Trickle Up
Trickle Up is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 1979 that partners with women in extreme poverty across Latin America, South Asia, and Africa, delivering the Graduation Approach — seed capital, savings groups, coaching, and skills training — supported by its Coach Up digital ecosystem and a network of foundation, corporate, and government donors.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1979
- HeadquartersNew York, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What Trickle Up does
Trickle Up Program Inc. is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded in 1979 and headquartered in New York City. It partners with women living in extreme poverty (under $2.15/day) to build sustainable livelihoods and economic inclusion, primarily through the Graduation Approach — a time-bound (24-36 month) methodology combining seed capital transfers, savings group formation, coaching, skills training, and market linkages. Programs target four primary personas: women in extreme poverty (primary), refugees and displaced persons, Indigenous peoples, and people with disabilities. Operational reach spans 19+ countries across Latin America (Mexico, Guatemala, Colombia), South Asia (India), East Africa (Uganda), and refugee contexts (Burkina Faso, Ecuador, Egypt, Zambia).
The organization has built a digital product portfolio to support its field operations. Its core technology platform is Coach Up, a digital coaching ecosystem comprising a mobile app and web platform with offline functionality, a content management system for rapid localization, and AI-driven participant prioritization to help coaches decide where to focus support. Complementary products include the Package of Practice (PoP) App for India's MPowered program (delivering agriculture, livestock, market price, and bookkeeping content) and Camino, a coaching application for Colombia operations.
Trickle Up's revenue model is donations and grants from foundations, corporations, governments, and individuals. Key funding partners include MetLife Foundation (Flagship partner for FUERTE and CRECE), USAID, Cisco Foundation, Whole Planet Foundation, Tata Communications, UNFCU Foundation, Hilton Foundation, and Pilot Lighters Foundation. Programs are delivered via direct implementation by regional offices (New York, Kolkata, Mexico City, Guatemala City, Bogota) and through implementing partners (PREM, BRLF, AVSI, Fundalachua) and government collaborations (e.g., India's NRLM). Since inception, Trickle Up has reached 485,000+ participants and 2.4 million lives across 19+ countries, with documented outcomes including an 80% participant retention rate and a 10:1 social return on investment in the MPowered program.
Trickle Up firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Trickle Up
- Legal name
- Trickle Up Program Inc.
- Website
- https://trickleup.org
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1979
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Trickle Up is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 1979 that partners with women in extreme poverty across Latin America, South Asia, and Africa, delivering the Graduation Approach — seed capital, savings groups, coaching, and skills training — supported by its Coach Up digital ecosystem and a network of foundation, corporate, and government donors.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Trickle Up industry classification
Industry- Product category
- International Development / Poverty Alleviation Services
- NAICS
- Business, Professional, Labor, Political, and Similar Organizations (8139)
- SIC
- Services-Social Services (8300)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Financial Inclusion & Consumer Empowerment (Banking Access, Credit Building) (BPAGALAJ)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Dislocated Worker & Rapid Response / Reemployment Programs (EDAAAOAF), STEM, Digital Literacy & Maker Education Nonprofits (BPAGADAG)
Keywords
Where Trickle Up is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- New York
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices5 records
Markets served
Trickle Up business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Donations and Grants: As a nonprofit organization, Trickle Up generates revenue through donations from individuals, foundations, corporations, and government/multilateral sources. The organization is funded by major foundations, corporate partners, individual donors, and government grants to support its economic inclusion programs.
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels6 records
Trickle Up product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Trickle Up is a nonprofit organization that partners with women living in extreme poverty to build sustainable livelihoods through its Graduation Approach methodology. Programs combine seed capital grants, savings group formation, life and business skills coaching, and digital tools (Coach Up, Camino, Package of Practice app) delivered over a 24-36 month period. Services are provided at no cost to participants across Latin America, South Asia, and Africa, funded by foundations, corporations, governments, and individual donors.
Product overview
Trickle Up operates a portfolio of economic inclusion programs based on the Graduation Approach, combining coaching, savings groups, seed capital transfers, and digital tools. The core product suite includes Coach Up (a digital coaching ecosystem with mobile app and web platform), Camino (coaching app for Colombia operations), and the Package of Practice (PoP) app for MPowered participants in India). These digital tools are complemented by in-person coaching, savings group facilitation, and livelihood training delivered across Latin America, Asia, and refugee contexts.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- FUERTE: Financial inclusion and economic empowerment project for women in Chiapas and Oaxaca, Mexico, funded by MetLife Foundation and Whole Planet Foundation.
- PROINSA
- CRECE
- MPowered
Products and services
- Graduation Approach Programs Core economic inclusion methodology combining consumption support, skills training, asset/seed capital transfers, savings group facilitation, and coaching to help ultra-poor households build sustainable livelihoods and exit extreme poverty within 24-36 months. Delivered to women in extreme poverty in Latin America, South Asia, and refugee contexts.
- Coach Up
Quantifiable outcome
- 98% of MPowered participants now have savings (up from 59%)
- +4 more outcomes
Companies that use Trickle Up
Customer profileNamed customers5 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Trickle Up technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature3 records
Trickle Up partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core.
