Friendship Bridge partners with Poverty Stoplight to improve clients’ lives

In 2022, Friendship Bridge implemented the Poverty Stoplight, with the poverty elimination methodology of Fundación Paraguaya. It’s designed to help our clients holistically assess their living conditions and quality of life in order for them to identify concrete actions for improvement.

The Stoplight comprises 31 indicators from the Multidimensional Poverty Index developed by the UNDP and Oxford University, which are organized into six different dimensions (below). Using illustrations and the colors of a traffic light to indicate an acceptable situation (non-poverty) in green, one that needs improvement (poverty) in yellow, and an unacceptable one (extreme poverty) in red, Friendship Bridge clients selected the color that best reflected their situation. 759 Friendship Bridge clients (a representative, randomly selected sample) participated in the Poverty Stoplight process. After completing a survey, clients were provided a Life Map—a tool that allows them to see their current condition and establish priorities for areas on which they want to work.

One Facilitator from Quetzaltenango shared the following about one of her clients participating in Poverty Stoplight:

Despite knowing the client for several years…I did not know her emotional state. The survey allowed me to know her better and value all the sacrifices she has made, and above all, to know that [Friendship Bridge] has been a primary pillar for her. [My client] was able to externalize her emotions [and] needed space to be heard. As facilitators, we do not really get to know the emotional situations that the clients are going through. We can see them smiling in the meetings, but we do not know their reality. With the survey, she understood and reflected that she needs to improve in some areas.

Results

The overall results reflect that 62% of the client indicators are in green, 28% in yellow, and 10% in red. Longer-term clients (four or more loan cycles with Friendship Bridge) were 4% points less poor than newer clients (in cycles one, two, and three) and had better conditions than new clients for every indicator.

The dimension with the highest extreme poverty rate is Organization & Participation (20%). In this dimension, the indicator with the highest number of reds is the Group indicator (participation in a community group). On the other hand, the dimension with the highest green rate (without poverty) is that of Self-Reflection & Motivation (77%), with the indicators of Autonomy over Health and Business being the highest number of greens.

“Greens [our clients received] are related to self-motivation and empowerment, and we focus on self-esteem, health, and business in our Non-Formal Education, so it’s a good sign to see these are areas of strength in our clients,” said Caitlin Scott, Chief Strategy Officer of Friendship Bridge.

“We also saw that the results in nutrition are better than the national average, which is consistent with what we have seen over the years,” Scott continued. “One of the first improvements we see [when clients join us] is in the way that they feed their families.”

The top five of the indicators most prioritized by clients (only those in yellow and red were prioritized) to improve are the following: Savings, Waste Management, Unforeseen Events, Income, and Assets. Clients created plans focused on taking direct action toward these indicators.

“The results show that the clients we are reaching with our products and services are a more poor demographic [relative to Guatemala’s national poverty rate], and their poverty rates tend to be in the areas of assets, education, infrastructure, and health,” Scott said.

Clients’ Achievements

Each client had the opportunity to select, from the indicators she had in green, which of them she wanted to recognize and celebrate as an achievement for her. The achievements that were most frequently celebrated were income (10%), water (8%), self-esteem (7%), savings (6%) and credit (6%). One client reflected on her achievements after completing the survey and Life Map:

I feel happy; I have never seen everything I have achieved before. Seeing so many ‘greens’ fills me with joy and pride, and I am full of emotion. The truth is that with my earnings I have managed to turn on the electricity, and the water, and now I have my little things. It makes me proud to have my own house.

I have been fighting. I am a single mother of two children. The neighbors tell me that I am energetic because I have managed to do my things. I have received courses in making baskets, I have plans to be able to have a small business with the baskets, and with another loan I will make more baskets. In addition, education is important for my children.

I dedicate myself to agriculture and I know that sometimes I can lose the harvest. For that reason I [look for] other sources of income and maybe the baskets will help me. I always look for ways to have more income little by little.

— Valeriana, client

Client Priorities for Improvement

The indicators most prioritized by clients for improvement are: savings (20%), waste management (12%), unforeseen events (8%), income (6%) and assets (6%).

With the technical support of Fundación Paraguaya, Friendship Bridge held sessions to determine which priorities the organization could address to support clients in those efforts. The indicators prioritized by Friendship Bridge are Savings and Waste Management, for which an action plan has been developed for implementation in 2023.

