During Women’s History Month, Whole Planet Foundation and sponsors are helping to alleviate global poverty, celebrate the achievements of women entrepreneurs and collectively raise $50,000 to support them with microcredit.

Whole Planet Foundation is a Whole Foods Market non-profit dedicated to alleviating poverty in the United States and around the globe. Microcredit is small loans – usually less than $200 – provided to low-income entrepreneurs, mostly women, for the chance to create or expand a business, often home-based. Since 2005, Whole Planet Foundation has disbursed $97 million through our network of microfinance partners in 80 countries, funding 5.7 million loans creating 29 million opportunities for impoverished entrepreneurs to generate income to lift up themselves and their families.

Thanks to sponsors, online proceeds benefit microcredit clients around the globe. Sponsors powering this online activation in honor of International Women’s Day include Gold Sponsors Honey Mama’s, Miles and Milan and Southern Elegance Candle Company (with support from Amazon) and Ripple Foods; Silver Sponsor Pact; Bronze Sponsors Coconut King, Primal Kitchen and Shoes For Crews and Gift Card Sponsors AOK Fund, Luxury Travel Hackers and Traditional Medicinals.

Online participants can help fund a microcredit client like Microserfin’s Ines in Panama with the chance to generate income through her own hard work and talent! A one-time donation of $25 goes a long way to helping an entrepreneur lift her family out of poverty, one loan at a time, sustainably and with dignity. Participants can also create or join an online fundraising team to raise an average-sized first loan amount of $174: seven people can raise a full loan with each donating $25. Give with confidence as Whole Foods Market covers 100 percent of Whole Planet Foundation’s operating costs, so every donation benefits microcredit clients.

Whole Planet Foundation Regional Director of the Americas & the Caribbean, Stephanie Manciagli, shares this about her time with Microserfin in Panama: “Visiting clients in Changuinola, where the majority of Whole Planet Foundation funds are revolving, it was evident that Microserfin is serving a population that has no adequate alternatives for business loans. It was interesting that many clients mentioned that working with Microserfin allowed them not only to launch or grow their businesses (like a small grocery kiosk or a food vending business), but also to provide their remote neighborhoods a service not available elsewhere for many miles. Whole Planet Foundation has provided Microserfin with $1 million since 2014. Just within the last few years, their growing commitment to offering small loans has been impressive. They have grown their sub-$1,000 loans from 7.9 percent to 12.06 percent in that time, as part of their Rural Women’s initiative.“

Whole Planet Foundation’s activation goal of $50,000 will fund about 285 average first-sized microloans, creating approximately 1,450 opportunities for women entrepreneurs and their family members to generate income.

Participants are invited to learn more about microcredit. During March 1-31, new subscribers to the Whole Planet Foundation e-newsletter will be automatically entered in Whole Planet Foundation’s Win Groceries for a Year Sweepstakes. Prizes include a grand prize of $5,000 in Whole Foods Market gift cards, plus first, second, and third prizes generously provided by Pact, Miles and Milan, Shoes For Crews and Traditional Medicinals. See Official Rules here. Valid in U.S. only.

Learn more at wholeplanetfoundation.org, subscribe to our e-newsletter here and donate to fund women entrepreneurs here. Many thanks and Happy Women’s History Month!