Project information

Using business to combat poverty

TBN is a network of business people & organisations that uses an enterprise approach to tackle global poverty. We support projects in developing countries that create jobs & empower the poor and our members have already created or are sustaining over 20,000 jobs in 62 projects in 22 countries.

As long as it takes... Members give their time and expertise for free. We have some income from membership fees and events but it doesn't cover our annual costs of around £70,000. To keep going we depend on donors, whose donations have a massive impact.

Charity information: Transformational Business Network (TBN)

Transformational Business Network (TBN) logo
  • Need

    Need

    If you give a man a fish you feed him for a day, if you teach him to fish you feed him for a lifetime. But we help him build a fish farm, generating jobs & income for whole communities.

    Business is a sustainable way of reducing global poverty, so we support projects in developing countries that create jobs, empower the poor & transform communities.

    Members give their time & expertise for free. Some income comes from membership fees & events but it doesn't cover our annual costs of £70k.

    Solution

    Our members and partners include entrepreneurs, business and financial professionals, technical specialists, social investors and people from many other fields that want to use their skills and resources to benefit the poor and marginalised. They use our skills to: support small / medium enterprises (SMEs) through mentoring and training; start businesses with local entrepreneurs; market goods from the developing world; and invest in transformational projects or businesses.

  • Aims

    Aim 1

    To support small / medium enterprises (SMEs).

    Activities

    » Our network is made up of skilled, experienced business people that can mentor and train local entrepreneurs, ensuing they have the knowledge to grow.

    Success will be: businesses flourishing that, without TBN support, might not have been started.

    Aim 2

    To market goods from the developing world.

    Activities

    » We build contacts, network with

    Success will be: developing world businesses having fair and profitable access to developed world markets.

    Aim 3

    To start sustainable businesses with local entrepreneurs that create jobs, & transform communities.

    Activities

    » Through exposure trips, training courses, funding and mentoring we seek out connect our network to opportunities all over the world.

    Success will be: communities transformed and lifted out of poverty by locally-run, sustainable businesses that have no dependancy on aid and no reliance on foreign leadership.

    Aim 4

    To invest in transformational projects or businesses.

    Activities

    » A large proportion of our membership invest their own money in projects and TBN has it's own fund, supporting sustainable businesses.

    Success will be: TBN and its members investing in businesses that are sustainable and provide a return so that funds can be recycled.

    Aim 5

    To help you use your skills & experience to make the maximum difference possible.

    Activities

    » We run conferences, provide resources and encourage and update our network with the latest information to help them make an impact with their skills.

    Success will be: you being empowered to use their skills to make a difference, and for our members to collaborate, bringing their combined efforts to the issue of global poverty.

  • Impact

    Impact

    We use an enterprise approach to tackle global poverty and our members have already created or are sustaining over 20,000 jobs in 62 projects in 22 countries, with a total direct or indirect investment of £55m.

    Please see our case studies at http://www.tbnetwork.org/projects for more details on success stories, lessons learned and the demonstrable effect our network have had on the livelihood of thousands.

    Risk

    As with any businesses venture, financial risk is unavoidable. We use our network's business acumen to analyse the highest potential opportunities to ensure we make the biggest impact with the resources we have.

    Reporting

    We provide case studies at http://www.tbnetwork.org/projects with details on success stories, lessons learned and the demonstrable effect our network have had on the livelihood of thousands.

    Your donations go towards our work in supporting the network and projects that makes this impact possible.

  • Budget

    Budget - Project Cost: £70,000

    Loading graph....
      Amount Heading Description
      £70,000 TBN running costs Yearly running costs for the central TBN office, our conferences and our staff.
  • Background

    Location

    TBN's head office is based in Coventry (UK), but we work all over the world with most of our projects in Africa and Asia.

    Beneficiaries

    Our work transforms poor communities by bringing sustainable solutions to poverty in the area through enterprise.

  • Why Us?

    Why Us?

    We use our skills to: support small / medium enterprises (SMEs) through mentoring and training; start businesses with local entrepreneurs; market goods from the developing world; and invest in transformational projects or businesses. There is a tremendous power in our network and it is a more efficient & sustainable way to tackle poverty.

    Members give their time & expertise for free. We have some income from membership fees & events but it doesn't cover our annual costs of around £70,000.

    Read more about the Charity running this project.

    People

    You!

    Our projects are member led: that is initiated by TBN and managed by TBN members, drawing on us for support, encouragement, investment and contacts.

    Donors

    We have some income but it doesn't cover our annual costs of around £70k. To keep going we depend on donors, whose donations make a massive impact.