Grameen Foundation USA
Public records show a registered, tax-exempt organization in good standing.
What it says it does
GRAMEEN FOUNDATION USA (GRAMEEN) IS COMMITTED TO BREAKING THE CYCLE OF POVERTY BY SUPPORTING WOMEN AND UNDERSERVED COMMUNITIES WITH THE RESOURCES THEY NEED TO THRIVE. OUR INNOVATIVE PROGRAMS ARE DESIGNED TO PROVIDE INDIVIDUALS, ESPECIALLY WOMEN, WITH ACCESS TO FINANCIAL SERVICES, TECHNOLOGY, AND KNOWLEDGE, ENABLING THEM TO BUILD SUSTAINABLE LIVELIHOODS. THROUGH A UNIQUE BLEND OF TECHNOLOGY-DRIVEN SOLUTIONS AND LOCALLY-LED INTERVENTIONS, GRAMEEN CONTINUES TO FOSTER ECONOMIC RESILIENCE, FINANCIAL INCLUSION, AND SOCIAL CHANGE IN SOME OF THE MOST VULNERABLE REGIONS OF THE WORLD. SIGNATURE PROGRAMS ARE CENTERED AROUND WOMEN ENTREPRENEURS, SMALLHOLDER FARMERS, AND YOUNG WOMEN, EXECUTED THROUGH OUR ABILITY TO INNOVATE, ADAPT TO EMERGING CHALLENGES, AND BUILD STRONGER, MORE RESILIENT COMMUNITIES.
- Income
- $8.4 million
- Spending
- $8.0 million
- Spent on programs
- 64%
- Reserves
- 3.4 months of spending
- Largest source of income
- donations and private grants, 70%
- Employees
- 22
- Volunteers
- 215
- Highest pay
- $307,420, president & ceo
Source: Form 990 for the year ending June 30, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Financial health
Fair: 68 out of 100. Higher than 35% of charities in its peer group (international, $1m to $10m).
Reserves
20 of 35Spendable reserves would cover 3.4 months of spending.
Debt
10 of 20It owes 48% of what it owns.
Living within its means
15 of 15Income exceeded spending by 5% of income.
Income trend
15 of 15Income rose 6% on the year before.
Spending floor
8 of 1564% of spending went to programs and raising each dollar of donations cost 3 cents.
Source: Form 990 for the year ending June 30, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Governance
Strong: 100 out of 100. Higher than 65% of charities in its peer group (international, $1m to $10m).
Independent board
25 of 2513 of 13 voting board members are independent.
Conflict of interest policy
15 of 15Has a written conflict of interest policy.
Whistleblower policy
8 of 8Has a written whistleblower policy.
Record keeping policy
7 of 7Has a written policy on keeping and destroying records.
Board minutes
5 of 5Keeps minutes of board meetings.
Board sees the tax return
10 of 10Gave the board a copy of this return before filing it.
Pay set independently
5 of 5Sets its chief executive's pay through independent review and comparison.
Independent check of accounts
15 of 15Its accounts were audited by an independent accountant.
No reported misuse
10 of 10Reports no diversion of assets, excess benefits or loans to insiders.
Source: Form 990 for the year ending June 30, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Impact evidence
Describes programs. Its tax return describes what it does but we have found no measurable results in it.
Programs described in its return (5)
- $2.9 million spent. INVESTHER: HOLISTIC PROGRAMMING FOR WOMEN ENTREPRENEURS: IN FY25, GRAMEEN FOUNDATION USA (GRAMEEN) LED PROGRAMS FOCUSED ON SUPPORTING PRIMARILY WOMEN ENTREPRENEURS AND YOUNG WOMEN WITH INCREASED ABILITY TO GROW INCOME, AGENCY, AND RESILIENCE. ONE KEY AREA OF GRAMEEN'S PROGRAMMING FOCUSES ON REFUGEES IN UGANDA, WHERE INTERVENTIONS LED TO INCREASED INCOME AND DRAMATICALLY DECREASED INTEREST RATES ON LOANS TO SUPPORT ENTREPRENEURSHIP. DURING THE PROJECT PERIOD, GRAMEEN SUCCESSFULLY EXPANDED ACCESS TO FORMAL FINANCIAL SERVICES BY ENGAGING NEW PRIVATE SECTOR PARTNERS AND SUPPORTING PILOTS WITH EXISTING FINANCIAL SERVICE PROVIDERS. THE PROJECT EXCEEDED ALL TARGETS FOR THE NUMBER OF PEOPLE REACHED AND TOTAL FINANCING WAS MOBILIZED, DIRECTLY REACHING 13,559 PARTICIPANTS - 98% OF THE LIFE-OF-ACTIVITY GOAL. FINANCE MOBILIZATION ENABLED PARTICIPANTS TO LAUNCH AND GROW BUSINESSES, WITH 96% REPORTING EARNED INCOME - A 43% INCREASE FROM BASELINE. GRAMEEN ALSO EXCEEDED OUTREACH TARGETS FOR WOMEN AND YOUTH, AND STRENGTHENED FINANCIAL CONFIDENCE THROUGH ITS FINANCIAL LITERACY TRAININGS, AS VALIDATED BY QUALITATIVE RESEARCH.ADDITIONALLY, GRAMEEN'S SIGNATURE PROGRAMMING USED COMMUNITY AND HOUSEHOLD DIALOGS TO DRIVE BEHAVIOR CHANGE. IN FY25 JUST IN GHANA AND NIGERIA, GRAMEEN CREATED 11,781 MALE CHAMPIONS TO SUPPORT THEIR WIVES IN ENTREPRENEURSHIP AND SAVING BEHAVIORS.
