 to 2 weeks
Where we fund: All countries, especially in Africa.
Funding Amount
Amount: $100 to $500 USD (see details below).
Structure: microloan/microgrant combination.
Qualifications
Business history of 12 months or more with active revenue.
Open to full or part-time entrepreneurs including freelancers and farmers.
Businesses should be profitable (income greater than expenses), no matter how small. You should make more than you spent.
Responsible and able to keep track of payment dates and deadlines by yourself without reminders.
Honesty, integrity, and able to keep a promise without excuses (everyone we help has financial difficulties and challenges).
Additional information and frequently asked questions
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We provide a combination of microloan and microgrant in 3 primary rounds:
Round I: $100 = $50 microloan / $50 microgrant.
Round II: $250 = $200 microloan / $50 microgrant.
Round III: $500 = $450 microloan / $50 microgrant.
Open Rounds: $500 microloans
Our microloans are safe, affordable, and interest-free.
The first microloan has a 6 month term (6 payments over 6 months), the second has a 12 month term, and the third is 24 months. After third round, $500 may be borrowed indefinitely like a line of credit.
Our microgrants (not the microloans) are a gift and do not need to be repaid.
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Open to full or part-time entrepreneurs with small businesses.
Small businesses should be profitable, no matter how small.
Program is not for startups or new businesses with less than 12 months of operations, businesses with no income, or businesses with negative income (income less than expenses).
Business registration is not required. We work with formal and informal businesses.
Type of Businesses: We welcome all types of business including artisans, vendors, freelancers, and farmers..
Excluded Businesses: Adult entertainment, gambling, bars, financial services (forex, crypto, lending), and others.
Assets: We don’t require or expect participants to have collateral or assets.
Bank or mobile money statements: 2 recent months with transaction information
Government issued ID card. If you are a refugee or immigrant living abroad, you can use ID from your home country.
Contact information: Phone, email, and social media account(s).
Interview: After pre-approval, we will schedule a Zoom or Google Meet video call
Other documents and items may be requested.
Must have a sponsor. A sponsor is not a guarantor or a co-signer, rather they are a person who can vouch for your moral character and hold you accountable for your actions.
Social Media: Participants and sponsors are required to have an active social media account(s) with visible community ties on LinkedIn, Instagram, or Facebook.
Minimum age: 18 years old.
Excluded: Not open to family members, romantic or business partners, or people living in the same household as current participants.
$1 USD refundable verification fee. The purpose of the fee is to verify your identity and to make sure that you’re technically capable of making future loan payments with a bank debit card (VISA or Mastercard). The fee will refunded if your application is denied.
Terms & requirements subject to change.
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A sponsor is not a guarantor or a co-signer, rather they are a person who can vouch for moral character and hold a borrower accountable for their actions. Like the entrepreneurs we help, sponsors should have an active social media presence.
Sponsor requirements:
Be 21+ years old.
Be notified when loan applicants have applied for a loan, but are not privy to the loan application.
Be notified if a borrower is 30 days late for a loan payment.
Have a phone number, email, and an active social media account; preferably a LinkedIn profile with work experience, education, business interests, etc.
Have local community ties verifiable with active social media account(s).
Must be employed with an established career.
Can’t be family members, partners (business or romantic) or someone who lives with borrower.
Sponsors can’t borrow him/herself if their sponsored party is delinquent or a new borrower (less than 3 months).
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The purpose of our funds is to help small businesses grow.
You may use your funds for business purposes as you see fit. For example you may purchase inventory, raw materials, and equipment, balance a business cycle when revenue is low (like the growing season for farmers before the harvest), hire a new employee, take some business risks, etc.
It would be wise to view us as a long term partner for your business.
NOTE: Funds can’t be used to start a new business or fix a business that doesn’t operate profitably. Lastly, our funds can’t be used for personal use not related to business.
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We primarily evaluate your income and expenses. We help entrepreneurs that run their businesses well and live within their means.
We don’t require or expect borrowers to have collateral or assets.
We don’t lend to startups, businesses with no income, or businesses run poorly (expenses greater than income).
See “Program requirements” section for more details.
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Loan funds are sent to borrowers directly by bank wire transfer. Payments are sent from borrowers by bank debit card or credit card.
We primarily process payments with Stripe, but we may also use PayPal, Wise, or Western Union.
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We usually create a custom paylink for just for you using your local currency. You can also make payments here.
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After you finish paying back your loan, you are eligible to borrow again and for a larger amount and a longer term up to 24 months.
As a member in good standing, you are part of our movement to help others.
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Yes, of course :)
Note: You should not pay off your loan early for the sole purpose of getting a larger loan.
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Defaults and late payments hurt you, hurt other entrepreneurs, and have the potential to bankrupt our foundation and end our nonprofit mission.
The consequences of defaults and late payments include:
Moral failure. Breaking your promise and not honoring your debt is stealing and fraud.
Your payments will no longer be available to help others like yourself with equal needs.
We will notify your sponsor.
You can’t borrow from us again or participate in any of our current or future programs.
All of our borrowers experience financial difficulties. If you would like to reduce your payments, then we can be extremely flexible. Regardless, we expect entrepreneurs to continue monthly payments in good faith even if their business fails.
If you’re the kind of person who has an excuse for everything and can only keep a promise when you are forced to, then please don’t apply.
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If you cannot pay the full amount due on the scheduled date, you must modify your payment to remain in good standing and avoid reductions in your credit limit.
To do this, send us send us an email to explain why you can’t pay as promised, tell us the repayment amount that you can afford, and make your reduced payment.
You may reduce your payment as necessary, but don’t skip a scheduled payment entirely. Adjusting your payment will not affect your on-time repayment score as long as you honor the new reduced payment terms.
Please increase your payment amounts once you are able, so that the total repayment period is not increased any more time than necessary.
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You may apply, but you will need to open a new bank account in order to receive funds from Sunday by wire transfer.
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Paying on time keeps you in good standing with Sunday, which allows you to participate in additional funding rounds. Your first round with Sunday is only the initial stepping stone! When you consistently pay on time and remain in good standing, your rounds will climb higher and higher.
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No. It’s easy to communicate in writing with Google Translate. We’ve also designed our website to be easily translated. If you use a Google Chrome browser, then our website will be automatically translated.
If you an applicant scheduled for an loan interview, you can invite a friend to help translate. We will figure it out. Don’t worry.
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Sunday does not authorize any person to collect money on our behalf. All payments to Sunday should be made directly to Sunday through our website or according instructions in your loan agreement.
If any person claims to be collecting payments on behalf of Sunday, do not give it to them. Instead, please send us an email with that person's name and any relevant information. We will work with you to report the fraud to the local police.
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In the future, we’ll increase our funding rounds and we’ll explore other ways to help our beneficiaries.
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We are global, but based in the United States and Thailand.
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At the moment, we do not provide customer support by phone number or in person. Please send us a message via email or LinkedIn any time, and we will help you resolve whatever issue you may have.
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We welcome and need your support! Visit our donate page to learn more.
“Living outside of self is something that’s never too late to learn or experience.”
— Bryan Greenwood, Founder, Sunday