Trickle Up
Encyclopedia
Trickle Up is a nonprofit international development
organization that empowers people living on less than $1.25 a day to take their first steps out of poverty
by providing them with resources to build microenterprises for a better quality of life. Trickle Up is unique among microfinance agencies in that it provides seed capital grants for microenterprises as opposed to loans. Trickle up also helps create sustainable economic empowerment by providing microenterprise training and helping participants connect with savings and loan groups.
Focusing particularly on reaching women, who comprise 70% of the world's poorest, and people with disabilities, who comprise 20% of the world's poorest, yet are critical to breaking the cycle of poverty, Trickle Up currently works in five countries: India
, Mali
, Burkina Faso
, Guatemala
, and Nicaragua
.
Trickle Up was born when the Leets traveled to one of the Caribbean
’s poorest nations, Dominica
, where they recognized what other poverty alleviation programs were missing: even the world's lowest income people have entrepreneurial potential. The model they created was simple and effective. With the assistance of local agencies and $1000 of their own money, Glen and Mildred gave ten people grants of $100 to launch their own microenterprises. The Leets provided them with Trickle Up business plans and reports to track business expenses and earnings. New business activities ranged from building blocks to selling eggs, jams, and school uniforms. Some of those businesses are still operating today. Results are overwhelmingly positive in terms of quality of life improvements for the participants.
Trickle up works closely with local partner agencies that are active and trusted in the regions where Trickle Up programs are located to help people in extreme poverty improve their families’ quality of life. Once a participant has been identified, Trickle Up works with its local partners to provide business training, a seed capital to start or expand a business, and membership in a savings groups.
In addition to the seed grant, Trickle Up teaches people the skills they will need to run successful and profitable microenterprises, such as keeping records, balancing accounts, and reinvesting profits in their businesses. A vital, final piece of the Trickle Up program is connecting participants with savings groups to encourage participants to save money for the future. Trickle Up participants may turn to savings in the case of a medical emergency. Others might draw on these funds to expand a business. No matter what, having savings means that families who once lived hand-to-mouth are better prepared for whatever life hands them.
Trickle Up starts or expands more than 10,000 microenterprises each year. Of every $1 Trickle Up spends, 80 cents goes to programs and services.
Successfully moving out of Poverty:
There are six benchmarks that Trickle Up considers significant in helping move people out of extreme poverty:
Trickle Up also continues to work with local partner organizations to provide participants with additional business support services, including links to ongoing sources of capital like microcredit.
is the President of Trickle Up. Mr. Abrams joined Trickle Up following a career as a senior executive and journalist for The New York Times
, ABC News
, and The Wall Street Journal
.
of the World Bank
.
since 1987.
International development
International development or global development is a concept that lacks a universally accepted definition, but it is most used in a holistic and multi-disciplinary context of human development — the development of greater quality of life for humans...
organization that empowers people living on less than $1.25 a day to take their first steps out of poverty
Poverty
Poverty is the lack of a certain amount of material possessions or money. Absolute poverty or destitution is inability to afford basic human needs, which commonly includes clean and fresh water, nutrition, health care, education, clothing and shelter. About 1.7 billion people are estimated to live...
by providing them with resources to build microenterprises for a better quality of life. Trickle Up is unique among microfinance agencies in that it provides seed capital grants for microenterprises as opposed to loans. Trickle up also helps create sustainable economic empowerment by providing microenterprise training and helping participants connect with savings and loan groups.
Focusing particularly on reaching women, who comprise 70% of the world's poorest, and people with disabilities, who comprise 20% of the world's poorest, yet are critical to breaking the cycle of poverty, Trickle Up currently works in five countries: India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
, Mali
Mali
Mali , officially the Republic of Mali , is a landlocked country in Western Africa. Mali borders Algeria on the north, Niger on the east, Burkina Faso and the Côte d'Ivoire on the south, Guinea on the south-west, and Senegal and Mauritania on the west. Its size is just over 1,240,000 km² with...
, Burkina Faso
Burkina Faso
Burkina Faso – also known by its short-form name Burkina – is a landlocked country in west Africa. It is surrounded by six countries: Mali to the north, Niger to the east, Benin to the southeast, Togo and Ghana to the south, and Côte d'Ivoire to the southwest.Its size is with an estimated...
, Guatemala
Guatemala
Guatemala is a country in Central America bordered by Mexico to the north and west, the Pacific Ocean to the southwest, Belize to the northeast, the Caribbean to the east, and Honduras and El Salvador to the southeast...
, and Nicaragua
Nicaragua
Nicaragua is the largest country in the Central American American isthmus, bordered by Honduras to the north and Costa Rica to the south. The country is situated between 11 and 14 degrees north of the Equator in the Northern Hemisphere, which places it entirely within the tropics. The Pacific Ocean...