Friendship Bridge will also follow up with and encourage clients to progress in their personal action plans over the course of the year and will conduct another survey with them in 2023 to measure progress.

A lot has happened in the world since 2009—both in the U.S. and Guatemala—but one thing has remained the same: Friendship Bridge’s mission to create opportunities that empower Guatemalan women to build a better life. With your help, we are changing how women in Guatemala see, respond to, and overcome the issues of poverty for themselves, their families, and their communities.

2009 is also when our CEO, Karen Larson, joined the organization. At a time of transition, Karen focused on three specific areas in her early years to ensure the successes of the past could continue: building a sustainable foundation for our clients and organization, improving operations, and investing in employees. Your support has been an essential part of her journey. Back then, we served 11,000 women with microloans, with 75 employees—now, with your help, we empower over 26,000 women and employ 260 staff members across 15 offices throughout Guatemala.

As we close 2022 and Karen prepares to retire from her role as CEO, she is most proud of the lasting impact Friendship Bridge has had on both our clients and our staff during her tenure. She feels incredibly grateful for the trust and commitment she has received from each of you who have contributed to the future of Friendship Bridge. With the solid foundation we have built together, the organization has been able to focus on making a meaningful impact.

Our impact is clear through the recognition we have received, including:

• #1 Best Place to Work for Women in Central America and the Caribbean 2022, by Great Place To Work®
• A 4 Star Charity Navigator rating for a total of 14 years
• A 3rd place ranking in Latin America and the Caribbean in the world’s first microfinance social performance index, against 72 other microfinance institutions in 41 countries

Thanks to your support of Friendship Bridge, you are reducing poverty rates among Guatemalan women and their families, improving their quality of life, and thus changing the trajectory for the next generation. This is lasting impact!

Double your gift:

If you are considering an end-of-year donation, now is the time to double your impact: every donation made before Dec. 31 will be matched dollar-for-dollar (up to $50,000) by a generous group of donors. That means your gift will DOUBLE in value if we can reach our $50,000 goal. Together we can reach even more clients, connecting them with health services, non-formal education, and microcredit to empower themselves and their communities. Your donation today creates a lasting impact for generations.

How your gift will make a lasting impact:

• $100 pays for six Advanced Training classes for clients seeking additional income-generating work
• $500 connects a woman entrepreneur with business mentoring services for five months
• $1,000 provides preventive health services to 17 clients for one month
• $2,500 funds training for 72 clients with a professional agronomist for one month
• $5,000 helps expand our Health for Life program to reach more women in rural areas of Guatemala

Give this year-end and receive tax savings next year:

During the final weeks of 2022, make time to discuss your charitable plans with your family and financial advisors. Everyone’s circumstances are different, making it important to structure gifts in ways that are most beneficial for you.

By completing charitable gifts by Dec. 31, you can be eligible for additional tax savings next April. Please note: We do not provide tax advice and recommend that Friendship Bridge donors consult with their tax advisors for details.

Please consider donating today, and your gift will make the impact of a lifetime.

After a thorough global search, the Board of Directors is pleased to announce the selection of Tracie Cordeiro, CFO, as the new President and CEO of Friendship Bridge. Cordeiro will officially assume the position on January 23, 2023, working closely with the current President and CEO, Karen Larson, until that time to ensure a smooth transition.

Cordeiro joined Friendship Bridge more than four years ago and has become a trusted advisor to Larson and the leadership team ever since. Throughout these years, she has had the opportunity to work in Guatemala and travel around the country visiting staff and clients.

“We are very excited to welcome Tracie Cordeiro on as our new CEO!  Karen Larson has brought Friendship Bridge to a level of excellence over the past 13 years that is reflected in all aspects of our organization and Tracie’s combination of experience with her knowledge of Friendship Bridge and the passion and dedication she brings to her work make her an ideal CEO for the next stages of growth.”
– Susie Miller, Friendship Bridge Board of Directors Chair

Cordeiro is a CPA, fluent in English and Spanish and brings 25 years of valuable finance and managerial experience to the CEO role.  Before joining Friendship Bridge, for 11 years she helped lead the finance and procurement area of Opera Australia, a 100 million dollar nonprofit organization. This experience exposed her to many key dynamics such as leadership, fundraising and strategic planning. Prior to that, she worked in finance and leadership positions for Honeywell and KPMG in the U.S., Europe and Asia Pacific, where she gained deep, technical experience in finance, accounting and audit, working in both English and Spanish across a diverse portfolio of industries and organizations. These qualifications, paired with her ability to motivate and inspire trust and confidence in those around her, made her an excellent choice for the role.

