Wells Fargo Foundation Awards $550,000 Grant to Expand JUST Community's Entrepreneur Support Across Texas

The Wells Fargo Foundation has awarded a $550,000 grant to JUST Community, a statewide nonprofit that provides equitable access to capital and support to entrepreneurs across Texas. The funding will expand JUST's financial empowerment and coaching model, which builds relationships with entrepreneurs and focuses on their character rather than just their credit score. This approach helps small business owners in El Paso and throughout the state start, grow, and sustain their businesses, providing the tools and support that lead to long-term financial stability and community impact.

Steve Wanta, Co-Founder and CEO of JUST, emphasized that trust forms the foundation of their work. By building relationships with entrepreneurs and providing tools for credit, savings, and strategic investments, JUST helps business owners gain ownership of their businesses, homes, and futures. This path to ownership creates sustainable wealth, which in turn builds stronger families and communities. With the support from the Wells Fargo Foundation, JUST can expand this work and help Texas entrepreneurs turn potential into lasting impact.

The grant announcement coincided with JUST Community's milestone of distributing over $1 million in loans to entrepreneurs specifically in El Paso. The celebration featured a local market showcasing businesses that have thrived with support from JUST programs, with attendance from local business leaders, community partners, City of El Paso officials, Wells Fargo Foundation representatives, and small business owners. Statewide, JUST Community has provided over $40 million in loans to thousands of Texas entrepreneurs through its trust-based model that combines capital, coaching, and a supportive network.

The organization's approach has demonstrated significant results, with ninety percent of participants building sustainable businesses and being able to cover emergency expenses within the first 18-24 months. In El Paso alone, over 100 entrepreneurs have leveraged JUST's trust-based lending model to launch and grow their businesses. Alma Gonzalez, Founder of Chester Homemade Dog Treats, shared how JUST was the first organization to see beyond the numbers and trust in her vision after the heartbreaking loss of her own dog Patricio inspired her business idea. That trust gave her the courage to keep going, and today her business is growing because someone finally believed that passion and purpose matter.

The grant announcement also marked the kickoff of El Paso Start-Up Week, highlighting new opportunities and celebrating the growth of local businesses across the city and state. JUST Community operates as a social venture that invests in ambitious Texas entrepreneurs, fostering financial stability and generational wealth through a trust-based financial system. The organization helps small businesses grow, thrive, and strengthen local economies, with more information available at https://www.hellojust.com.