Economic Development - Hope for Haiti

Intelligence and ability are equally distributed throughout the world, but access to economic opportunity is not. Roughly three-quarters of Haitians are either unemployed or trying to make ends meet in the informal economy, and 75% of Haiti’s people live in abject poverty. For the entrepreneurs and businesses that do operate in Haiti, access to financing and start-up funding is extremely difficult to obtain thanks to Haiti’s economic situation.

In order to reduce inequality and promote Haitian economic development in building an inclusive and cohesive society, Hope for Haiti invests in social entrepreneurs and businesses by making loans and grants. We believe that a well-established social entrepreneurship program in Haiti helps to enhance its sustainable development programs and create more jobs not only for youth but also for other marginalized populations around the country.

Our economic development investments are targeted to support the social and economic development of education, healthcare, sustainable agriculture, technology, renewable energy, gender equality, and eco-tourism.

Program Areas

Grants

Hope for Haiti makes grants of up to $30,000 to support social business start-ups and entrepreneurs.

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Loans

Hope for Haiti makes loans of up to $50,000 (up to $100,000 by invitation only) to support social business start-ups and entrepreneurs.

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Micro-Loans

Hope for Haiti makes small loans of up to $3,000 to support rural farming cooperatives and rural businesses. Submission of application is by invitation only.

Economy Challenge

Hope for Haiti holds an annual Economy Challenge which invites entrepreneurs working within Hope for Haiti’s core impact areas of Education, Clean Energy & Environment, Food Security, Healthcare & Nutrition, Eco-tourism, and Technology to present their ideas to a panel of judges comprised of Haitian nationals and other Hope for Haiti partners.

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