- UNHCR (United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees)corePartnership since 2012 to adapt Graduation Approach for refugees globally. Technical support to Graduation pilots in Burkina Faso, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Egypt, and Zambia. Founding member of Poverty Alleviation Coalition.
- World Bank Partnership for Economic InclusioncoreFounding member of Poverty Alleviation Coalition (2019) alongside UNHCR and international NGOs. Aims to increase self-reliance and economic inclusion of refugees through the Graduation Approach.
- PREM (Program for Rural Economies and Development)coreImplementing partner in India for MPowered and other programs in Odisha and Jharkhand.
- BRLF (Bharat Rural Livelihoods Forum)coreImplementing partner in India for livelihood and economic inclusion programs.
- AVSI FoundationcoreImplementing partner for Graduating to Resilience program in Uganda (USAID-funded). Collaboration on refugee programming.
- NRLM (National Rural Livelihoods Mission)coreGovernment partnership in India to integrate graduation approaches into the national rural livelihoods mission.
- Fundacion MetLife MexicocoreImplementation partner for CRECE project in Mexico, collaborating on financial inclusion for Indigenous women.
- QuicksandcoreDesign research partner for Understanding Digital Agency report and MPowered program research, providing user research and design expertise.
- Fondo Mujer Libre y ProductivacoreStrategic alliance with Colombian Vice Presidency's fund to promote women's economic autonomy in Colombia through shared programs and advocacy.
Scale indicators8 records
Recent moves8 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Trickle Up competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- BRAC: BRAC is the world's largest development NGO and a pioneer of the Graduation Approach alongside Trickle Up. It targets extreme poverty through a comparable mix of asset transfers, training, savings groups, and coaching across multiple continents.
- CARE International: CARE is a major international development NGO running women's economic empowerment and ultra-poor programs in Latin America, Asia, and Africa — overlapping with Trickle Up on women-focused economic inclusion targeting.
- Mercy Corps: Mercy Corps is a large international NGO running economic inclusion and humanitarian programs in fragile contexts (including refugee-focused Graduation pilots) — directly comparable to Trickle Up's refugee and resilience programming.
Direct peers
- Heifer International: Heifer International supports ultra-poor households with livestock/agricultural assets, training, and market linkages — overlapping closely with Trickle Up's seed-capital-plus-skills methodology, particularly the MPowered program in India.
- TechnoServe: TechnoServe works with ultra-poor entrepreneurs in developing countries on business training and market linkages — a comparable microenterprise and economic inclusion model, particularly for the rural/agricultural segments Trickle Up serves.
- AVSI Foundation: AVSI implements the USAID-funded Graduating to Resilience program in Uganda as Trickle Up's local partner, with overlapping methodology on Graduation, livelihoods, and refugee programming in low-income contexts.
- Grameen Foundation: Grameen Foundation focuses on poverty alleviation through financial inclusion, microenterprise, and digital tools targeting the ultra-poor — the same underserved segment Trickle Up serves with savings groups and coaching.
- Village Enterprise: Village Enterprise directly implements Graduation Approach programs in Africa for people living in extreme poverty, with very similar methodology (cash grants, training, savings) and target beneficiary profile to Trickle Up.
Emerging players
- Innovations for Poverty Action (IPA): IPA conducts randomized evaluations of poverty programs including Graduation Approach studies and partners with implementers like Trickle Up on evidence generation — a complementary peer in the evidence-based poverty alleviation ecosystem.
Others
- CGAP (Consultative Group to Assist the Poor): CGAP is a global partnership housed at the World Bank focused on financial inclusion for the poor — comparable mission to Trickle Up's financial inclusion mandate, operating more at the policy/research level rather than direct service.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Trickle Up social profiles
Digital presenceTrickle Up financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Trickle Up leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles10 records
Trickle Up funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Trickle Up M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Trickle Up
What does Trickle Up do?
Trickle Up is a nonprofit organization that partners with women living in extreme poverty to build sustainable livelihoods through its Graduation Approach methodology. Programs combine seed capital grants, savings group formation, life and business skills coaching, and digital tools (Coach Up, Camino, Package of Practice app) delivered over a 24-36 month period. Services are provided at no cost to participants across Latin America, South Asia, and Africa, funded by foundations, corporations, governments, and individual donors.
Is Trickle Up a public or private company?
Trickle Up is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was Trickle Up founded?
Trickle Up was founded in 1979. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Trickle Up based?
Trickle Up is headquartered in New York, United States, in the North America region.
How does Trickle Up make money?
One revenue line is on record: donations and Grants.
Who are Trickle Up's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are BRAC, CARE International and Mercy Corps. Direct peers are Heifer International, TechnoServe, AVSI Foundation, Grameen Foundation and Village Enterprise. Innovations for Poverty Action (IPA) is listed as an emerging player. CGAP (Consultative Group to Assist the Poor) is listed as an others.
Does Trickle Up have an API?
No public API is recorded for Trickle Up.
What industry is Trickle Up in?
Trickle Up's product category is International Development / Poverty Alleviation Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAGALAJ, Financial Inclusion & Consumer Empowerment (Banking Access, Credit Building), with a secondary code of EDAAAOAF, Dislocated Worker & Rapid Response / Reemployment Programs. Its NAICS code is 8139 and its SIC code is 8300.