The GREATER CONTRIBUTION
Empowering Women to Work Their Way Out of Poverty
Programs and results
What we aim to solve
Persistent poverty is a defining characteristic of Northern Uganda, the area The Greater Contribution serves. The proportion of poor people who live in the region increased from 68% to an unacceptable 84% between 2006-2013. Most families live on one meal a day. Virtually none have running water and housing consists of mud and thatched-grass roofs. Lack of employment, poor paying jobs, alcohol abuse, inadequate access to health care and low education levels all contribute to unrelenting poverty. Economic isolation is made worse by insufficient roads and limited market access. Households find it difficult to meet even basic subsistence requirements, much less generate a surplus.
Our programs
What are the organization's current programs, how do they measure success, and who do the programs serve?
The Greater Contribution micro loan program
We provide micro loans to women in developing nations, allowing them to create small enterprises that will lift them out of poverty. In addition we provide business skills training and literacy training
Where we work
Awards
Vibrant Giver- Karon Wright, President 2009
Vibrant Nation
Women Making a Difference -President Karon Wright 2009
Los Angeles Business Journal
External reviews
Photos
Videos
Our Sustainable Development Goals
Learn more about Sustainable Development Goals.
Goals & Strategy
Learn about the organization's key goals, strategies, capabilities, and progress.
Charting impact
Four powerful questions that require reflection about what really matters - results.
What is the organization aiming to accomplish?
Our goals are to empower underserved women through economic, health education and leadership development programs; creating opportunities while addressing inequality, strengthening social systems that reduces vulnerability to poverty, disease, hunger and illiteracy in Uganda.
What are the organization's key strategies for making this happen?
The Greater Contribution’s microloan program involves more than the loan itself. Local women come together to build and maintain support networks called loan groups. Since the women have little or no collateral, the groups guarantee the individual loans. Borrowers receive basic English and business training that includes budgeting, inventory, record keeping, and writing a simple business plan. Attendance is mandatory for a woman to receive a loan. Borrowers come to the local loan center every two weeks to make their payment. With their micro-loans, women purchase seeds, chickens, clothing, and other items to sell at a higher profit and over-time begin to earn a sustainable income. Vac-Net also provides trained, local peer counselors who meet with the women to mentor and help solve any business challenges. After receiving their micro-loans, borrowers continue to meet and share best practices within their loan groups. Once a loan is paid back, the borrower is eligible for additional loans up to $250.
What are the organization's capabilities for doing this?
We have a strong, dedicated paid staff in Uganda and a strong partnership with a Ugandan NGO with the same or very similar programs and goals. Our Program Manager has a degree in Accounting and Finance and experience at an international micro finance organization. In addition, we share offices, vehicles, technology and most importantly a passion for helping the desperately poor and underserved women and families of Northern Uganda.
What have they accomplished so far and what's next?
We survey our borrowers every six months measuring a myriad of poverty indicators, every thing from income to number of children in school, number of meals the family eats each day, the ability to get health care when needed and more. Some of the indicators that tell us we are succeeding include:
1. Annually our borrowers report an average increase in income of 405%
2. Annually our borrowers report an average increase in savings of 88%
3. On average 98% of all borrowers are consistently able to repay their microloans and qualify for new, larger amounts of loans.
How we listen
Seeking feedback from people served makes programs more responsive and effective. Here’s how this organization is listening.
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How is your organization using feedback from the people you serve?
To identify and remedy poor client service experiences, To identify bright spots and enhance positive service experiences, To strengthen relationships with the people we serve
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Which of the following feedback practices does your organization routinely carry out?
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What challenges does the organization face when collecting feedback?
We don’t have the right technology to collect and aggregate feedback efficiently
Financials
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Operations
The people, governance practices, and partners that make the organization tick.
Connect with nonprofit leaders
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- Analyze a variety of pre-calculated financial metrics
- Access beautifully interactive analysis and comparison tools
- Compare nonprofit financials to similar organizations
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Connect with nonprofit leaders
SubscribeBuild relationships with key people who manage and lead nonprofit organizations with GuideStar Pro. Try a low commitment monthly plan today.
- Analyze a variety of pre-calculated financial metrics
- Access beautifully interactive analysis and comparison tools
- Compare nonprofit financials to similar organizations
Want to see how you can enhance your nonprofit research and unlock more insights? Learn More about GuideStar Pro.
The GREATER CONTRIBUTION
Board of directorsas of 02/08/2024
Karon Wright
Karon Wright
Scott Gibb
Lisa Carey
Cathy Cole
Miles Ramsden
Board leadership practices
GuideStar worked with BoardSource, the national leader in nonprofit board leadership and governance, to create this section.
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Board orientation and education
Does the board conduct a formal orientation for new board members and require all board members to sign a written agreement regarding their roles, responsibilities, and expectations? Yes -
CEO oversight
Has the board conducted a formal, written assessment of the chief executive within the past year ? No -
Ethics and transparency
Have the board and senior staff reviewed the conflict-of-interest policy and completed and signed disclosure statements in the past year? Not applicable -
Board composition
Does the board ensure an inclusive board member recruitment process that results in diversity of thought and leadership? Yes -
Board performance
Has the board conducted a formal, written self-assessment of its performance within the past three years? Not applicable
Organizational demographics
Who works and leads organizations that serve our diverse communities? Candid partnered with CHANGE Philanthropy on this demographic section.
Leadership
The organization's leader identifies as:
Race & ethnicity
Gender identity
Transgender Identity
Sexual orientation
No data
Disability
No data