- $1.0 million spent. STRENGTHENING ORGANIZATIONS: OUR SKILLED VOLUNTEER CORE IS MAKING AN IMPACT IN ORGANIZATIONS THROUGHOUT THE WORLD, PROVIDING INSIGHT, TOOLS AND RESOURCES TO MAKE LOCAL NON-PROFIT ORGANIZATIONS, SOCIAL ENTERPRISES, AND SMALL BUSINESSES MORE IMPACTFUL AND RESILIENT. FROM JULY 01, 2024, TO JUNE 30, 2025, WE HAVE DEPLOYED 208 VOLUNTEERS TO PROVIDE VOLUNTEER CONSULTING SUPPORT TO 36 HOST ORGANIZATIONS IN 5 COUNTRIES: THE UNITED STATES, THE PHILIPPINES, INDIA, GHANA AND UGANDA. WE ARE SLOWLY INCREASING OUR US PRESENCE AND HAVE SERVED 23 MICROENTERPRISES IN THE US ALONE. THE VOLUNTEERS CONTRIBUTED A TOTAL OF 12,990 HOURS, AN EQUIVALENT OF USD $2,311,178 OF IN-KIND SERVICES. TODAY, BANKERS WITHOUT BORDERS CONSISTS OF 27,632 VOLUNTEERS. SINCE OUR INCEPTION 17 YEARS AGO, WE HAVE SERVED 396 CLIENT ORGANIZATIONS IN 41 COUNTRIES AND VOLUNTEERS HAVE PROVIDED USD 35.1M OF IN-KIND SERVICES.GRAMEEN FOUNDATION USA (GRAMEEN) BUILDS UP THE INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT SYSTEMS THAT SUPPORT MILLIONS OF WOMEN AND GIRLS AS THEY WORK THEIR WAY OUT OF POVERTY. WE FOCUS ON EQUIPPING LOCAL ORGANIZATIONS, STAKEHOLDERS, AND FINANCIAL PROVIDERS WITH ACCESSIBLE TECHNOLOGY AND TRAINING TO HELP THEM SERVICE MARGINALIZED FAMILIES. WE DO THIS THROUGH PROGRAMMATIC WORK AS WELL AS THROUGH OUR WHOLLY OWNED SUBSIDIARY, TAROWORKS, WHICH PROVIDES AN OFFLINE MOBILE APP BUILDER ALLOWING NONPROFITS AND SOCIAL ENTERPRISES TO EMPOWER FRONTLINE AGENTS WITH INFORMATION CAPITAL AND MAKE DATA-DRIVEN DECISIONS. IN FY25, TAROWORKS WORKED WITH 48 ORGANIZATIONS EMPOWERING OVER 8,000 FRONTLINE AGENTS WITH DIGITAL TOOLS TO TOUCH THE LIVES OF OVER 13 MILLION PEOPLE IN THEIR COMMUNITIES TO PROVIDE CRITICAL SERVICES AND PRODUCTS.
