Executive Summary:

Grameen America (GAI) builds upon the revolutionary but simple idea that people can lift themselves out of poverty through their own entrepreneurial spirit. Since 2008, we have not only tested the microfinance model in different markets across the U.S. to prove its viability, but we also have the research that shows that our model can empower low-income women entrepreneurs in the U.S. to build better lives for themselves, their families, and their communities. Currently, there are 40 million people living in poverty in the U.S. Women are 38% more likely to be impoverished than men and more than half of low-income children live in female-headed households. By expanding our footprint to 14 more branches, we will reach 350,000 women entrepreneurs by 2026, have a material impact on poverty alleviation, and improve the economic situation of their spouses, children and employees, changing the lives of nearly 1 million Americans.