We empower small businesses and their advocates to engage more effectively with government.
Originally founded with a focus on the community of Chester County, Pennsylvania, the Pennsylvania Small Enterprise Foundation is focused on restoring the middle class through small enterprise. Businesses, churches, and community organizations are the lifeblood of our democracy. When at their strongest and most numerous, they provide jobs, knit together local communities, financially empower a diverse array of citizens and increase the responsiveness of political leaders.
The Pennsylvania Small Enterprise Foundation is a membership-based research organization dedicated to preserving and fostering the growth of small enterprise through regulatory advocacy and community partnerships. We advocate for small enterprise by helping them connect with their state and local government. We conduct economic research on small business issues and advocate for small business through Pennsylvania’s public comment process. We also host events, fundraisers, and conferences in Chester County, along with offering opportunities for local students interested in learning more about small enterprise-related issues.
Navigate this site to learn more about us, or follow the links to read our recent research, contact us, or make a donation.
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Areas of Impact
Become a MEmber!
Become an official member of PSEF today! For an annual subscription valued at less than $10 a month, you can become a recurring contributor and receive exclusive invitations to events, first access to important member-only updates, and become a subscriber to our email newsletter. Your donation goes directly to funding our research and small business outreach programs. For more information or to join today, please visit the contact page and send us an email.
2025 ISSUE FOCUS
Our 2025 issue focus is access to community banking. Community banks provide vital resources to their communities and lend disproportionately to small businesses. However, the population of community banks in the US has been in decline for several decades. PASEF is focused on exploring how communities can remove barriers to community bank chartering and growth. Fostering a healthy community banking sector will improve small business access to credit, increase competition and innovation in the banking sector, and provide great paying jobs.