Inside Philanthropy

Who's Funding What & Why

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Whole Planet Foundation

OVERVIEW: The Whole Planet Foundation is an initiative of Whole Foods Market Foundation that makes microloans in developing countries and communities where Whole Foods sources food to support sustainable agriculture, economic opportunity, food security, and access to clean, safe water and energy.

IP TAKE: The Whole Planet Foundation is not a large grantmaker, but its focus on micro-lending can make a difference in economic security for people living in developing countries. It is solely focused on global development by funding loans to unbanked and underbanked people, primarily women, in developing countries throughout the world. These loans are intended to help lift families and communities out of poverty through small, easily-repayable loans.

This funder is not the most transparent or accessible for grantseekers, as it does not accept unsolicited applications. While it is open about its partnerships and posts profiles of some grant recipients, it does not maintain a comprehensive list or database of its grantmaking activities. Since the foundation primarily works by supporting microlending institutions, rather than distributing grants directly, there is no direct avenue for grantseeking with the foundation. While it may help grantseekers connect with lenders in their home countries, the actual process of securing a loan is out of WPF’s hands.

PROFILE: The Whole Planet Foundation, an initiative of the Whole Foods Foundation, was first established in 2005. Its mission is to “empower people living in poverty to meet their basic needs and become more resilient through income-generating opportunities.” The foundation focuses on poverty and food insecurity through grants to microfinance institutions (MFIs) around the world. While it prioritizes giving in areas where Whole Foods sources produce, Whole Foods does not source from microloan recipients. Although it supports a number of different global MFIs, the foundation emphasizes its working partnerships, which include some big names in the MFI industry including BRAC, Grameen America, and the Aga Khan Foundation. Overall, the foundation’s impact-driven mission seeks to alleviate poverty around the world, with a focus Economic Opportunity, Sustainable Agriculture, Food Security, and Clean Energy.

Grants for Global Development

Internationally, the Whole Planet Foundation concentrates its micro-finance efforts in Asia, Africa, the Americas and the Middle East. While Whole Plant focuses most of its grantmaking on large MFIs, such as Grameen and BRAC, it also supports smaller MFIs that have a connection to Whole Foods. For example, the foundation has supported Fonkoze, based in Haiti. Fonkoze works in a number of different regions in Haiti, focusing on rural areas. However, nationally, the foundation also supports micro-lending in New York, the San Francisco Bay Area, Los Angeles, Charlotte, North Carolina, Omaha, Nebraska, Indianapolis, and is in the process of adding more cities. The programs focus on helping women living in poverty build small businesses to help foster economic security.

One of WPF’s signature initiatives is Power Her Potential, a collection of microlending funds that operate in the foundation’s giving areas:

  • Resilient Farmer Fund provides microloans of under $1,000 for tools and training to “smallholder farmers who lack access to quality and timely seeds, fair markets, and tools.”
  • Economic Opportunity Fund provides microloans of under $5,000 to “financially excluded people who run or want to start a small business.”
  • Food Security Fund provides microloans of under $2,000 to support women who “live on less than $2.15 per day, have no steady income, and who lack access to basic needs” in gaining independence in their lives.
  • Energy and Water Fund provides tools, technological solutions, and microloans under $1,000 to “people who have limited access to reliable and affordable water and energy.”

Important Grant Details:

Whole Planet’s grants to lending institutions tend to range between $100,000 to $500,000. The microloans supported by these donations generally range from the equivalent of $100 to $5,000 USD.

  • The Whole Planet Foundation conducts its giving in over 50 countries around the world, with a focus on North Africa & the Middle East, Asia & Pacific, Latin America & the Caribbean, and East & Southern Africa. Grants in the U.S. and Europe generally go to financial institutions who conduct business in the above regions.
  • WPF does not accept requests for funding. All lending is conducted through MFIs and other partner institutions in its giving areas.

For further inquiries, contact the foundation at (512) 542-0144.

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