A Founders First CDC Program
100% On-Demand · Self-Paced
Founders First Online Program
A self-paced online course you can start anytime. Learn exactly what lenders and investors expect — on your schedule, at your own pace.
100%
Online & Self-Paced
EN/ES
Available in English & Spanish
✓
Certificate Upon Completion
Watch the Passport to Funding introduction video.
A self-paced course built to make your business funding-ready. You'll learn exactly what lenders and investors look for — from choosing the right capital and strengthening revenue quality to cleaning up your financials and telling a confident growth story.
Benchmark your business in minutes and get a prioritized list of gaps.
Work through bite-size video modules on Capital, Revenue, Financials, and Readiness.
Quick checks confirm you've got it, at your own pace.
Walk away with a clear action plan and a certificate you can share.
The curriculum is organized around what funders actually look for.
Choose the right type of capital for your model. Learn debt vs. equity, cost of capital, terms, and when to use each so you can fund growth without hurting cash flow.
Improve revenue quality. Strengthen margins and unit economics, reduce customer concentration, and increase predictability so your numbers look strong to funders.
Make your financials funder-ready. Clean up your books, understand cash flow, build simple forecasts, and prepare the core documents lenders and investors request.
Assemble your package and tell a clear growth story. Cover compliance and tax basics, create a concise business overview, and practice how to present your ask with confidence.
Identify your gaps in minutes. Benchmark your business against lender/investor expectations and get a clear list of priorities.
Watch concise modules that show exactly what funders look for — revenue quality, clean financials, and a strong funding package.
Quick quizzes confirm mastery. Pass the core lessons to earn a completion certificate you can share with partners and funders.
Leave with a simple checklist, templates, and next steps to strengthen your numbers, sharpen your narrative, and improve your terms.
Revenue-generating small businesses preparing to seek capital in the next 3–12 months.
First-time fundraisers or founders who’ve been declined and want to understand how to qualify.
Companies that need cleaner financials, stronger margins, and a clear funding package before applying.
B2B, B2G, and Main Street businesses getting ready to scale contracts or capacity.
Lesson-by-lesson playbooks — each lesson targets a specific funding challenge, from thin margins to messy books to an unclear ask.
Real-world examples — short case snippets show how founders fixed margins, cleaned books, and improved terms.
Bilingual access — the full experience is available in English and Spanish.
Mobile-friendly, self-paced — jump in for a few minutes at a time and pick up right where you left off.
Start with a quick assessment and leave with a clear action plan and a completion certificate.
Start the AssessmentFounders First CDC does not endorse the information, content, presentation or accuracy of any other website and claims no responsibility for it. You will be subject to the terms and conditions of the other website, including but not limited to its privacy policy.
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