Partners in Sustainable Development International-PSDI

What Partners in Sustainable Development International-PSDI does

Partners in Sustainable Development International (PSDI) is a US-registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit (EIN 20-1718533) headquartered in Columbia, Missouri, that operates poverty-eradication programs in rural Bangladesh through its long-standing in-country partner Poverty Eradication Program (PEP). PSDI was founded around 1984 and has accumulated 40 years of operating history in Bangladesh, lifting 75,000+ families and reporting a 75% poverty reduction rate across its focus areas.

The organization delivers a dual-impact service model that combines micro-lending for parents (small loans, often as little as $100, used to start businesses in livestock, tailoring, and small retail) with early childhood education for children (43 schools offering a two-year pre-K through second-grade curriculum preparing graduates for government schools). Beyond these two core programs, PSDI offers wraparound services: sustainable communities programming, HOME (basic needs stabilization including food, water, sanitation, and shelter repair), health services (primary care, health cards, preventive education), and income-generating activities. Implementation is carried out by PEP's local social workers, who develop individualized family plans and conduct biweekly monitoring.

PSDI's business model is a donation-driven nonprofit revenue stack comprising individual donations (one-time and recurring) through Givebutter, planned giving/Light of Hope Society legacy gifts, Facebook birthday fundraising, and event-based fundraising (Trivia Night, BanglaDash). Donations are tiered by program impact ($10 for seeds, $250 for a family's annual needs, $2,400/year for a 30-child classroom, $10,000 for hospital medicines), and the organization reports a $4-$17 social return on investment per dollar donated. The customer base is geographically concentrated in rural Bangladesh while the supporter base is geographically diversified in the US, with named institutional backers including Pulte Family Foundation, Caterpillar Foundation, and Loyola University.

Name

Partners in Sustainable Development International-PSDI

Legal name

Partners in Sustainable Development International

Website

https://psdintl.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1984

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

PSDI is a US-registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit that eradicates poverty in rural Bangladesh by combining micro-lending for parents with early childhood education for children, delivered through a 40-year partnership with the in-country Poverty Eradication Program (PEP).

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

International Development and Poverty Eradication Nonprofit Services

NAICS

Individual and Family Services (6241), Other Individual and Family Services (624190), Elementary and Secondary Schools (61111)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Rural Livelihoods & Economic Empowerment (BPAGABAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Education Access & Quality (International Development) (BPAGABAE), Infrastructure, Housing & Community Development (BPAGABAL)

Keywords

• Poverty eradication programs
• Microfinance lending services
• Early childhood education
• Nonprofit social services
• Community development aid

Headquarters

HQ city

Columbia

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Supply Chain, Others

Revenue model

1. Individual Donations: PSDI receives charitable contributions from individual donors who support their poverty eradication programs in Bangladesh. Donations range from small amounts ($5, $25) to larger programmatic contributions ($2,400, $6,000 for schools, $10,000 for hospital medicines).
2. Planned Giving/Legacy Gifts: PSDI accepts planned gifts through bequests in wills, charitable gift annuities, charitable remainder trusts, and beneficiary designations on retirement plans and life insurance policies through their Light of Hope Society program.
3. Facebook Fundraising: Individual donors can create Facebook fundraisers to celebrate birthdays and special occasions, with PSDI receiving the proceeds through Facebook's charitable giving tools.
4. Event-Based Fundraising: PSDI hosts events including Annual Trivia Night and BanglaDash where attendees can support the organization's work. The organization also supports community fundraisers created by supporters.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

PSDI runs a holistic poverty eradication model in rural Bangladesh that pairs micro-lending for parents with early childhood education for children, delivered through six programs: Microfinance Loans, Early Childhood Education, Sustainable Communities, HOME (Basic Needs), Health Services, and Work (Income Generating Activities). On-the-ground implementation is handled by its Bangladeshi partner Poverty Eradication Program (PEP), which deploys social workers, operates child development centers, and manages microcredit and healthcare services.

