Background & Mission
Community Futures Manitoba Inc. (CFM) is an association representing 16 Community Future organizations (CFs) established throughout rural and northern Manitoba. It is a grassroots-driven program created to strengthen rural economies by enabling entrepreneurship and assisting in community economic development.
Community Futures Network of Canada operates 267 non-profit offices across Canada that provide small business services to people living in rural and remote communities. Members are divided into five regional groups: Atlantic, Quebec, Ontario, Western, and the Territories.
The goal of each Community Future office is to assist the communities in their region to develop their economic potential.
Community Futures Manitoba fills a critical capital gap by providing loans specifically tailored for rural entrepreneurs. These loans address the limited access to conventional financing in rural areas where mainstream lenders often perceive small businesses as high-risk. Access to capital remains a challenge in this field due to geographic isolation, lack of collateral, and a scarcity of financial institutions willing to invest in rural start-ups or non-traditional ventures.
Services
CFM offers a range of programs, with key features highlighted below:
- Starting a Business: Flexible loans, business tools, experienced advisors, and planning resources like the Business Plan Workbook.
- Community Economic Development: Supports local growth through research, partnerships, and access to capital, especially in agri-food, manufacturing, and processing.
- Indigenous Business Development Services (IBDS): Business advice, workshops, planning tools, and counselling for Indigenous entrepreneurs. Includes the Dragon’s Quest competition (up to $7,500 winning prize) as well as $5,000 capacity-building grants.
- Entrepreneurs with Disabilities Program (EDP): Business services for rural Manitobans with disabilities, including $750 for digital marketing.
- Food Ecosystems Project: Drives strategic investment to strengthen Manitoba’s food and agriculture sector and boost crisis resilience.
Indigenous Women’s Entrepreneur Program: Offers mentorship, and micro-loans for Indigenous women entrepreneurs.
Financial Products
Community Futures loans are flexible and affordable. They are specifically designed for new start-ups, expansions, or to buy a business in a rural community. Solutions are tailored to meet the needs of the individual business and decisions are made locally.
Loan features:
- $150,000 maximum to any one entity
- Fixed interest rate and amortization established at time of application
- No repayment penalties
Impact looks like
Impact at the organization is seen through the success of local entrepreneurs like Carrie Arsenault, owner of Sugar Me Cookie boutique bakery in Gimli, Manitoba, who received support from CF East Interlake, a member of CFM. With support from the Entrepreneurs with Disabilities program, she received start-up funding for equipment and supplies and personalized guidance to help her reach her goals. Carrie’s experience reflects the organization’s hands-on, community-driven approach, where clients are supported every step of the way and are “never left hanging.”
By the numbers
- CF East Interlake has supported rural Entrepreneurs with Disabilities since 1997.
- They have lent 1 million dollars to grow the rural communities they serve.
- CF Heartland’s rural access to capital and leveraged capital reached $707,156 in fiscal year 2024-25
“We are in this business today because Community Futures thought we could make it and now we’re 5 years into a successful business”