Economic Development

Intelligence and ability are equally distributed throughout the world, but access to economic opportunity is not. We are working to change that in Haiti.

Intelligence and ability are equally distributed throughout the world, but access to economic opportunity is not. We are working to change that in Haiti. 

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. 

In order to reduce inequality and promote economic growth 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 investments are targeted to support the social and economic development of education, healthcare, sustainable agriculture, renewable energy, gender equality, and eco-tourism. 

Program Areas:

  1. Grants: Hope for Haiti makes grants of up to $30,000 to support social business start-ups and entrepreneurs. 
  2. Loans: Hope for Haiti makes loans of up to $100,000 to support social business start-ups and entrepreneurs. 
  3. Micro-loans: Hope for Haiti makes small loans of up to $5,000 to support rural farming cooperatives and rural businesses.