- $955,540 spent. TOGETHER WE GROW: HOLISTIC PROGRAMMING FOR SMALLHOLDER FARMERS: IN FY25, GRAMEEN FOUNDATION USA (GRAMEEN) CONTINUED ITS WORK TO HELP SMALLHOLDER FARMERS, ESPECIALLY WOMEN, REDUCE THEIR VULNERABILITY TO SHOCKS SUCH AS CLIMATE CHANGE, CROP DISEASES, PESTS, AND MARKET VULNERABILITY WITH 4 PROJECTS PRIMARILY FOCUSED ON AGRICULTURE. AGRIPATH IS A 5-YEAR ACTION-RESEARCH PROJECT SPANNING FIVE COUNTRIES, WHICH AIMS TO PROVIDE GLOBAL, LOCAL IMPLEMENTING AND RESEARCH PARTNERS EVIDENCE AS TO WHAT THE MOST CRITICAL LEVERS ARE FOR DIGITAL AGRICULTURAL ADVISORY SERVICES (DAS) TO REACH SMALLHOLDERS - INCLUDING LEVERAGING COMMUNITY-BASED AGENTS (CBAS). GRAMEEN GENERATED A TOOLKIT FOR DAS PROVIDERS TO SUPPORT THEM TO BUILD AND/OR ENABLE CBA NETWORKS TO REACH SMALLHOLDERS EFFECTIVELY, AS WELL AS A DAS SCALING FRAMEWORK TO FURTHER ENABLE THE DAS ECOSYSTEM - PUBLIC AND PRIVATE - AND TO GIVE SERVICE PROVIDERS AN UNDERSTANDING OF THE IMPORTANCE OF HAVING A SUSTAINABLE BUSINESS MODEL. IN THE PHILIPPINES, WE HAVE TWO AGRICULTURE-CENTRIC PROJECTS FOCUSED ON THE COCONUT VALUE CHAIN. (1) WE HAVE BEEN WORKING WITH COCONUT SMALLHOLDER FARMERS FOR ONE DECADE NOW AS GRAMEEN! THE SUSTAINABLE COCONUT PROJECT (SCP) ENGAGES A TOTAL OF 12 COOPERATIVES, 2 PARTNER OIL MILLS AND OVER 7,000 ACTIVE SMALLHOLDER COPRA (DRIED COCONUT MEAT) FARMERS. IN FY25, COOPERATIVES AND FARMERS ADOPTED THE NEW TRAINING WE INTRODUCED ON COPRA QUALITY AND VOLUME AS WELL AS CLIMATE ADAPTATION STRATEGIES, RESULTING IN IMPROVED PRICE POINTS FROM THE MILLS. (2) THE COPRA CAPACITY DEVELOPMENT PROJECT IS THE SECOND PROJECT, AND IT PROVIDES 5 OF THE 12 SCP COOPERATIVES PRE-INVESTMENT TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE. BY SUPPORTING AND STRENGTHENING THE COOPERATIVES TO DEVELOP THEIR SHORT AND LONG-TERM BUSINESS PLANS, AND TO GENERATE CATALYST AWARD PROPOSALS FOR THE ASSETS REQUIRED FOR THEIR GROWTH, WE ARE PROVIDING THEM WITH THE SKILLS REQUIRED TO BECOME BANKABLE, INVESTABLE ENTITIES. IN FY25, WE COMPLETED THE CATALYST AWARD PROCESS WITH THE COOPERATIVES. IN INDIA, GRAMEEN CONTINUED TO ENGAGE 47 FARMER PRODUCER ORGANIZATIONS (FPOS) ACROSS TWO STATES, REACHING OVER 40,000 SMALLHOLDER FARMERS IN FY25. THE PROJECT AIMS TO STRENGTHEN THE FPOS' INCLUSIVE BUSINESS LINES THAT STRENGTHEN WOMEN SMALLHOLDER FARMER MEMBERS' INCOMES AND RESILIENCE. IN FY25, THE HUB AND SPOKE FPO (COLLABORATION) MODEL BEING TRIALED FOR GREATER AGGREGATION/VOLUME, MARKET ACCESS, INPUT ACCESS AND FINANCIAL ACCESS SHOWED SUCCESS WHEN THE FPOS TRADED GREATER TOMATO (A WOMAN-FRIENDLY VALUE CHAIN) VOLUME THAN YEARS PAST AND WERE ABLE TO REACH A LARGER MARKET FOR A HIGHER PRICE. SIMILARLY, IN FY25, A VERTICAL INTEGRATION MODEL (COLLABORATION WHERE EACH FPO PLAYS A CRUCIAL PRODUCTION ROLE; THE MODEL CANNOT EXIST WITHOUT EACH FPO) WAS DESIGNED AND IS BEING TRIALED.
