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James Ruddick volunteered through Grameen Foundation’s skillanthropy program, Bankers without Borders (BwB) where we connect thousands of skilled volunteers with high potential social enterprises and nonprofits around the world. James' story below captures his time volunteering for Grameen's Copra Capacity Development Project in the Philippines. An initiative that is growing and strengthening coconut farming communities and economies.

In the last few months, I had the opportunity to volunteer with Bankers without Borders (BwB) in partnership with the Grameen Foundation in the Philippines, supporting a strong initiative for coconut farming communities. Through the Copra Capacity Development Project (CCDP) a two year effort supported by Rabo Foundation, we are working to strengthen five coconut based cooperatives. Together, these co operatives aggregate up to 100 metric tons of copra each month from more than 2,600 smallholder farmers, many of whom rely on coconut production as their primary livelihood.

Despite their critical role in the local economy, most of these cooperatives are classified as small or medium. Their growth potential is strong but so are the challenges. Managing assets, navigating credit , strengthening financial systems, and planning for investment are areas where targeted support can increase progress. That is where BwB volunteers like myself come in.

As part of CCDP, our role begins with a deep assessment of each cooperative’s financial and business management capacity. Using Grameen’s Capacity Development Plans and Training Needs Assessments, we identify gaps that could limit their ability to manage upcoming grants investments that include new drying and storage facilities and vehicles that will expand their copra operations. These grants, awarded in May 2025, represent a major opportunity for each cooperative to improve efficiency, income, and long term sustainability.

From these assessments, the volunteers and I develop customised training modules focused on financial management, operational efficiency, and business planning. While some needs are shared across all five cooperatives, each one also has its own context, unique governance dynamics, different levels of financial literacy, and varying levels of experience handling external funding. Our goal is to equip cooperative leaders with the tools to manage more complex business activities and to ensure that every investment translates into improved livelihoods for their members now but in the future as well.

Over the next several months, I was working virtually alongside local volunteers to deliver training and support the cooperatives as they move from planning to implementation. What inspires me most is the cooperatives’ commitment: despite limited resources, their leaders consistently demonstrate a desire to uplift their communities.

CCDP builds on years of Grameen Foundation’s work under the Sustainable Coconut Project, but its focus is deeper, addressing the entire copra value chain and preparing cooperatives to become truly bankable and investment ready in the future. By strengthening management systems today, we open the door for long term growth tomorrow for many more co ops and years to come.

As a volunteer, it’s a privilege to contribute to this journey. The real impact will be felt not in spreadsheets or workshops. I’m grateful to be part of a global team helping cooperatives unlock their potential and honored to witness how strategic capacity building can strengthen communities from the ground up.

A big thank you to Michael, Mie Shen, JD for their ongoing support and contribution to an amazing and important project