A Wisconsin native and current Colorado resident, Cordeiro is a summa cum laude graduate of Arizona State University with a BA in accounting and a minor in Spanish. As a mother of two girls, Cordeiro is excited to take on the new position that will allow her to have greater influence in empowering Guatemalan women.

“I am thrilled with the selection of Tracie as my successor, and I know Tracie is passionate about our mission. As the CFO, Tracie has been intimately involved in building our strategic plan with me and the leadership team and is familiar with every financial detail of our organization.”
– Karen Larson, President and CEO

The Board of Directors elected the Executive Search and Transition Committee, composed of four board members. The committee engaged an external recruitment search firm specializing in nonprofit executive placement to guide us through the search and transition process. A very robust, transparent, and inclusive process was implemented and followed for the past several months to ensure we selected the best candidate.

Great Place To Work® Recognizes Friendship Bridge’s Gender Inclusive Culture

Friendship Bridge ranks as the #1 Best Place to Work® for Women 2022 in Central America and the Caribbean, (multinationals category) as identified by Great Place to Work®, by surveying hundreds of employees of multinational companies in the Caribbean and Central America region. The organization asks employees about key factors that they believe create “excellent workplaces,” and analyzes the programs that allow for the development and growth of women. 

Organizations participating in the ranking process must have a female workforce that represents more than 30% of the total organization. At Friendship Bridge, 55% of the organization is made up of women and more than 50% of the leadership positions are occupied by women. Last year, 55% of internal promotions were granted to women. 

In addition, Friendship Bridge’s has adopted institutional values, including: 

Respect, which promotes equal and fair treatment for all its employees, regardless of race, economic status, gender, religion or ethnicity 

Transparency, by committing to promote communication and honesty

Empowerment, by encouraging the participation of all employees in decision making and the creation of solutions for the benefit of their clients and the organization itself. Friendship Bridge shows interest and concern for the inclusion of women when hiring and promoting. 

The organization supports women in work/life balance, fully complying with their legal benefits, as well as making them participants in enjoying the benefits of the Labor Welfare Program—a set of practices whose objective is to improve the quality of life of its employees. Development Programs and Career Plans are also important practices within the organization that foster professional and personal growth for all. 

There are also inclusive policies, practices, and procedures to ensure equal rights and obligations for all employees, through the Internal Work Regulations and the Code of Ethics and Conduct. This aims to ensure that all employees, regardless of their position, promote an organizational culture based on institutional values, good practices, excellence in internal and external customer service, encouraging teamwork, honesty, professionalism, and quality in interpersonal relations.

“I feel empowered and appreciated! 55% of the organization is represented by women!”

–Ingrid Ibaté, Panajachel office

Handmade by Friendship Bridge® Receives Registered Trademark Status

“Having an official trademark is something we’ve been wanting for quite some time now. This is definitely a brand milestone for Handmade by Friendship Bridge® and we’re extremely thankful to everyone who made this possible.”
– Maya Colop-Morales, Manager, Handmade by Friendship Bridge®

You may have noticed the “®” next to our name and logo at Handmade by Friendship Bridge®. Although it may seem like a small change, the “R” inside the circle stands for “registered,” and is, in fact, a very BIG deal for Friendship Bridge and the operations of our social enterprise. The federal trademark registration symbol shows that we now officially own our trademark with the U.S. Patent and Trade Office, and has major benefits as we continue to develop the brand of our artisan program and online store.

Handmade by Friendship Bridge® provides the artisan clients of Friendship Bridge with acquiring the skills, education, learning experiences, support, and technical assistance they need to reach their potential and independently sell their handmade products in local, national, and international markets. In 2021 alone, the program facilitated the sales of 4,700 products via its online store, resulting in $100,000 in sales. In this post, you’ll learn about the significance of this newly-granted trademark and learn about the origin story of Handmade by Friendship Bridge, a growing and wildly successful program empowering women in Guatemala to build a better life.