- $69,606 spent. REGIONAL PROGRAMS: IN TOTAL GRAMEEN FOUNDATION USA (GRAMEEN) ENGAGED 58 LOCAL PARTNERS ACROSS ALL PROGRAMS, AND THEY HAVE ALSO BEEN TRAINED ON GENDER-BASED VIOLENCE MITIGATION RESOURCES, AND TOGETHER WE'RE ADDRESSING HARMFUL CULTURAL PRACTICES THAT RESULT IN GENDER-BASED VIOLENCE.GRAMEEN (WITH FREEDOM FROM HUNGER AS A SUPPORTING ORGANIZATION) SERVES POOR COMMUNITIES IN ASIA, LATIN AMERICA, AND SUB-SAHARAN AFRICA. IN INDIA, WE WORK THROUGH OUR WHOLLY-OWNED SUBSIDIARY, GRAMEEN FOUNDATION INDIA PRIVATE LIMITED. WE ARE ALSO PARTNERS IN A JOINT VENTURE, GRAMEEN CAPITAL INDIA. IN FY25, WE HAD ACTIVE PROJECTS IN HAITI, MEXICO, NIGERIA, BENIN, ARGENTINA, GHANA, GUATEMALA, HONDURAS, INDIA, PHILIPPINES, SENEGAL, UGANDA, PALAU, NAURU, TUVALU, BURKINA FASO, TANZANIA, AND NEPAL AND THE MARSHALL ISLANDS.PROGRAM SAFE: GRAMEEN FOUNDATION USA (GRAMEEN) LAUNCHED PROGRAM SAFE IN FY25, A COMPREHENSIVE STRATEGY AIMED AT RAISING AWARENESS, DEVELOPING TOOLS AND STANDARDS, AND BUILDING A GLOBAL COALITION TO SAFEGUARD AGAINST FINANCIAL ABUSE IN ALL ITS FORMS. GRAMEEN IS UNIQUELY POISED TO BUILD THIS COALITION FOR CHANGE BECAUSE OF OUR WORK AT THE INTERSECTION OF FINANCIAL INCLUSION AND WOMEN LIVING IN POVERTY SINCE 1997. THROUGH A GRANT, WE WERE ABLE TO IMPLEMENT THE FIRST ACTION RESEARCH PROJECT TO UNDERSTAND THE MAGNITUDE AND LESSONS LEARNED FROM THE US, AUSTRALIAN AND EUROPEAN MARKETS. THIS RESEARCH RESULTED IN ROUNDTABLE EVENTS AND PLAYBOOK WHICH MAPS OUT THE ROLE THAT FINANCIAL INSTITUTIONS CAN PLAY IN PREVENTING FINANCIAL ABUSE. THROUGH ANOTHER GRANT WE WERE ABLE TO COMPLETE ADDITIONAL RESEARCH AND TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE IN BENIN. MOVING FORWARD THIS WILL BE AN IMPORTANT AREA OF GLOBAL PROGRAMMING AS WELL AS THE MOVEMENT WE WANT TO INSPIRE. WE WILL TAKE THESE LESSONS LEARNED TO PILOT IN THE DEVELOPING COUNTRIES WE HAVE WORKED IN FOR DECADES TO TRANSLATE THESE TO THE MICROFINANCE AND COOPERATIVE SECTORS.
- $151,182 spent. PUBLIC EDUCATION: IN FY25, GRAMEEN FOUNDATION USA RAISED PUBLIC AWARENESS ABOUT SUCCESSFUL POVERTY EFFORTS THROUGH IN-PERSON EVENTS, WEBINARS, BLOGS, SOCIAL MEDIA POSTS, AND PRINT AND EMAIL PUBLICATIONS, PLUS SPEAKING ENGAGEMENTS BY OUR CEO AND OTHER LEADERSHIP.
Source: Form 990 for the year ending June 30, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Legitimacy checks
Is it registered with the IRS? Passed.
Listed in the IRS master file of tax-exempt organizations as a 501(c)(3) charitable organization.
Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated October 13, 2026.
Has the IRS revoked its tax-exempt status? Passed.
Not on the IRS automatic revocation list.
Source: Automatic revocation of exemption list, Internal Revenue Service, file dated November 6, 2026.
Are donations tax-deductible? Passed.
On the IRS list of organizations eligible to receive tax-deductible contributions.
Source: Publication 78 data: organizations eligible for tax-deductible contributions, Internal Revenue Service, file dated October 13, 2026.
Is it keeping up with its IRS filings? Passed.
Most recent return on file covers the year ending June 2025.
Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated October 13, 2026.
How long has it been tax-exempt? Passed.
Recognized by the IRS since December 1996.
Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated October 13, 2026.
Is it in good standing with state regulators? Passed.
Not on California's list of charities barred from soliciting. Other states are not yet checked.
Source: May Not Operate or Solicit for Charitable Purposes list, California Attorney General, Registry of Charities and Fundraisers, file dated November 4, 2026.
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