Name Change with a Purpose

Lend. Lift. Flourish.

We have a new name. And we want to tell you why it matters.

After five years of operating as Margin Institute, we are proud to introduce ourselves as GraceWorks Lending.

Same mission. Same team. Same revolving loan fund that has deployed nearly $300,000 to underserved entrepreneurs across Central Texas since 2020. But a name that finally says, clearly and confidently, who we are and what we believe.

What Was Margin Institute?

When we launched in 2020, the name Margin Institute captured something true about what we were trying to do: create financial breathing room — margin — for entrepreneurs who had none. The idea resonated with us as founders, and it served us well in the early years as we built our model, our relationships, and our loan fund from the ground up.

But as we grew, we started to notice something. The name required explanation. People weren't sure what kind of institution we were, or what margin had to do with lending. We were spending energy on the name before we could get to the work.

More importantly, the name didn't capture the why behind what we do.

Why GraceWorks Lending?

We lend money. That much is in the name. But the word we've put in front of it — Grace — is the one that changes everything.

We are a faith-based organization. We believe that every person, regardless of where they were born, what language they speak, or how traditional banks have treated them, bears the image of God and deserves to be treated accordingly. Our loans are not charity. They are dignified investments in capable people.

Grace works.  We have watched immigrant entrepreneurs repay their loans — at a ~100% rate — and go on to serve as models for the next family in line.

Grace, extended through investment and relationship, actually works.

The word Lending does something important too. It names us as what we are — a lending organization — while carrying a quiet dignity that the word charity does not. We don't give handouts. We make loans. We believe in repayment because we believe in the borrower.

What Stays the Same

Everything that matters.

Our loan terms remain the same: 5-7% interest, far below market rate, to entrepreneurs overlooked by traditional financial institutions. Our revolving fund model remains the same: every dollar repaid is re-lent to a new borrower, multiplying the impact of every gift we receive. Our partners — churches, foundations, community organizations, and individual donors who believe in this work — remain the same.

And our borrowers remain the same: real people, real families, real dreams, waiting for someone to say we believe in you with something more than words.

A New Address, the Same Home

You can now find us at graceworkslending.org. Our old address at margininstitute.org will continue to redirect you there, so nothing will be lost in the transition.

If you've given to us before, thank you. If you're meeting us for the first time through this new name, welcome. Either way, we hope the name tells you something true about us before we've had a chance to say a word.

Grace works. We've seen it. And we're just getting started.

Lend. Lift. Flourish.

— Dan Pucci & Dan Michel, Co-Founders, GraceWorks Lending