Potomac Tech Wire
March 28, 2000
http://www.potomactechwire.com/

Washington, DC -- Using the power of the Internet to raise small sums of money from millions of potential donors, a new Internet-based organization called Count Me In announced today that it hopes to raise $25 million for a fund to help women-owned small businesses. DC-based Count Me In said the fund will be primarily financed by $5 contributions given over the Internet. "Women own 38% of all businesses in the United States, but we continue to have less access to financing than male business owners," said Nell Merlino, co-founder of the organization. "Access to credit and capital remains the number one issue raised by self-employed and entrepreneurial women in every economic circumstance." The funds will be distributed to women in the form of small business loans that will range from $500 to $10,000. The loans will have fixed rate loans at 2% to 4% over the prime rate. A number of institutions are supporting the project including The American Express Foundation and the Rockefeller Family Foundation.