We're all about making
positive change
Over the past 20 years, we have dedicated ourselves to supporting high-impact SMEs.
Through the delivery of long-term flexible capital and tailored technical assistance, we help these businesses grow sustainably.
Our Evolution
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2004
GBF began as an initiative of the International Finance Corporation (the private sector arm of the World Bank Group). From 2004 to 2007 Grassroots Business Initiative executed over 40 social investments and technical assistance projects that impacted the lives of over 3.4 million people.
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2008
GBF became an independent non-profit with seed funding from the Calvert Foundation, FMO, IFC, OeEB-Development Bank of Austria, Omidyar Network and others (see complete list of investors on pg. 23), to continue investing in — and assisting with the capacity building of — businesses that generate economic and social impact for low income communities.
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2011
GBF evolved further with the establishment of a $49 million for-profit private investment fund to work in tandem with the donor-funded non-profit. The non-profit acts as the fund manager and a capacity building partner for the fund and its investees. The fund’s performance is visible to all stakeholders and investors, who expect to be repaid with a return.
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2021+
A future priority of GBF will be to focus on piloting new financial programs: Agricultural Finance: Work with various companies who seek to offer medium-long term finance to their small-holder farmers. Innovative Financing: Connect SMEs in very early stages of growth to the right inputs they need to take off. Metrics: Increase our understanding of the impact portfolio companies have, distill lessons learned and discern gender impact.
Our Mission
Economic opportunity for all
Our mission is to grow businesses that generate sustainable earnings or savings for people with low incomes in Africa, Asia and Latin America.
Our Values
Business
rigor
We use business rigor to make investments and manage projects that deliver sustainable financial and social results.
Learning and improvement
We strive to learn continually from our experience and adapt to the context of our local operating environments.
Making a difference
We are passionate about making a difference in the lives of people with low incomes in diverse countries with varying levels of income and of poverty.
Respecting diversity
We respect the diversity of people and their different perspectives. We firmly believe this makes us a uniquely effective team.
DIVERSITY, EQUITY AND INCLUSION
OUR COMMITMENT TO
50%
OF GBF’s MANAGEMENT TEAM IS WOMEN
50%
OF GBF’s BOARD IS WOMEN
73%
OF GBF’s EMPLOYEES IS WOMEN
Diversity, equity, and inclusion are integral to our mission. Our team, funders, board, and advisors reflect diverse ethnic and racial backgrounds, representing all regions.
We also strategically invest in companies that offer equal opportunities for both men and women. While our impact extends beyond women, investing in women is particularly significant to us. Their spending power benefits households and families, as they allocate 90% of their income, surpassing men's allocation of 30-40%.