.
History
Founded in 1979 by Glen Leet and Mildred Robbins Leet, Trickle Up has been providing people in extreme poverty the assets to create a sustainable livelihood and a better quality of life for nearly 30 years.Trickle Up was born when the Leets traveled to one of the Caribbean
Caribbean
The Caribbean is a crescent-shaped group of islands more than 2,000 miles long separating the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean Sea, to the west and south, from the Atlantic Ocean, to the east and north...
’s poorest nations, Dominica
Dominica
Dominica , officially the Commonwealth of Dominica, is an island nation in the Lesser Antilles region of the Caribbean Sea, south-southeast of Guadeloupe and northwest of Martinique. Its size is and the highest point in the country is Morne Diablotins, which has an elevation of . The Commonwealth...
, where they recognized what other poverty alleviation programs were missing: even the world's lowest income people have entrepreneurial potential. The model they created was simple and effective. With the assistance of local agencies and $1000 of their own money, Glen and Mildred gave ten people grants of $100 to launch their own microenterprises. The Leets provided them with Trickle Up business plans and reports to track business expenses and earnings. New business activities ranged from building blocks to selling eggs, jams, and school uniforms. Some of those businesses are still operating today. Results are overwhelmingly positive in terms of quality of life improvements for the participants.
Program
Trickle Up provides enterprise training, seed capital grants, and savings support implemented through our local partner organizations to help people living in extreme poverty launch or expand a sustainable microenterprise.Trickle up works closely with local partner agencies that are active and trusted in the regions where Trickle Up programs are located to help people in extreme poverty improve their families’ quality of life. Once a participant has been identified, Trickle Up works with its local partners to provide business training, a seed capital to start or expand a business, and membership in a savings groups.
In addition to the seed grant, Trickle Up teaches people the skills they will need to run successful and profitable microenterprises, such as keeping records, balancing accounts, and reinvesting profits in their businesses. A vital, final piece of the Trickle Up program is connecting participants with savings groups to encourage participants to save money for the future. Trickle Up participants may turn to savings in the case of a medical emergency. Others might draw on these funds to expand a business. No matter what, having savings means that families who once lived hand-to-mouth are better prepared for whatever life hands them.
Trickle Up starts or expands more than 10,000 microenterprises each year. Of every $1 Trickle Up spends, 80 cents goes to programs and services.
Successfully moving out of Poverty:
There are six benchmarks that Trickle Up considers significant in helping move people out of extreme poverty:
- They are less vulnerable to shocks and trends.
- Their livelihood activities are dignified, diversified, productive, and sustainable.
- They have a fair and effective means to save and access credit.
- There is improved access to available basic social services.
- They enjoy a better quality of life including improved food security.
- They have made significant progress toward economic and social empowerment.
Trickle Up also continues to work with local partner organizations to provide participants with additional business support services, including links to ongoing sources of capital like microcredit.
Grants versus loans
Trickle Up offers grants, not loans, because it targets the extreme poor, people living on less than $1.25 a day, who, for a variety of reasons, are unable to obtain a microloan or otherwise access traditional financial services.Leadership
William M. AbramsWilliam M. Abrams
William M. Abrams is the President of the Trickle Up, in New York. Mr. Abrams joined Trickle Up following a career as a senior executive and journalist for the New York Times, ABC News and The Wall Street Journal.-Current:...
is the President of Trickle Up. Mr. Abrams joined Trickle Up following a career as a senior executive and journalist for The New York Times
The New York Times
The New York Times is an American daily newspaper founded and continuously published in New York City since 1851. The New York Times has won 106 Pulitzer Prizes, the most of any news organization...
, ABC News
ABC News
ABC News is the news gathering and broadcasting division of American broadcast television network ABC, a subsidiary of The Walt Disney Company...
, and The Wall Street Journal
The Wall Street Journal
The Wall Street Journal is an American English-language international daily newspaper. It is published in New York City by Dow Jones & Company, a division of News Corporation, along with the Asian and European editions of the Journal....
.
Funding
Trickle Up is funded by individuals, corporations, and government and multilateral organizations, including USAID and the International Finance CorporationInternational Finance Corporation
The International Finance Corporation promotes sustainable private sector investment in developing countries.IFC is a member of the World Bank Group and is headquartered in Washington, D.C., United States....
of the World Bank
World Bank
The World Bank is an international financial institution that provides loans to developing countries for capital programmes.The World Bank's official goal is the reduction of poverty...
.
Affiliation
Trickle Up has held Special Consultative Status with the United Nations Economic and Social CouncilUnited Nations Economic and Social Council
The Economic and Social Council of the United Nations constitutes one of the six principal organs of the United Nations and it is responsible for the coordination of the economic, social and related work of 14 UN specialized agencies, its functional commissions and five regional commissions...
since 1987.