Analysis: Small Firms Are Still a Big Missed Opportunity in Development Philanthropy
By Radha Rajkotia, Elizabeth Brown & Allison J. Anderson
It’s old news, by now, that there is little investment in programs that help small and medium enterprises (SMEs) grow in low- and middle-income countries. Almost 10 years ago, an article in this magazine called for more SME funding, revealing that only 1 percent of overseas development aid goes toward supporting them. Since then that allocation has increased to 3 percent. But when we look at philanthropy in the US and Europe, the list of private foundations that have a primary focus on SME growth is extremely small, just over a dozen.
Photo courtesy of Liza Summer.
Source: Stanford Social Innovation Review (link opens in a new window)
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