Investing $250,000 in Oakland, California

Joy StoddardDomestic Microlending, The United States

Whole Planet Foundation to give $250,000 to Oakland, California entrepreneurs through microfinance partner Grameen America

This year, Whole Planet Foundation began funding microcredit for women entrepreneurs in the Fruitvale area of Oakland, California with a grant of $250,000 to Grameen America to alleviate local poverty. In April, we visited the Fruitvale branch along with Supplier Alliance for Microcredit partners. Through this special opportunity to understand the opportunities microcredit provides, these donors who each contribute $50,000 to Whole Planet Foundation witnessed how the women choose their business and the challenges they overcome, such as being their own marketer, inventory manager, staff, accountant and CEO all at once.

Grameen America microcredit clients and Ito En Rona Tison and James Hoagland, Stacy’s/Naked Juice Valerie Brown, Garden of Life Jackie Adams, Seventh Generation Susan Johnson, Hain Celestial / Earth’s Best, Sidney Horn, Jill Risucci, Stacy’s/Naked Juice Jennifer LaFontaine, Allegro Coffee Company Tara Cross, Grameen staff and Whole Planet Foundation’s Lauren Evans and Joy Stoddard.