Learn more about our 2024 funding announcements that support new organizations providing income-generating opportunities for entrepreneurs around the world.
BOMA | Ethiopia & Kenya
Whole Planet approved a $57,375 grant to BOMA to support BOMA’s cross-country implementation research to generate lessons learned and best practices in implementing Green REAP in Kenya and Ethiopia. This grant complements Whole Planet’s active project of $630,792 which supports BOMA’s entrepreneurship program in Ethiopia and Burkina Faso.
Engishon | Tanzania
Whole Planet approved a $4,500 grant to Engishon to help strengthen and grow their VICOBA program through various initiatives, including marketing and branding for staff and offices, piloting SMS services for client and loan repayment management; and logistics support for monitoring and evaluation activities. This grant complements Whole Planet’s active project of $50,000 which supports Engishon’s business loans for savings groups in northern Tanzania.
FANSOTO | Senegal
*This is a Kasperick Foundation funded project administered by Whole Planet.
Whole Planet proposed a new project for Kasperick Foundation: a 3-year, $350,000 grant to support FANSOTO, a social microfinance institution in Senegal that was started by Whole Planet’s network partner EdM (Entrepreneurs du Monde). This grant complements Kasperick Foundation’s active project of $800,000 which supports product procurement of agriculture inputs distributed to women smallholder farmers in Senegal and Mali.
FondoMás | Mexico
Whole Planet approved a $24,500 grant to FondoMás which will allow them to carry out a banking campaign for all 100 of their technicians, to help them get a bank account linked to a checkbook and a debit card, to facilitate transfers and payments with their village banks, made up of coffee farmers. This grant complements Whole Planet’s active project of $300,000 to support group loans to coffee farmers in Chiapas, Mexico.
FOOP | Sierra Leone
Whole Planet approved a $57,735 grant to FOOP to significantly enhance FOOP’s work and directly benefit farmers by expanding and refining its initiatives, and by strengthening its monitoring and evaluation systems. This grant complements Whole Planet’s active project of $300,000 which supports agriculture inputs and mechanization services distributed on credit to smallholder farmers through FOOP’s Service-Delivery Unit (SDU). Specifically, the funds will establish a “Greenhouse Female Training Centre” to support access to quality seed varieties and training sessions for women farmers. Funds will also support growing the personnel and systems needed to offer stronger impact measurement.
Fundación Paraguaya | Paraguay
Whole Foods Market Foundation has forgiven $200,000 of an outstanding loan of $300,000, with Fundacion Paraguaya, to fund this a new grant project. The $200,000 will support Fundación Paraguaya to donate Micro Franchise Kits to new Women’s Committee members with no business experience and living in a highly vulnerable state. By joining the Committee, they would gain business experience, training, begin to save money and generate income, and then eventually begin taking loans alongside their fellow members.
FUNDER | Honduras
*This is a Kasperick Foundation funded project administered by Whole Planet.
Whole Planet proposed a new project for Kasperick Foundation: a $400,000, 2-year grant for FUNDER, a nonprofit with decades of experience promoting rural business development in Honduras. This project would support Funder’s new Food Security Loan: which provides loan capital to Village Banks that produce beans, corn, and coffee. FUNDER encourages the farmers to invest in “green” and efficient technology that boosts productivity, i.e., solar units for drying coffee and machines for planting seeds. This project would also support Funder’s Commercial Triangulation Loan: which provides working debt capital to small businesses and cooperatives that have existing market linkages for coffee, beans, cacao, corn, and dairy products.
GGEM Farming | Malawi
Whole Planet approved a $57,735 grant to help fund GGEM‘s pilot initiative to research, multiply, distribute, and seed bank alternative grains like sorghum, known for their nutritional value and drought resistance. This grant complements Whole Planet’s active project of $600,000 which supports GGEM Farming’s input loans for smallholder rice and legume farmers.
Jiro-Ve | Madagascar
Whole Planet approved a $12,500 grant to Jiro-Ve, whose mission is to use a franchise model to bring affordable, clean, and quality lighting to areas without reliable energy sources in Madagascar. This grant complements Whole Planet’s active project of $300,000 which supports Jiro Ve’s solar product rental business serving off-grid and rural communities in Madagascar.
myAgro Cote D’Ivoire | Cote D’Ivoire
Whole Planet approved a $57,735 grant to myAgro Cote D’Ivoire to help scale their agriculture finance solution to Côte d’Ivoire with an overall goal of serving 500 farmers in 2024. This grant complements a total of $1.25 million which has been disbursed by both WP & strategic partner, Kasperick Foundation, to support women smallholders in Senegal and Mali. WP is thrilled to accompany myAgro in their West Africa expansion with funds for the Cote d’Ivoire pilot.
Pollinate Group | Nepal & India
Whole Planet approved $195,183, 3-year grant to support Pollinate Group’s implementing partners in Nepal and India (Kalpavriksha & Pollinate India). The contribution will support the purchase of stock (solar lamps, cooking appliances, sanitary items) for the microbusinesses of over 1,100 entrepreneurs in Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Telangana, Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal, Assam, Meghalaya Chitwan, Kailali and Bardiya..
SOS Amazonia | Brazil
Whole Planet approved a project with new partner SOS Amazonia (SOS), a Brazilian nonprofit whose signature program equips subsistence and smallholder farmers, living in deforested and degraded areas of the Amazon, to implement Agroforestry Systems. This 3-year $300,000 grant would allow SOS to pursue 3 interrelated activities: (1) purchasing seeds from Seed Collectors (2) providing Personal Protective Equipment to new Seed Collectors; and (3) Establishing Community Nurseries with subsistence farmers.
Smiling Through Light | Sierra Leone
Whole Planet approved a $10,000 grant to Smiling through Light. This will have a catalytic effect by enabling them to undertake several high-impact activities including investments in both digital and physical PayOps sales infrastructures, facilitating the launch of a new hub and helping to expand their footprint and sales channels. This grant complements Whole Planet’s active project of $50,000 which supports the procurement of solar products that are distributed to customers using the PAYG (pay as you go) credit.
Swahili Honey | Southern Highlands Region of Tanzania
Whole Planet approved supporting Central Park Bees Limited (doing business under the brand name Swahili Honey) with a $300,000 no-interest loan to scale their beehive loans to an estimated 898 small-scale beekeepers in the Southern Highlands Region of Tanzania.
Upendo Honey | Kingoma, Tanzania
Whole Planet approved a $234,000 no-interest loan for Upendo Honey to scale their pre-harvest financing program to an estimated 5,800 small-scale beekeepers in Western Tanzania.