glyph 227: investment, microgrants, microenterprise, microentrepreneurs. micro-entrepreurs, conditional grants, mico-loans ... business development services community networks ... paths to prosperity ... building community and individual assets, foundations of civil society ... bottom-up development . grassroots development ... financial leverage, thread for bootstraps ...
Video about Trickle Up's work in Mali - highly recommended! -leif
http://trickleup.org/ourwork/whatvdo_media.html
Meet Trickle Up Entrepreneurs
http://trickleup.org/entrepreneurs/profile.html
History and Mission
http://trickleup.org/about/mission.html
Founded in 1979, the mission of Trickle Up is to help the lowest income people worldwide take the first steps up out of poverty, by providing conditional seed capital, business training and relevant support services essential to the launch or expansion of a microenterprise. This proven social and economic empowerment model is implemented in partnership with local agencies.
From Trickle Up's Winter 2005 Newsletter:
As Trickle Up celebrates 25 years of success in helping the poorest of the poor start or expand more than 129,000 businesses, it seems that the world is catching on to the cause of microenterprise development. In recognition of the positive impact that microfinance and small business development have had on the income and quality of life of millions of the poor globally, the United Nations has officially declared 2005 as the International Year of Microcredit. The world body aims in particular to promote innovative partnerships for microenterprise development. Since our founding, Trickle Up has worked in partnerships with grassroots organizations to provide microenterprise services to the poorest, most marginalized people, most of whom are not eligible for microloans to start their own microbusinesses.
Trickle Up's distinct approach of providing conditional grants is highly innovative. It is increasingly evident that microcredit is but one means of reaching those in need. A complete strategy combines different means of building community and individual assets. This recognizes that there are varying levels of "poor " which require different interventions. In some cases a microgrant may ensure that an individual may soon become eligible for a microloan. By providing microgrants and related business development services, Trickle Up has taken a risk and has proven that the reward is well worth the effort, over time. Trickle Up looks forward to increasing opportunities to help families and their communities on the path to prosperity - one business at a time.
The Advisory Council includes Hernando de Soto, champion of the informals. -leif
https://explorersfoundation.org/glyphery/227.html
entered before July 9, 2006; edited/updated November 26, 2015