Being poor is expensive. Getting out shouldn't be.
Apply for up to $10,000 in interest-free funding. No credit score, cosigner, or collateral required.
Big heart. Bold vision.
We're not your typical investors
No credit score? No problem.
Talent is evenly distributed. Opportunity is not. Donating to Manilla helps high-potential African Americans take chances who might not have been able to otherwise.
0% interest. For real.
Manilla’s Income Sharing Agreements (ISAs) have no interest and no balance due. The amount you pay back may even be less than you borrowed!
Income-based payments
With Manilla, there’s no balance due. Payments are a percentage of your income. And if you’re earning less than $30,000, your payments drop to $0.
Unique terms. Designed for you.
Our terms are unique to you and based on your future earning potential. That means payments are designed to always be affordable and we have a shared interest in your success.
Finally someone who believes in you
Here's how it works
Tell us about yourself
Instead of a traditional credit score, we evaluate your profile, using data like your employment industry and strength of financial plan.
If your application is approved, we'll offer you terms, and if you accept, we'll send the money directly to your bank account.
Make your plan. Execute it.
You'll start making payments six months after you receive the distribution and get a job making over $30,000. Payments are entirely income based, and designed to always be affordable.
Excel. Change your family's story.
Manilla's the best place to invest in human potential
Built by us, for us
We think poor people deserve better
Talent is evenly distributed. Opportunity is not. Donating to Manilla helps high-potential African Americans escape poverty who might not've been able to otherwise.
Our platform is secure and compliant
We spent months working with our legal team to ensure we’re compliant, and we’ve partnered with an industry-leading payment processor and bank to facilitate our transactions securely.
We invest donor capital
Because we are structured as a non-profit, we can reinvest the returns from our investments for perpetual impact.
Status quo
The racial wealth gap is getting worse
2053
is the projected year in which median African American wealth may fall to zero
37%
of African Americans have zero or "negative" net worth
3x
average African American poverty rate compared to national average
And yes, we're legit
How we work
Discover the most promising people
We look for games changers - people who change the world. We analyze personal and traction data to identify their growth rate.
Income Sharing Agreements
We handle all of the legal and compliance work. We use industry insights and expert's experience to estimate and forecast the value of the individual investment throughout short and long terms.
Due diligence
Before making a new investment we have an investigation process with individuals that includes reviewing personal history, financial plan and character.
Mentorship and Partnerships
We help talent to build their network with top professionals in their field and work with area nonprofits to find additional resources, workshops, and assistance.
Become an investor
Invest in people you believe in.
Let's talk ISAs
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What is an ISA?An Income Share Agreement (ISA) is a contractual agreement between a student and our fund in which the student receives education funding in exchange for an agreed upon percentage of post-graduation income over a pre-defined number of years. For example, you receive $10,000 from us to pay for tuition, books and rent. In return, once you graduate and get a job, you pay us 3.15% of your income for 8 years.
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How is an ISA different than a loan?Student loans are paid back through fixed monthly payments including interest based on a principal. ISAs are more flexible in their repayment terms and will adapt to your income circumstances throughout the repayment period. Repayments for an ISA are based on a percentage of your income and not on a fixed principal, so they should always be affordable. You pay for a pre-defined number of years and there is an upper boundary on what you are required to pay back. ISAs align the incentives between you and your provider. If you have one of our ISAs, we are strongly incentivized to help you get a high-paying job. Therefore, we are building products & services to help you succeed!
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After a student graduates, when do they start making payments? Is there a grace period?"After graduation, there is a 1-6 months grace period (depending on your individual ISA) in which no payments have to be made. After this time frame, the repayment period starts
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When does a student’s payment obligation end?The payment obligation ends if either the agreed upon payment period ends (no matter how much has been paid back up to that point) or the repayments reach the payment cap (which is between 2.0x - 2.5x of the initial amount borrowed).
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Am I required to fully repay the money that was given to me under the ISA?No, you are not. If the payment period ends and your total repayments have been below the initial amount borrowed, no further payments are required. You are merely required to fulfill the repayment requirements for the agreed upon timeframe.
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How does the repayment work?After your graduation, you will let us know how much you are expected to earn in a given year (by simply showing us your offer letter or something equivalent) and we will use that to calculate your monthly repayment. At the end of the year, we will draw a comparison between the declared expected income and the actual income and will settle the difference. If something changes in between, like you losing your job or taking a leave of absence, we will adapt the monthly repayments immediately & accordingly. We repeat the whole process every year for the agreed time period.
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Which students will be eligible to apply for an ISA?You are eligible, if the following holds true: - You are enrolled or accepted to enroll in a postsecondary education institution in the US. - You are a US citizen or Permanent Resident. - You are 18 years or older when signing the contract.
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Will I be required to work in a certain job or industry once I graduate?No, you can work wherever you want. We will help you get a job if you want the support, but will never tell you where to work
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What is deferment and how does it work?There are certain situations in which your ISA repayment plan will be paused. For example, if you go to graduate school or voluntarily leave the workforce for some time. The ISA plan adapts and the repayments will resume once you start working again. The ISA can be paused for up to five years in total. In case all five deferment years are used and you are still technically qualifying for it, every month will be deducted from your total repayment period as if you were making payments to us.