More than 35 million Americans live in poverty – about one in ten people. In areas like New York City, that number is as high as one in five. Residents of rural areas suffer as well: The median annual income in Ziebach County, South Dakota, is $7,400 — one of the lowest in the country.

Trickle Up works in the poorest areas of the United States, focusing its efforts on women, communities of color, people with disabilities and immigrants.
 
How It Works
In the U.S. program, aspiring participants qualify for assistance if they have a viable business idea and participantial drive; if their income is at or below the poverty line; and if they are unable to access credit. 

Applicants complete basic business training and, with assistance from our nonprofit partner agencies, prepare a business plan. If we approve their plan, then we release the first part of the grant: $500 in seed-capital to launch or invest in their business.  After three months, participants complete a report to document that their business is operational and that they have met program requirements.  Successful individuals then receive the remainder of the grant, or $200.

The Trickle Up model has proven an effective method of alleviating poverty. Running a small business is a viable alternative to a minimum-wage job. It also allows flexibility for those with child-care responsibilities who may need to work from home.


Results

Reports from Fiscal Year 2006 show that in the United States:

• 3,877 businesses have been launched or expanded since 1979, of which 433 were launched or expanded in 2006
• 71 percent of participants are women
• 11 percent of participants are under 27 years old
• 51 percent of participants considered their Trickle Up business their primary source of income
  
  

Where we work:



Africa: Burkina Faso, Ethiopia, Mali, Niger and Uganda
Asia: Cambodia, India and Nepal
Latin America: Bolivia, Guatemala, Haiti, Honduras and Nicaragua
United States: Arkansas, California, Louisiana, Maine, Mississippi, New Jersey, New York, North Dakota, Ohio, South Dakota and Vermont