Donating Tools for Progress

The monetary donation model hasn't worked very well. Though still important and helpful in many essential ways, results haven't been impressive. We've donated trillions of dollars to Africa alone and most of the statistics are worse - higher infant mortality, lower literacy, a bigger gap between rich and poor, etc.

Depending on foundations and grants puts non-profits on a roller coaster budget. Without a steady, predictable cash flow, long range strategies and projects become difficult at best, frequently impossible, seldom efficient and effective. A high percentage of donated dollars get channeled into marketing the organization and administration costs. More money gets siphoned off by donor country officials. The rich get richer, the poor sink to even more dire conditions.

We're pioneering a new approach to donations. Rather than giving dollars that get dramatically diluted between your check book and the people/projects you'd like to help, you can directly provide tools that create businesses in developing countries. As the famous African saying goes, "Give a man a fish and he eats for a day; teach a man to fish and he eats forever." We're giving you an opportunity to both provide a variety of "fishing poles" and well as training and ongoing support, tools that begin a systematic, expanding progression out of poverty.

Another difficulty with the conventional approach to donations involves undermining people's self esteem and appreciation. A recent ApproTec study in Kenya showed that people who had to somehow find or borrow the money to buy their foot-powered water pumps or hand cooking oil presses had a 89% still-in-use rate after 3 years compared to less than 30% for tools that were only donated.

We're evolving this approached based on the tremendous success of Heifer's International. This organization started in 1944 and evolved a "pass on the gift" approach. For example, a family receives a sheep that gives soft, warm wool and the opportunity to increase their income. Later, they return the "loan" by giving another family one or two lambs. The donation/loan capital expands. Heifer's now provides 27 different kinds of livestock to families in 47 countries.

We help match up micreoenterprise tools and training with motivated and competent 3rd World would-be entrepreneurs and people like you who have dollars and want those dollars to maximize the more efficient and long-term benefit. If you need a tax deduction, we can do this through a 501(c)3 non-profit. We also donate/invest 100% plus of our profits in this way. Please help us spread this idea. If you know of good potential microentrepraneurs, more tools for micro-business, or more people who would like to support this process, please let us know!

The microenterprise tools and training your micro-loan/donation provides, creates an upward spiral of micro-economic expansion, a geometric progression of benefit.