JumpStart Program

Jenelle Landgraf

Phone: (206) 323-3152 x100

Fax: (206) 322-7632

Refugee Resettlement Office
1610 South King Street
Seattle, WA 98144

JumpStart is a micro-enterprise development program offering financial and business assistance to micro-enterprises owned by refugees living in the Puget Sound area. Financial assistance consists of loans and, for our Muslim clients, “reba-free” financing. Business assistance consists of business plan development, business compliance, cash management skills development and referrals. JumpStart works with people who may not qualify for bank loans due to the small size of their request or limited credit history. Interest rates and closing costs are generally lower than bank loans. Unlike most conventional lenders, JumpStart provides each client with one-on-one business technical assistance focused on the specific needs of the client’s business.

JumpStart has assisted entrepreneurs from Somalia, Ethiopia, Cameroon, Ukraine, Russia, Azerbaijan, Iran, Iraq, Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia. JumpStart has assisted many different types of businesses including a coffee stand, bakery, catering service, restaurant, janitorial service, child care provider, grocery store, tailor, handyman, trucker and construction contractor. JumpStart is managed by the Refugee Resettlement Office in partnership with the International Rescue Committee – both of which have extensive experience helping refugees and other newcomers become self-sufficient.