Whole Foods' Whole Planet Foundation Gives $1M To Detroit Entrepreneurship
DETROIT -- Grameen America, a nonprofit microfinance organization founded by Nobel Peace Prize recipient Muhammad Yunus, has received a $1 million commitment from the Whole Planet Foundation to support entrepreneurs in Detroit.
Whole Foods Market co-CEO Walter Robb announced the commitment as part of Whole Foods Market's investment in the city of Detroit.
The Detroit store officially opened June 5.
Since opening in January 2008, Grameen America has provided more than $85 million in microloans, training and support to more than 16,600 low-income women in New York, Omaha, Indianapolis, the Bay Area, Charlotte, and Los Angeles to build small businesses.
Grameen America is dedicated to helping women who live in poverty build small businesses to create better lives for their families. More at www.grameenamerica.org.
Founded in 2005, the Whole Planet Foundation is a Whole Foods Market foundation promoting poverty alleviation worldwide where the company sources products. The foundation's mission is to empower the very poor living in developing-world communities with a chance to create or expand a home-based business and lift themselves and their families out of poverty through microcredit. As of May 2013, the Foundation is funding microlending programs through microfinance institution partners in the U.S. and 56 other countries around the globe and supports more than 1.6 million people with a chance for a better life. More at www.wholeplanetfoundation.org.
