What We Do

Grameen Foundation helps the world's poorest – especially women – improve their lives and escape poverty by providing them with access to appropriate financial services, life-changing information and unique income-generating opportunities. Working directly with the poor, as well as the organizations that support them, we make a real difference in the lives of those who have been left behind.

For more information about our work, please see our answers to Frequently Asked Questions.

We create economic opportunities for the world’s poorest.

Grameen Foundation provides microfinance institutions (MFIs) in poor communities with access to the capital they need to make microloans and to offer other financial services to those working to develop or expand a small business. In many of the poorest regions in the world, micro-business creation is the only way for families to escape poverty and build a better future for their children.

We build large-scale, easy-to-replicate solutions to end the cycle of poverty in developing countries around the world.

We do this by helping local microfinance institutions and other poverty-focused organizations become more effective and efficient, enabling them to reach more poor people with appropriate financial services, such as microsavings and loans. In addition to helping these organizations find financing, we provide products and services that enable them to measure their results and better understand their customers.  Our mobile phone-based technology projects also fight "information poverty" and provide business opportunities for poor entrepreneurs.

Working with local and global allies, and the poor themselves, we also create mobile phone-based solutions that address the devastating effects of “information poverty.” We help the poor to better manage their health, crops, livestock and finances, and even to find new income-generating opportunities – enabling them to improve their lives and break the cycle of poverty for themselves and their families. For more information on our work, please feel free to explore our latest Annual Report.

We leverage the knowledge and expertise of local partners to create the most effective programs possible.

Grameen Foundation enhances the effectiveness of our funding and impact on communities by strengthening and supporting local organizations. We respect local ways of life by building poverty-ending programs in partnership with local organizations and leaders, as well as the poor themselves, rather than imposing external ideas on developing communities.

We lead the industry in measuring impact and delivering results.

Our Progress Out of Poverty Index^TM is a country-specific tool that simply but accurately measures poverty levels, currently covering roughly 70% of countries where the world’s poor live, and 90% of active microfinance clients. It enables MFIs and other poverty-focused organizations to better determine their clients’ needs, the effectiveness and efficiency of their programs, and how quickly they are able to help people move from poverty to financial self-sufficiency.  Of course, we also measure our own efficiency -- Grameen Foundation’s high standards and efficiency have earned us Charity Navigator’s highest rating for three years in a row (which fewer than 9% of non-profits achieve), as well as certification by the Better Business Bureau’s Wise Giving Alliance..

Have more questions? Explore the links on the left sidebar, or read our Frequently Answered Questions (FAQ).