Mott Foundation Grant to Fund Goodwill Micro-Enterprise Study
March 26, 2008
Rockville, MD – The Charles Stewart Mott Foundation has awarded Goodwill Industries International a $35,000 planning grant to develop a micro-enterprise model that can be replicated at local Goodwill agencies nationwide. Funded through Mott’s Pathways Out of Poverty Program, the study will focus on BusinessNOW, a micro-enterprise program at Goodwill Industries of North Georgia (Atlanta).
“Atlanta Goodwill’s BusinessNOW program is a proven model for helping low-income individuals start and grow their own businesses,” says George W. Kessinger, president and CEO of Goodwill Industries International. “The Mott grant will allow Goodwill to identify and create the tools and training necessary to launch customized micro-enterprise programs at any Goodwill agency, regardless of its size or location.”
With the Mott Foundation grant, Goodwill will study and document the lessons learned and best practices of the Atlanta Goodwill’s BusinessNOW program. During its more than 10 years of operation, BusinessNOW has helped dozens of people start successful small businesses. The program elements include self-employment training, business plan assessment, and post-training follow up. Building on BusinessNOW’s success, two years ago the Atlanta Goodwill launched NegocioNOW for Spanish speakers.
“Our goal is to help people move out of poverty and achieve long-term financial stability for themselves and their families,” Kessinger says. “With this grant, we hope to help turn small business dreams into reality.”
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