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What is the Limited Partner Council?

Chair: Chris Sears, Truist Community Capital

Members of SBIA participate in industry councils for sector-specific updates on policy and regulatory matters and educational opportunities. The LP Council convenes regularly to discuss relevant issues and time-sensitive topics. LP Council meetings often feature subject matter experts from a range of industries and fund types and offer an interactive, industry-specific forum for members to discuss topics of interest to investors.

The Small Business Investor Alliance believes in the importance of maintaining a strong and healthy alignment of General Partners and Limited Partners. Our association represents the entire lower middle market investing ecosystem, and as such represents a diverse range of institutional investors that invest in lower middle market small businesses. SBIA regularly engages with members of Congress, regulatory agencies and outside stakeholders to promote small business capital formation, often working with industry coalitions to impact tax policy and other issues that impact this class of investors.

What are Limited Partners?

In simple terms, Limited Partners (LPs) commit capital to private equity funds managed by General Partners. LPs serve as trusted financial stewards who direct critical capital into private equity investments on behalf of their beneficiaries, which may include public pensions, insurance companies, family offices, universities, and charities. LPs only receive dividends if and when a fund they invest in produces returns, often waiting years to realize returns from investments made with their capital. By legal definition, an LP is a qualified investor that has limited liability for a company's debts and restricted responsibilities for a company’s daily operations.

Industry News

Independent sponsor deals deliver higher returns than traditional lower middle market buyouts, new Institute for Private Capital study finds

June 22, 2026

A new report by the Institute for Private Capital found that independent sponsor deals generated a median gross IRR of 23.8%, compared with 18.5% for matched buyouts, a statistically significant difference.

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Up Graph

Small Business Investment Company (SBIC) Leverage Pricing Determined

June 15, 2026

On June 15, a pool size of $303,630,000 in Small Business Investment Companies (SBIC) debentures were priced at an interest rate of 4.748%.

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SBIA welcomes Christy Dancause as Senior Director of Member Strategy, Engagement, and Community

May 27, 2026

Christy’s focus will be enhancing the lower middle market’s most valued and curated community of private capital investment funds, independent sponsors, emerging managers, and operating partners.

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