Our Theory of Change shows how loans, education, health services, and business support work together to create lasting change for the women we serve in Guatemala.
We believe microloans must coincide with education and health services to increase resilience, empowerment, and business development in our clients. Providing these services moves the women we serve toward greater empowerment and financial independence than by providing credit alone.
With this belief as the guiding light for the organization, we define our Theory of Change through the metaphor of a tree. Just like a tree needs water, sun, and nutrients to thrive, access to credit and the right support services together help our clients grow. The trees below represent the two distinct client segments we serve: Dreamers and Entrepreneurs. The roots represent our products and services, and the leaves are the outcomes we expect our clients to achieve.
Dreamers are women largely below the National Poverty Line, mainly in rural areas, earning between $1.11–4.49 per day. This segment, known as “necessity-driven entrepreneurs,” are working out of necessity to support their families and contribute to household income. These women are characterized as hard to reach, looking for access to financial services to support a variety of productive economic activities.
Dreamers comprise over 95% of Friendship Bridge’s clients, with small, shorter-term loans offered through our Trust Bank group lending methodology, paired with education and preventive health services. Our Theory of Change for this segment focuses on improving each client’s resilience and empowerment to positively impact her business, family, and community.
Entrepreneurs are women who have outgrown the microfinance group lending model and are ready to start or expand a business. They have an enterprising spirit, are resilient, and are willing to assume some financial risk but are still living in vulnerable circumstances and in need of tailored support. This segment is also known as the “missing middle”, earning too much for many microfinance programs, yet earning too little for traditional banks. Although Entrepreneurs represent a smaller portion of our total clients, their impact extends well beyond their own families to their employees and the broader community, making them a powerful force for building economic sustainability in rural Guatemala.
To serve this highly variable segment, Friendship Bridge provides personalized services through our Bridge to Success program focused on business growth, increased empowerment, and job creation. Clients access individual loans structured around their specific business opportunities and capacity alongside personalized mentoring, technical training, connections to peer networks, and access to markets.
For more than 25 years, Friendship Bridge has provided microcredit to Indigenous Maya women in rural Guatemala, so they can invest in their businesses, support their families, and create jobs in their communities. Read about our approach to microcredit here.
Non-Formal Education, provided monthly during our clients’ Trust Bank loan repayment meetings, offers our clients skills and knowledge to create sustainable change for themselves, their children, and their communities.
Through the Health for Life program, health education and screenings are made possible for Guatemalan women who would otherwise go without. Since 2015, Health for Life has provided over 25,000 women with health services that catch treatable conditions early.
Handmade by Friendship Bridge® provides women artisan entrepreneurs with business training and income-generation opportunities. By connecting artisans to U.S. and international markets, women have the opportunity to grow sustainable businesses while preserving cultural traditions.
Bridge to Success combines individual loans with business training, coaching, and networking opportunities, enabling women entrepreneurs to scale sustainably and build resilient enterprises.
Women’s Agriculture Credit & Training gives smallholder women farmers in Guatemala the financial support, technical training, and business skills to grow their harvests, raise their income, and build lasting resilience against poverty.
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