Please listen to an audio PowerPoint presentation About the I DA program

Please listen to an audio PowerPoint presentation about IDA Frequently Asked Questions

We get lots of calls from people asking about free government small business grant programs. They’ve seen the spam emails about massive giveaway government programs and they want a cut of the action. Sorry, folks, but there aren’t such animals. However, we do have a program that can help get funds to your business – provided that you are willing to work towards your business goals for the next nine months to one year.

This program, called the Individual Development Accounts, triples your return on savings for use in your business. Every one dollar that you save will be matched with three more dollars. Guaranteed return. You can't beat that type of return on your money. Are there any catches or fine print? Keep reading.

Individual Development Accounts (IDAs) are matched savings accounts that allow low-income individuals and their families to build savings assets and move up and out of poverty. LMB’s program specifically helps low-income entrepreneurs save money for a specific business goals. Your savings are matched at the rate of 3:1. Once you reach your savings goal, attend the financial fitness education class and the LMB classes, and successfully complete your business plan, the matched savings funds are paid directly to your vendors for the purchase of your goods and services. The maximum amount that will be matched is $4,000. You must also be covered in our service area, either as a resident of Lane County or in the state of Oregon for some of our other contracts.

Beginning July 21, 2005, a fee of $50 will be assessed for all new applications. These funds are used by CASA of Oregon to partially defray its administrative costs. For more information, you may contact Leah Murray at 541-463-4619 or email murrayl@lanecc.edu.