WASHINGTON – The SBA has created a Center for Faith-Based and Community Initiatives to help non-profit, grassroots organizations learn about and have access to SBA-backed programs and loans. As part of the initiative, all current technical assistance grant recipients – including SCORE, Women's Business Centers, and Small Business Development Centers – have extended their programs to faith-based and other non-profit organizations that focus a significant portion of their activities on aiding small businesses. The Center is part of the SBA's implementation of the President's Faith-Based and Community Initiative, which is designed to open government programs to these organizations by ensuring that grassroots leaders can “compete on equal footing for federal dollars, receive greater private support and face fewer bureaucratic barriers,” according to the SBA.