A Partnership with Local Communities: Our development approach is based on the model of "WE" instead of "Us" and "Them"
The Foundation for Women (FFW) was founded in a living room in Coronado in 1997 by Deborah Lindholm, a non-profit entrepreneur, author, community convener, and global citizen. That day, after hearing Deveraj from India describe microfinance, Deborah raised her hand, when no one else did, and said, “The Foundation for Women will help!” There was no Foundation for Women at the time; only an idea and a prayer. She immediately started helping grow a program in India from 100 women living on less than $1/day to now 1.5M and one of the largest microfinance programs on the planet.
Since its inception, FFW has improved the lives of millions of people through the power of microfinance from Africa to India to a founding program in San Diego. FFW programs have helped poor, entrepreneurial women – including those in transition, at risk, or in crisis – to improve the quality of life for themselves and their families.
After a visit to Southern India in 1999 year, Deborah saw first-hand the power of microfinance. There and then, Deborah made a commitment to helping impoverished women around the world reach their full potential by providing access to credit and an opportunity to start income-generating activities.
Since its inception, FFW has improved the lives of millions of people through the power of microfinance from Africa to India to a founding program in San Diego. FFW programs have helped poor, entrepreneurial women – including those in transition, at risk, or in crisis – to improve the quality of life for themselves and their families.
After a visit to Southern India in 1999 year, Deborah saw first-hand the power of microfinance. There and then, Deborah made a commitment to helping impoverished women around the world reach their full potential by providing access to credit and an opportunity to start income-generating activities.
"I met a woman who borrowed $4 - she had never seen $4 in her life. She bought a comb, a pair of scissors and a mirror and she put her husband in business as a barber and became the cashier. Now she has a home and her children are in school. All because of $4."
Years later in 2004, FFW turned its attention to poverty in San Diego, launching the San Diego Microcredit Program - the first-ever microfinance program in the community… while continuing to fund and champion the program in India and adding many others in Africa. She was determined to invest in the city’s poorest and most forgotten populations, giving women an economic foothold so they had the power to build stronger futures for themselves. Rooted in a best practice microfinance model, FFW’s founding program in San Diego combined micro-lending with small business development education, individualized coaching, and a network of peer-to-peer support. Together, these elements help to ensure the long-term financial success of entrepreneurs.
Armed with evidence of the power of local micro-lending and over 5,000 stories of successful, transformative entrepreneurship, FFW looked to emerging markets around the world where even the smallest loan amounts could change the economic trajectory of people and families. FFW launched successful microfinance programs in India, Zambia , South Africa and Niger 1998 and 2006, impacting over 1,000,000 local entrepreneurs.
Then, in 2006, FFW launched in Liberia and has been there every day since working to ensure that the people of this fragile nation thrive through economic opportunity, strong livelihoods, and healthy families. Sunsetting the founding programs in the US, FFW leveraged 15 years of experience and expertise to focus solely on the future of Liberia, launching an integrated model of programming, extending far beyond microfinance. Although microfinance initiatives are the heart of FFW in Liberia, reaching over 35,000 entrepreneurs since 2006, this work was complemented with programs in education, adult literacy, scholarships for children of borrowers, community development funding, and health sector initiatives.
Today, FFW is changing the economic landscape of Liberia through a transformational partnership with the World Bank, operating robust programs in microcredit, education, healthcare and housing security.
Armed with evidence of the power of local micro-lending and over 5,000 stories of successful, transformative entrepreneurship, FFW looked to emerging markets around the world where even the smallest loan amounts could change the economic trajectory of people and families. FFW launched successful microfinance programs in India, Zambia , South Africa and Niger 1998 and 2006, impacting over 1,000,000 local entrepreneurs.
Then, in 2006, FFW launched in Liberia and has been there every day since working to ensure that the people of this fragile nation thrive through economic opportunity, strong livelihoods, and healthy families. Sunsetting the founding programs in the US, FFW leveraged 15 years of experience and expertise to focus solely on the future of Liberia, launching an integrated model of programming, extending far beyond microfinance. Although microfinance initiatives are the heart of FFW in Liberia, reaching over 35,000 entrepreneurs since 2006, this work was complemented with programs in education, adult literacy, scholarships for children of borrowers, community development funding, and health sector initiatives.
Today, FFW is changing the economic landscape of Liberia through a transformational partnership with the World Bank, operating robust programs in microcredit, education, healthcare and housing security.
A Partnership with Local Communities
Our development approach is based on the model of "WE" instead of "Us" and "Them"
We are one human family. There is no “them” and “us” – there is only WE in capital letters.
This belief is a core value of the Foundation for Women. That is why we do this work. When one of us in not okay, none of us are okay. When one of us is suffering, all of us are suffering.
We all want to be connected. We all want to feel loved and valued. We all will find that sense of community somewhere. FFW is committed to holding a light for all those living in the darkness of dire poverty, for women who want a better life for themselves and their families, especially their children. The light we offer and have for nearly two decades is microfinance – access to capital, a hand-up versus a hand-out – a partnership with the strong belief that together there is nothing we cannot accomplish. We believe that everyone deserves the opportunity to manifest their own future, and that access to microfinance can help make that a reality.
We. One family. One people. One planet.
~ Deborah Lindholm, Founder and CEO
Our development approach is based on the model of "WE" instead of "Us" and "Them"
We are one human family. There is no “them” and “us” – there is only WE in capital letters.
This belief is a core value of the Foundation for Women. That is why we do this work. When one of us in not okay, none of us are okay. When one of us is suffering, all of us are suffering.
We all want to be connected. We all want to feel loved and valued. We all will find that sense of community somewhere. FFW is committed to holding a light for all those living in the darkness of dire poverty, for women who want a better life for themselves and their families, especially their children. The light we offer and have for nearly two decades is microfinance – access to capital, a hand-up versus a hand-out – a partnership with the strong belief that together there is nothing we cannot accomplish. We believe that everyone deserves the opportunity to manifest their own future, and that access to microfinance can help make that a reality.
We. One family. One people. One planet.
~ Deborah Lindholm, Founder and CEO