Problem

Over 35 million Americans live in poverty as the U.S. struggles with gaps in educational and economic opportunities. Unemployment and high living costs often have the greatest impact on women, people with disabilities, and ethnic minorities. In some areas, like New York City, one in five people live in poverty. Rural areas are hit even harder: Ziebach County, South Dakota has a median annual income of $7,400, one of the lowest in the country.

The Gift

Your gift will enable an individual living in poverty to start a microenterprise. Whether it is used to buy an oven for a bakery, a computer for a daycare center, a kiln for an artisan, or other materials needed to launch a business of the entrepreneur’s choosing, your gift will help someone take the first steps out of poverty. Trickle Up gives grants to entrepreneurs who show that they have a viable business idea and entrepreneurial drive, meet income requirements, and are ineligible to access credit. Entrepreneurs learn to create business and marketing plans, develop marketing materials, and learn other skills necessary to run a successful business. From rural communities in Appalachian Ohio to inner city neighborhoods in New York and LA, you will be helping Trickle Up to support economic activity from the ground up, generating jobs, income, and services for low-income communities.