A Note on the Founding of Trickle Up
When Glen and I founded Trickle Up in 1979, our mission—above all else—was to give people living in extreme poverty an opportunity to help themselves from the ground up.
We knew from our own experience that nothing empowers an individual to achieve their dreams more than the trust and encouragement of another human being.
Many of us remember the economic philosophy of that time, which suggested that if you invest in business at the highest level of society, the benefits would eventually trickle down to the rest of the population. Even foreign aid distribution, for all its good intentions, operated from the same perspective. Yet we watched the poor getting poorer while the rich benefited tremendously from this approach. It wasn’t working, and communities around the world were suffering as a result.
How do we reach the poorest of the poor? Glen and I asked ourselves this question as we traveled internationally, meeting families who were surviving precariously on the equivalent of less than $1 a day. Many of them—the women in particular—possessed both the skills and the courage to start a small business, but lacked the practical means to do so.
Together, we came up with a simple model. We would provide very poor women and men with seed funding in the form of a small grant and basic training on how to grow the business—supplemented in recent years by introducing savings groups to help people build capital. Trickle Up would put into practice what our fieldwork had taught us over and over again: Investing in individuals at the grassroots level is the most powerful antidote to extreme poverty.
"Our methodology was relatively unheard of at the time, and a lot of people thought we were kidding ourselves." They said our grants weren’t enough to help the poor build sustainable livelihoods. They said we’d be giving away money and we’d never see a return on our investment.
Thankfully, the two of us were stubborn enough to persist! We believed that for those whose daily survival was at risk, a $100 grant—and a good dose of confidence—might make all the difference. We had witnessed the transformation of spirit in a person who was suddenly entrusted not only with money but also with faith.
We learned that, ultimately, self worth is the first step out of poverty.
Three decades later, I am extremely proud to share Trickle Up’s success and our continuing accomplishments with you. I am also deeply grateful to those who have made our work possible over the past 30 years—from a tireless and devoted staff to a host of generous contributors who, like Glen and me, believe in the timeless values upon which our organization was built.
We have all witnessed profound social, economic and political changes in our country, and in those we serve, since Trickle Up began. As our landscape continues to shift, I can assure you that our mission will remain steadfast. Together, with determination and hope, we will create a world free of extreme poverty.
~ Mildred Robbins Leet, Co-Founder and Board Chair Emerita of Trickle Up
We knew from our own experience that nothing empowers an individual to achieve their dreams more than the trust and encouragement of another human being.
Many of us remember the economic philosophy of that time, which suggested that if you invest in business at the highest level of society, the benefits would eventually trickle down to the rest of the population. Even foreign aid distribution, for all its good intentions, operated from the same perspective. Yet we watched the poor getting poorer while the rich benefited tremendously from this approach. It wasn’t working, and communities around the world were suffering as a result.
How do we reach the poorest of the poor? Glen and I asked ourselves this question as we traveled internationally, meeting families who were surviving precariously on the equivalent of less than $1 a day. Many of them—the women in particular—possessed both the skills and the courage to start a small business, but lacked the practical means to do so.
Together, we came up with a simple model. We would provide very poor women and men with seed funding in the form of a small grant and basic training on how to grow the business—supplemented in recent years by introducing savings groups to help people build capital. Trickle Up would put into practice what our fieldwork had taught us over and over again: Investing in individuals at the grassroots level is the most powerful antidote to extreme poverty.
"Our methodology was relatively unheard of at the time, and a lot of people thought we were kidding ourselves." They said our grants weren’t enough to help the poor build sustainable livelihoods. They said we’d be giving away money and we’d never see a return on our investment.
Thankfully, the two of us were stubborn enough to persist! We believed that for those whose daily survival was at risk, a $100 grant—and a good dose of confidence—might make all the difference. We had witnessed the transformation of spirit in a person who was suddenly entrusted not only with money but also with faith.
We learned that, ultimately, self worth is the first step out of poverty.
Three decades later, I am extremely proud to share Trickle Up’s success and our continuing accomplishments with you. I am also deeply grateful to those who have made our work possible over the past 30 years—from a tireless and devoted staff to a host of generous contributors who, like Glen and me, believe in the timeless values upon which our organization was built.
We have all witnessed profound social, economic and political changes in our country, and in those we serve, since Trickle Up began. As our landscape continues to shift, I can assure you that our mission will remain steadfast. Together, with determination and hope, we will create a world free of extreme poverty.
~ Mildred Robbins Leet, Co-Founder and Board Chair Emerita of Trickle Up
Mildred with Sonia Trottman, one of Trickle Up's first participants in Dominica in 1979.
Mildred visiting Sonia in 1989, now the proud owner of a general store in her town.
Mildred with Sonia at Trickle Up's 25th Anniversary Gala in 2004. Sonia's business was such a success she was able to send her daughter to London for university.