Product overview

Partners in Sustainable Development International (PSDI) is a nonprofit organization operating as a dual-impact poverty eradication model that combines micro-lending for parents with early childhood education for children. The organization does not offer a unified software platform or technology product; instead, it delivers wraparound social services through six interconnected programs: Microfinance Loans, Early Childhood Education, Sustainable Communities, HOME (Basic Needs), Health Services, and Work (Income Generating Activities). These programs function independently or in an integrated manner to address families' immediate survival needs while building long-term self-sufficiency.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Microfinance Loans Small, low-interest loans (often as little as $100) enabling families in rural Bangladesh to start or grow small businesses such as sewing, livestock raising, or small shops, generating sustainable income to break the cycle of poverty.
• Early Childhood Education Community-based primary schools serving 30 Pre-K students each with a two-year kindergarten through second-grade curriculum, including Bangla, English, math, social studies, art, dance, and exercise, preparing children for government schools.
• Sustainable Communities Holistic poverty eradication program that combines microfinance and education to create long-term economic stability and generational change in rural communities.
• HOME (Basic Needs) Stabilization support providing food, clean water, sanitation, and safe housing repairs for families near starvation in rural Bangladesh.
• Health Services Integrated Health Care Program combining basic health clinics and educational outreach activities, including primary medical care, health cards for the extreme poor, and preventive health education focusing on women and children.
• Work (Income Generating Activities) Economic empowerment programs providing tools, training, and microcredit loans for income-generating activities including livestock raising, small businesses, cottage industries, sewing, agriculture, and forestation programs.

Quantifiable outcome

• 75,000+ families lifted out of poverty
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Poverty Eradication Program (PEP)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPSDI's primary in-country implementation partner in Bangladesh. PEP identifies families in extreme poverty, deploys social workers to develop individual family plans, operates child development centers, manages micro-lending programs, and delivers healthcare services. PEP has been operating in Bangladesh for 40 years under this partnership.
• Loyola UniversityminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerUniversity partner supporting PSDI's work. Logo displayed on supporters page along with Pulte Family Foundation and Caterpillar Foundation.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights10 records

Broad incumbents

• BRAC: BRAC is the largest development organization in Bangladesh and operates a holistic model combining microfinance with education, healthcare, and livelihood programs serving millions. Directly comparable to PSDI in geography, dual-impact approach, and wraparound family services, but at vastly greater scale.
• Grameen Bank: Grameen Bank pioneered microfinance in Bangladesh and remains the global reference point for small-credit poverty alleviation. Comparable to PSDI's microloan program and Bangladesh focus, but operates at financial-institution scale rather than as a small US-registered nonprofit.
• Save the Children: Save the Children is a major international NGO delivering child welfare, education, and health programs in Bangladesh and globally. Comparable in early childhood education focus and Bangladesh operations, though at vastly greater scale and program breadth.
• World Vision: World Vision is a major Christian humanitarian organization operating child sponsorship, microfinance, and community development in Bangladesh. Comparable dual-impact model (economic empowerment + child welfare) and Bangladesh presence, but with global scale and child-sponsorship channel PSDI does not use.

Direct peers

• Kiva: Kiva is a nonprofit microlending platform that crowdfunds small loans to entrepreneurs in developing countries. Comparable to PSDI's microfinance mission and US donor base, though Kiva operates a marketplace model rather than direct implementation.
• Heifer International: Heifer International is a US-based nonprofit that funds rural livelihoods and livestock-based income generation in developing countries. Directly comparable to PSDI's Work (Income Generating Activities) program and US-donor/Bangladesh-implementation structure, with a similar donation-funded model.
• Room to Read: Room to Read is a US-based nonprofit focused on literacy and girls' education in developing countries. Comparable to PSDI's early childhood education component, US-headquartered nonprofit structure, and outcome-focused donor reporting.
• FINCA International: FINCA International operates a global microfinance network serving low-income entrepreneurs through village banking. Comparable to PSDI in microfinance mission and rural poverty alleviation focus, with overlapping donor demographics.
• Opportunity International: Opportunity International provides microfinance and education services to people in developing countries. Comparable to PSDI in dual microfinance/education model, US-registered nonprofit status, and donation-driven funding from US supporters.

Regional players

• Bread for the World Institute: Bread for the World is a US-based Christian advocacy and development organization focused on global hunger and poverty. Comparable as a US nonprofit mobilizing American donors for international poverty eradication, but operates through advocacy rather than direct service delivery.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/psdintl
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/22247586

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Partners in Sustainable Development International-PSDI