As an original, integral component of Southern Bancorp, Southern Financial Partners plays a central role in one of the most ambitious, innovative, and effective attempts at rural revitalization in the United States.  Founded in 1988 as the lead nonprofit in the Southern Bancorp family of development companies, Southern Financial Partners (formerly Arkansas Enterprise Group) began by operating a range of programs designed to help rural entrepreneurs, especially small business lending and technical assistance.  For over 15 years, Southern Financial Partners operated the Good Faith Fund, a microlending program modeled after that of the Grameen Bank in Bangladesh.  The program has since grown, spun off into a separate nonprofit, and changed its name to Southern Good Faith Fund. 

Since 2001, Southern Financial Partners has expanded its approach to emphasize comprehensive community development and has broadened its development lending approach to include not just small business loans but also community facilities loans and home mortgage loans for low and moderate income families.  Lending activities are now coordinated with community development activities in order to further maximize their impact.