During Women’s History Month, Whole Planet Foundation and sponsors joined together to alleviate global poverty, celebrate the achievements of women entrepreneurs and collectively raise funds to support them with microcredit.
Throughout Women’s History Month, Whole Planet Foundation and sponsors are helping to alleviate global poverty, celebrate the achievements of women entrepreneurs and collectively raise $50,000 to support them with microcredit.
D’Shawn Russell is the Founder and CEO of Southern Elegance Candle Company. Southern Elegance, with support from Amazon Small Business, is alleviating poverty through Whole Planet Foundation, a Whole Foods Market non-profit. D’Shawn Russell started Southern Elegance Candle Company while she was working in education, recently had a baby, and her son had eczema. She learned how to make a lot of products for him.
Whole Planet Foundation’s top supplier donors for 2022 are funding essential microbusinesses to alleviate global poverty through the Foundation's microlending programs. These brands, which can be found in select stores and online on Whole Foods Market on Amazon, are committed to giving opportunity through microcredit to the world’s impoverished entrepreneurs for the chance to create or expand a business, often home-based, to generate income for themselves and their families.
During Women’s History Month, Whole Planet Foundation and sponsors like Honey Mama's are helping to alleviate global poverty, celebrate the achievements of women entrepreneurs and collectively raise $50,000 to support them with microcredit.
Since 2011, SAMBAZON has donated $410,975 to Whole Planet Foundation to fund 9,795 microloans and created 53,392 opportunities for low-income entrepreneurs – mostly women. We welcome SAMBAZON this year to the $25,000 Poverty is Unnecessary Fund and look forward to continuing our work together towards our collective mission of empowering people to change their own lives.
Shennel Fuller is the Founder and CEO of Miles and Milan. Miles and Milan is alleviating poverty through Whole Planet Foundation, a Whole Foods Market non-profit. Shennel Fuller worked for major fashion retail brands for over 15 years with a focus on adult apparel, footwear, and accessories.
Each quarter Whole Planet Foundation compiles field metrics from our microfinance partners who are collecting from and disbursing to low-income entrepreneurs living in countries where Whole Foods Market sources products. With a small loan - the current average first loan size is $174 - an impoverished entrepreneur has the opportunity to create or expand a business, often home-based, and generate income for herself and her family.
by Stephanie Manciagli, Regional Director for the Americas & Caribbean
Blog
Whole Planet Foundation is a Whole Foods Market non-profit dedicated to alleviating global poverty through microcredit. Just before the end-of-year holidays and the rapid spread of the Omicron variant in December 2021, Whole Planet Foundation visited Friendship Bridge in Guatemala to celebrate the launch of our second project. The Kasperick Foundation, which provided $300,000 as loan capital for the project, joined the field visit to see the impact of their generous funding.
In the first days of 2022, Whole Planet Foundation approved its 1st new project of the year, after having closed 2021 with 21 new projects. Despite operational challenges and a continued cash flow crunch this past year, due to the pandemic, Whole Planet Foundation remained committed to creating new opportunities for entry-level borrowers to access business credit.
