GotTrouble.com supports companies that apply innovative business solutions to the major social troubles of our time. These organizations are modern day heroes. The nonprofit organizations described below have earned the highest scores for producing a positive social impact while being both entrepreneurial and innovative in their business practices. Together, these organizations provide education, career training and financial opportunity to millions of people in need every year.
Join us in supporting these remarkable companies find solutions to major troubles for millions of Americans and their children.
Submit a site for consideration by emailing us your nominations web site URL to: awards@gottrouble.com. For more information click here.
GotTrouble.com supports these causes. We invite you to do the same:
Accion International
www.accion.org
This company trains banks around the world to be a microfinance partners, making
small loans (averaging $694) to help poor people start businesses. In the past
10 years, Accion has been responsible for over 14.5 million loans totaling
nearly $10 billion to over 4 million borrowers, 65% of them women.
A Fighting Chance
www.aspirepublicschools.org
This company operates small public charter schools in poor neighborhoods with
curriculums that reinforce the possibility of college for all students. In
2004, every Aspire school exceeded California testing targets - a 100% achievement
rate compared with the state school averages.
Bell (Building Educated Leaders for Life)
www.bellnational.org
This company provides after-school tutoring for underperforming low-income
elementary students. The sessions, led by public school teachers, professional
mentors, and BELL's own staff focuses on basic reading, writing and arithmetic.
BELL has educated more than 7,500 children at 44 schools. Of these students,
81% improved literacy scores to "proficient."
Calvert Social Investment Foundation
www.calvertfoundation.org
Connects financial markets to social markets by raising capital from private
and institutional investors, then lending it to more than 200 social oriented
organizations. Borrowers repay at a 99.8% rate, and investors get their
capital back with interest, less a percentage to fund Calvert's operations.
Since 1995, Cavert's investments have created 146,000 jobs, build or
rehabilitated more than 8,000 homes and financed more than 8,400 nonprofit facilities.
Citizen Schools
www.citizenschools.org
Recruits more than 2,000 professionals to provide after-school apprenticeships
to low-income middle-school students. During 11 weeks, kids work with these
volunteers to create professional-quality products, from a solar-powered
fountain to a mock trial.
Civic Ventures
www.civicventures.org
Engages older adults in social action through work and service. It's Experience
Corps includes 2,000 people over the age if 55 who volunteer as tutors and
mentors in public schools. It recognizes social entrepreneurs and innovators
over 60. To date this organization has served over 20,000 students in 19 American cities.
DonorsChoose
www.donorschoose.org
Links donors with school projects in need of funding. Public-school teachers
submit proposals for materials and experiences tailored to students' needs - from
books and art supplies to field trips and equestrian lessons. The company has
channeled nearly $8 million worth of resources to more then 470,000 students in four cities.
Global Fund for Women
www.globalfundforwomen.org
Makes grants of $500 to $100,000 to organizations advancing women's human
rights - promoting economic independence in Africa and fighting "honor killings" in
the Middle East. Since 1987, Global Fund has awarded 5,135 grants totaling more
than $50 million to 3,123 organizations in 163 countries.
Pioneer Human Services
www.pioneerhumanservices.org
Offer ex-offenders, addicts and the homeless employment and training services,
counseling and safe housing. It's 10 enterprises - including a factory that
makes cargo liners for Boeing - employ people on the margins of society.
Pioneer's recidivism rate is only 6%, compared with the national average
of 30%. Since 1963, it has assisted 120,000 individuals.
Raising a Reader
www.raisingareader.org
Encourages reading among children in poor families. Early-childhood-development
specialists work with kids in classrooms and at home visits, providing bright-red
bags filled with four books a week. Once children leave the program, they are
given their own library cards and introduced to the public library system. These
children tested twice as high as the national Head Start norm and parents report
spending 471% more time reading with their kids.
Submit a site for consideration by e-mailing us the URL to : awards@gottrouble.com
Sites are reviewed on a quarterly basis. No duplicate submissions permitted.
