HER
AMERICA
INVESTING IN HER GROWTH
Our Business Expansion Loan was created to assist our most advanced members to scale their microenterprises to larger businesses.
Starting at $10,000 over a six month cycle, the Business Expansion Loan offers qualified members access to larger loans to continue to expand, build and formalize their businesses.
To qualify for a Business Expansion Loan, members must have been directly involved with their business for two years, possess a strong Grameen America repayment record, maintain emergency savings, retain a business-relevant license and commit to completing a business training course over a one-year period.
At present, the Grameen America Business Expansion Loan is available at the Jackson Heights and Manhattan branches, with the goal of expanding to additional locations in the coming years.
ANNUAL REPORT 2019
Jennifer receives her 12th Grameen America business loan.
ANNUAL REPORT 2018
HER
SUCCESS
LIFTS
AMERICA
"THROUGH THE GRAMEEN AMERICA PROGRAM, I HAVE MADE FRIENDS, MADE NEW PEOPLE, AND LEARNED FROM OTHER BUSINESS OWNERS."
HEATHER
HARLEM, NY
In the most rigorous, independent, third-party evaluation of microfinance in the United States to date, top-tier research organization MDRC is assessing Grameen America’s program in Union City, New Jersey. MDRC used a randomized controlled trial design—the gold standard of research methods that uses the same rigorous methods as pharmaceutical trials. While there have been several evaluations of international microfinance programs, few robust studies, and no randomized controlled trials, have been conducted of U.S. microfinance programs—until now.
THE FIRST-EVER RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED TRIAL OF MICROFINANCE IN THE U.S.
ANNUAL REPORT 2019
HER
AMERICA
SCALING
FINANCIAL
ADVANCEMENT
ANNUAL REPORT 2018
HER
SUCCESS
LIFTS
AMERICA
Grameen America is dedicated to helping entrepreneurial women who live in poverty build businesses to enable financial mobility.
ANNUAL REPORT 2018
HER
SUCCESS
LIFTS
AMERICA
ANNUAL REPORT 2018
HER
SUCCESS
LIFTS
AMERICA
$1M
Empowers 3,000 women and creates nearly 1,000 new businesses.
Launches one new branch, serving 6,000 women entrepreneurs with nearly 20,000 microloans.
$2M
Empowers 3,000 women entrepreneurs and creates nearly 1,000 new businesses.
$1M
$5M
Supports our geographic expansion, serving 15,000 women entrepreneurs with nearly 50,000 microloans.
$300M Campaign, 2019-2023
In 2019, we launched Lifting America: The Campaign for Her Future, our bold campaign to raise $300M to scale our organization.
To meet the need for our program in low-income communities across the country, we require your support to raise $100M in philanthropy and $200M in debt capital. In the first year, we have raised $30M in philanthropy and $44.7M in debt capital.
Our goal for the next decade is to produce a measurable impact on the lives of women affected by poverty in the United States.
HER JOURNEY
2013
Guadalupe forms a group with four other aspiring women entrepreneurs, receives financial training and a $1,500 loan from Grameen America.
With access to capital, Guadalupe opens a traditional Mexican restaurant in her community called Aqui en Bella Puebla, an homage to the cuisine of her hometown.
2014
With her second loan, Guadalupe uses the capital to purchase stock for her business.
Vanessa, Guadalupe’s daughter, starts working at the restaurant. Together, the pair remodel the dining space.
2015
Guadalupe expands the menu. The authenticity of the food she serves makes returning customers feel like they are
at home.
Guadalupe runs her business by the motto, “We sell, we buy,” and the loans from Grameen America allow her to continue this profitable model.
2018
With additional loans, Guadalupe is able to service online and mobile food orders by purchasing a fax machine to manage incoming orders.
2019
Guadalupe and Vanessa employ eight staff members. Aqui en Bella Puebla is truly a family business with Guadalupe’s other daughter, Paloma, and Vanessa’s husband
now employed at the restaurant.
Over the years as a member of Grameen America, Guadalupe has taken out over $82,000 in microloans. In 2019, she received a Business Expansion Loan for $10,000.
2020
Aqui en Bella Puebla was featured in Bon Appétit’s list of the best tacos in New York City.
With access to future loans from Grameen America, Guadalupe plans to expand her restaurant to a second location.
HER FUTURE
HER ACCESS TO HEALTH CARE
Grameen Promotoras is aimed at improving the overall wellbeing of our members. Members who have agreed to participate in the program meet with a community health worker, otherwise known as a Promotora, to receive health workshops, referrals and assistance navigating the health system during their weekly center meetings.
A joint health initiative delivered by our partner Grameen PrimaCare, Grameen Promotoras offers health screenings for key biomarkers including monitoring members’ blood glucose levels and blood pressure measurements. With health at the heart of a woman’s wellbeing, Promotoras also deliver workshops on health literacy including nutrition, mental health, physical activity and domestic violence.
Over 3,900 women have been served by Grameen Promotoras, which was first piloted at Grameen America’s Bronx branch in 2016. In Summer 2020, the program will expand to our branch in Jackson Heights, Queens.
Anel, a Grameen Promotora, teaches health education at a weekly center meeting.
"Without Grameen America's support, I would not have the business or credit score I have today. I am very proud to say that I am now financially independent."
IT'S
MORE
THAN
A LOAN
ACCELERATING THE AMERICAN DREAM
ANNUAL REPORT 2018
HER
SUCCESS
LIFTS
AMERICA
ANNUAL REPORT 2018
HER
SUCCESS
LIFTS
AMERICA
99%
REPAYMENT RATE
530,000
TOTAL LOANS
15
U.S. CITIES
129,000
WOMEN SERVED
$1.42 Billion
TOTAL DISBURSED
IT'S
MORE
THAN
A LOAN
ACCELERATING THE AMERICAN DREAM
23
BRANCHES
SCALING
FINANCIAL
ADVANCEMENT
HER PROVEN ADVANCEMENT
FIRST OF ITS KIND STUDY SHOWS MICROFINANCE IS INSTRUMENTAL IN ALLEVIATING FINANCIAL HARDSHIP IN THE UNITED STATES
Top-tier research organization, MDRC, is assessing Grameen America’s microloan program through the most rigorous, independent, third-party evaluation of microfinance in the United States to date.
Adopting a randomized controlled trial design, the gold standard of research methods, MDRC is conducting the first randomized controlled trial of microfinance in the United States.
Reporting on 1,492 women across 300 loan groups, candidates were assigned at random into two groups—those eligible to receive Grameen America loans and the control group.
These promising outcomes from the previously released six month survey, a report made possible by Citi Community Development, contribute to our ongoing 36 month evaluation.
The findings from the first of its kind study in the United States demonstrate that the Grameen America microfinance model is instrumental in alleviating financial hardship—confirming what we have always known about the power of our program.
Grameen America and MDRC aim to release the 18-month report in Fall 2020.
SIX-MONTH MDRC SURVEY RESULTS
FINANCIAL HIGHLIGHTS
HER CITIES
Grameen America is dedicated to helping entrepreneurial women who live in poverty build businesses to enable financial mobility.
TOTAL DISBURSED
$1.42B