Making markets work for the poor
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IMPACC is an international social business NGO that makes markets work for the poor. We get people who live on less than $2 a day into green jobs because this is the best way to fight poverty. In order to do this, we identify and scale innovative business models mainly in Africa that engage the extremely poor as entrepreneurs, producers, and consumers, not as beneficiaries. We combine aid with revenue generation where markets fail to meet basic human needs. We link social investors with innovative social businesses to help them scale and have social impact. By this, we empower poor people and their communities to abolish poverty once and for all. |
Our ApproachWe tackle big challenges mainly in East Africa and answer them through ingeniously simple, locally made ideas that are proven to have an impact. We build and improve businesses, often with a franchise model. We find, support, train and encourage local entrepreneurs to make our joint ventures successful. And we scale them whenever it makes sense, either through the revenues generated by the businesses themselves, or by giving good ideas away so that others can make them grow.
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Our proposition in a nutshell
The problem: 700 mio people live on less than $2/day, mainly in Africa. Economic growth often hurts the environment. And aid projects end when the money is spent and new projects need new money. The solution: A social business NGO that creates green jobs for poor people.
Make business a force for good
Find and scale green business ideas
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Make markets work for the poor
Lower barriers, combine revenue with aid
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Investments generate returns
Sustainable revenues break the vicious circle of poverty
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About Us
IMPACC is a international non-profit company registered in Germany, and donations are tax-exempt. It was born out of a frustration with the standard project approach to development aid: monies are used to start a project; when the money is spent, the project ends and a new project starts with new money, often in the same place. We believe that there is a better way: to use investments in social businesses that generate returns and thus keep the engine of development running and pay for themselves longterm. We are an advocate that puts the "social" into "business" and the "business" into "social". When markets work, we are not needed: you have an idea, get a credit from a bank, and off you go. And often, markets are the wrong solution: girls shouldn't pay to go to school, for example. But we believe that there is an area in the middle where markets could work for the poorest, but don't yet.And that's where we come in: creating green jobs for poor people.