Trickle Up

Non-profit partnering with women to forge pathways out of poverty

650 million people live in extreme poverty in the world today, defined by the World Bank as those living on $2.15/day or less. Trickle Up’s mission is to partner with women in extreme poverty to build economic opportunity and drive inclusion. We support women and highly vulnerable populations to forge resilient pathways out of poverty by starting microenterprises and building livelihoods. We drive large-scale change by partnering with local organizations, global institutions, and local governments, helping them adopt and adapt evidence-based, proven programming. Since 1979, Trickle Up has reached 2.3 million people through partnering with 460,000. We aim to serve 45,000 women this year, reaching an additional 225,000 currently living in extreme poverty. We have active projects in Colombia, Guatemala, India, Kenya, Mexico, and Uganda, and teams based in India, Latin America, Uganda, and the U.S. Our goal is to reach 5 million people by 2030 by partnering with a total of 1 million women participants living in extreme poverty.

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Strengthening Economies from the Household Up

Economic development is often discussed at the level of cities, markets, and industries. But in low-income urban communities, economic resilience is rarely built at those scales. I ...

From Crisis to Café: Nirmala Devi’s Business Journey

For over two decades, Nirmala Devi has called Khidirpur in Kolkata, India, her home. Originally from Uttar Pradesh, she moved with her husband and five children in search of better ...

Rebuilding Through Enterprise: Shahnaz Begum’s Journey

Fleeing domestic abuse, Shahnaz left her home and moved to Kolkata with her two sons. As she searched for work, she faced repeated barriers: Daily wage opportunities were irregular ...

Financial Health in an Uncertain World: From Individual Resilience to Systems Change

What does financial health mean in a world where families are navigating rising living costs, climate shocks, economic volatility, and increasingly uncertain futures?

The Hidden Infrastructure of Women’s Entrepreneurship

When women start small businesses, the most visible outcomes are often financial. But what about the infrastructure that makes these outcomes possible?

From Food Cart to Bhaater Hotel: Maya Rajbhar’s Business Journey

In Kolkata, India, Maya Rajbhar’s days once began early and ended late, shaped by the constant pressure of earning enough to keep her household running.

One Conversation at a Time: How Coaching Helps Families Build Lasting Change

When community coach Fulmani Malto visits a Trickle Up program participant’s household, the conversation rarely begins with the topic of income.

More Than an Identity Card: Opening Doors to Opportunity

When community coaches first met Gasi Malto in Bandu village, their conversations were not only about livelihoods or savings. Before Gasi and her family could access government sch ...

Healthier Livestock, Stronger Livelihoods: Maisi Pahadin’s Story

What began as a simple change in feeding and management practices has become an important step toward a stronger and more sustainable livelihood.

Economic Inclusion Begins with a Voice

When people think about economic inclusion, they often think about livelihoods like goats, poultry units, savings groups, training programs, market access, or income generation. Th ...