Mildred Robbins Leet, co-founder of Trickle Up and an activist who devoted her life to improving the lives of people all over the world, passed away on May 3.
Mrs. Leet is best known as the co-founder of Trickle Up, a global poverty organization that enables some of the world’s poorest and most vulnerable women to, as she phrased it, “help themselves from the ground up.” Trickle Up’s chief executive for over 20 years and Board Chair until 2006, she continued as Board Chair Emerita until her passing.
A born entrepreneur, Mrs. Leet dedicated her enormous energy and unwavering optimism to a wide range of organizations that she helped found or lead, including the US Committee for the United Nations Development Fund for Women (UNIFEM), United Cerebral Palsy, Metropolitan College of New York, and InterAction, the association for US humanitarian and development organizations. Active in Democratic politics and civil rights, she was proud to have stood on the speaker’s platform for Martin Luther King’s “I Have A Dream” speech in 1963.
With her husband Glen Leet, she started Trickle Up in 1979 on the belief that “nothing empowers an individual to achieve their dreams more than the trust and encouragement of another human being.” Run from the Leets’ basement for many years, the organization provided seed capital grants and training to help women start small enterprises as a way to increase their income and assets, gain skills and build confidence. Trickle Up’s name embodied its poverty-alleviation strategy and was a sly riposte to the notion of “trickle down economics” – that the best way to help the poor was to provide tax breaks to the rich. Trickle Up has helped more than 200,000 people in dozens of countries build sustainable livelihoods, improving the lives of over 1 million people.
Among the many honors she received, Mrs. Leet was chosen along with Mother Theresa and Wangari Maathi to receive theWomen of the World Award from Princess Diana in 1989. In 1995, InterAction created the Mildred Robbins Leet Award to recognize her enduring dedication to raising awareness on gender issues.
Mrs. Leet, who was born in 1922, was married to Louis J. Robbins from 1940 until his death in 1970 and to Glen Leet from 1974 until his death in 1998. She is survived by her brother Lawrence Elow, her daughters Jane Marla Robbins and Aileen Robbins, granddaughter Ariel Fantasia, and great-granddaughter Sage Price Fantasia.
A memorial service was held on Friday, May 6, at 11:45 am at Riverside Memorial Chapel, 76th St. and Amsterdam Avenue, New York City. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Trickle Up (TrickleUp.org/MildredRobbinsLeetFund) and Metropolitan College of New York (www.mcny.edu).
Share your memories and condolences by clicking here.
Questions? Please direct them to [email protected].
Among the many honors she received, Mrs. Leet was chosen along with Mother Theresa and Wangari Maathi to receive theWomen of the World Award from Princess Diana in 1989. In 1995, InterAction created the Mildred Robbins Leet Award to recognize her enduring dedication to raising awareness on gender issues.
Mrs. Leet, who was born in 1922, was married to Louis J. Robbins from 1940 until his death in 1970 and to Glen Leet from 1974 until his death in 1998. She is survived by her brother Lawrence Elow, her daughters Jane Marla Robbins and Aileen Robbins, granddaughter Ariel Fantasia, and great-granddaughter Sage Price Fantasia.
A memorial service was held on Friday, May 6, at 11:45 am at Riverside Memorial Chapel, 76th St. and Amsterdam Avenue, New York City. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Trickle Up (TrickleUp.org/MildredRobbinsLeetFund) and Metropolitan College of New York (www.mcny.edu).
Share your memories and condolences by clicking here.
Questions? Please direct them to [email protected].
