FRIENDS OF TILONIA INC

Friends of Tilonia, Inc, through its Sprout Enterprise® initiative, is building a network of artisans, designers and entrepreneurs creating sustainable livelihoods for rural communities with few economic alternatives.

We draw on the rich cultural heritage of these communities and use indigenous skills and materials to craft our artisan collections. We connect these artisan enterprises to new markets and provide the support needed to ensure these enterprises are successful and sustainable.

Our goal is to enable these artisans to earn much more than the bare minimum – and to develop the economic basis to live in dignity, free from hunger and extreme poverty.

We believe that creating economic opportunities for women and providing education for girls are significant drivers to economic development in emerging markets.

ENTERPRISE DEVELOPMENT

We help build the business capacity and entrepreneurial skills of artisan and rural enterprises in India, Mexico, Cambodia, Guatemala, Indonesia and Pakistan enabling them to create economic opportunities and provide sustainable livelihoods in rural communities.

We help these enterprises to:

• Develop their products, pricing and business strategy for sales in US and international markets;

• Develop distribution and sales in US and international markets;

• Improve product quality and business profitability.

When these enterprises grow successfully, the artisans they employ are able to earn an income to provide for their families and improve their quality of life.

R.I.S.E. ARTISAN FUND

Through our R.I.S.E. Artisan Fund, we invest in early-stage artisan enterprises that create sustainable livelihoods for rural communities with few economic alternatives.

GIRLS EDUCATION

We support girls' education by providing funding support to schools serving marginalized communities in rural India. Education is fundamental to women's economic and political empowerment and basic literacy and numeracy are essential skills to enable agency.

We believe that:

• Locally owned and operated enterprises are the primary drivers to community and economic development.

• Rural development and support of sustainable agriculture and artisan enterprises is critical to economic growth in emerging markets.

• Grass-roots, community-based initiatives are core to resilient, vibrant local economies.

Therefore, we work with local entrepreneurs who have the vision and leadership to build enterprises, believe in local talent and capabilities, and are committed to sustainable, ethical business practices.

Through our Sprout Enterprise® initiative, we help entrepreneurs and artisan enterprises create the business processes and build the operations team to:

• Access US and international markets and build export sales to US and international retailers and consumers.

• Access expertise and financing to build their business capacity and grow their business.

Through our R.I.S.E. Artisan Fund initiative, we help entrepreneurs understand their capital requirements to grow and leverage catalytic capital for investment. We deploy capital using a range of investment vehicles from grants to revenue-based equity investments while seeking a return of capital for further investment, creating a reinvestment cycle that multiplies the catalytic impact of philanthropic capital.

R.I.S.E Artisan Fund invests in artisan enterprises who are redesigning business models based on:

• Sustainable and ethical business practices
• Skills development and training to increase sales and profitability for producers
• Revenue or profit sharing with producers
• Revitalization, revaluation and representation of traditional crafts and cultural heritage
• Shared ownership structures around brand, design and stories

With extensive business, academic and non-profit experience, our board and team of advisors offer the entrepreneurs in our network a rich resource.

We provide:

• Business coaching and mentorship to entrepreneurs and start-up teams.

We listen to, and are inspired by, dynamic entrepreneurs with a business vision and aspiration that will change the status quo in their communities. We help shape viable business models and strategies for start-up and expansion.

• Connection to a network of designers, retailers and entrepreneurs.

We introduce and foster collaborative relationships across our network to support the development, promotion and sale of artisan products. We help bridge communication and cultural context to create productive business relationships.

• Connection to a network of buyers, retail customers and donors.

We introduce and foster funding relationships within our network to support the development and growth of economic and educational opportunities. We provide fiscal sponsorship and management for US funders who support our initiatives.

Since our inception, we have made more than $1.58 million in international grants funding sustainable development initiatives in rural communities benefiting more than 2 million people.

Since inception, we have generated over $765,000 in cumulative international sales for more than 30 artisan enterprises generating livelihoods for more than 4,000 artisans and farmers. We have provided seed funding to weavers' groups in India and Mexico to develop sustainable, social enterprises.

This year, we provided funding to support:

• The Kaliyachak Girls School in rural Bihar, India.
• Textile design workshops with the weavers of San Bartolo Yautepec in Oaxaca, Mexico.
• Sales and marketing support for 30 artisan enterprises creating livelihoods in rural communities in India, Mexico, Guatemala, Cambodia,IndonesiaandPakistan.
• The promotion of impact investment opportunities with 22 early stage artisan enterprises to impact investors and funders.

Created in partnership with Realize Impact, the R.I.S.E. Artisan Fund invests in early stage artisan enterprises addressing three key impact investment themes:

• women’s empowerment,
• sustainability, and
• climate change.

This year, we invested in Fuchsia Shoes and Karghewale.

Fuchsia Shoes manufactures handcrafted shoes based on the traditional Pakistani khussas enhanced for comfort and durability for the American consumer. The shoes are made in Sangla Hill, a remote town in Pakistan with a history stretching back to the time of Alexander the Great. Here, each pair of flats is handcrafted in a traditional workshop by a group of artisans who are using their skills to support their families and community. By making shoes for Fuchsia, these highly skilled artisans earn a respectable, living income to provide for their families.

Karghewale represents a community of young weavers from traditional weaving communities of India who offer bespoke, handwoven textiles of exemplary quality in contemporary designs. The Hindi word, kargha means handloom, and thus Karghewale are weavers. Karghewale enhances the creative agency of these weavers and helps them transition from underpaid production workers, with very little creative control of their craft, to entrepreneurs creating their own designs and building a product line marketed directly to their customers. More than 150 weavers work with Karghewale to market their handwoven textiles.