Stanford Social Innovation Review: Small Firms Are Still a Big Missed Opportunity in Development Philanthropy
Stanford Social Innovation Review: Small Firms Are Still a Big Missed Opportunity in Development Philanthropy
October 28, 2024| Building Markets
This month, Radha Rajkotia, Elizabeth Brown, and Allison Anderson penned an article for the Stanford Social Innovation Review (SSIR) exploring why philanthropy still hesitates to support small and medium-size enterprises in low- and middle-income countries—and what can be done to increase investments.
In the past 10 years, overseas development aid supporting SMEs has risen from 1% to 3%—a tiny amount. And the list of US and European private foundations that have a primary focus on SME growth is extremely small, just over a dozen. But by unlocking more philanthropic dollars for SME growth, we can leverage market-based solutions to address poverty and economic vulnerability—a win-win for all.
Read the full article here.