The Evolution of Handmade by Friendship Bridge®

Friendship Bridge has evolved substantially since our work started in Guatemala in 1998. We are continuously diversifying our loan products and programs to meet the ever-evolving needs of the women we serve, many of whom are living in poverty with limited economic opportunities.

In our quest to continuously improve, we discovered through surveys and research that our clients who primarily earned income through the sales of their traditional handmade products were looking for access to new markets in order to bolster their income. Many of the women who fell into this category simultaneously faced geographical and language barriers and/or did not have the business skills necessary to thrive in today’s marketplace. In response to this need, the Artisan Market Access Program was launched in 2015. The program was renamed in 2019, then rebranded and trademarked as Handmade by Friendship Bridge®.

“Along with the trademark, in 2021 Handmade by Friendship Bridge®  implemented operational technologies such as an inventory and SKU system. These enhancements support our strategic plan of growth, allowing the program to grow and bolster market opportunities for clients in the program.”
– Nicole Eubanks, Chief Development Officer, Friendship Bridge

Acquisition of the Trademark

By definition, a trademark is a legal protection given to any word, name, symbol, or design that is used in commerce to identify the product of one manufacturer from another. Trademarks are sometimes confused with copyrights; however, copyrights protect artistic endeavors like novels, works of visual art, short stories, characters’ names and fictional worlds, songs, code, and other types of creations that do not explicitly exist for commercial purposes. Trademarks protect intellectual property that does exist for explicitly commercial purposes, like brand names, logos, taglines, and slogans.

Furthermore, the name and logo must be registered separately—we have both a word (brand name Handmade by Friendship Bridge®) as well as a logo trademark. Trademarks can potentially last forever, but they do need to be renewed every 10 years.

It typically takes about six to nine months for the trademark to be issued after filing the application. In December 2021, we received the official Certificate of Registration for the Handmade by Friendship Bridge® trademark.

Benefits of the Trademark

Trademarks offer various benefits, many of which are interrelated. They enable businesses to:

• build trust with consumers;
• establish a consistent brand identity;
• increase their brand recognition;
• drive more traffic to their sites and amplify their social media presence.

They also enable businesses to further differentiate their brand from similar brands in the marketplace. We know that there are similar organizations in the marketplace; however, this trademark is a highly valuable asset that continues to set us apart. As the Handmade by Friendship Bridge® team continues pursuing partnerships, be they with corporations, non-governmental organizations, boutiques and stores, influencers, and other platforms; they hope to harness the trademark’s potential to strengthen the brand’s credibility and overall presence.

“At the end of the day, we hope that this will increase the visibility of Handmade by Friendship Bridge® and result in increased sales of these incredibly talented women’s handmade products. Every purchase directly impacts their lives, and seeing the excitement on their faces when we tell them about orders that just came in…it’s always priceless.”
– Maya Colop-Morales, Manager, Handmade by Friendship Bridge®

Sources:
How To Trademark A Logo

World’s First Microfinance Index Report shows Friendship Bridge Ranks #3 MFI in Latin America

Friendship Bridge is proud to be included in the world’s first microfinance social performance index, based directly on client interviews and customer outcomes. The newly released report, conducted by 60 Decibels, was developed in order to set a benchmark for what good, better, and best performance looks like within microfinance institutions*. Did our clients’ lives actually improve because of their involvement with Friendship Bridge, and in what ways? And, how does our performance compare to other organizations?

The benchmark is made up of responses from clients in five dimensions: business impact, household impact, access, financial management, and resilience. Here’s how Friendship Bridge performed when 17,956 clients were surveyed from 72 microfinance institutions in 41 countries.

• Earned a 3rd place ranking among Latin American and Caribbean countries
• Ranked 16th overall among clients from 72 organizations surveyed
• Performed in the top 20% in the ‘Business Impact’ and ‘Household Impact’ dimensions

Friendship Bridge is a top performer specifically in:

• % of clients who say they do not have access to a good alternative, which in a competitive market like Guatemala, this sets FB apart from other providers
• % of clients seeing ‘very much increased’ improvement in income [because of Friendship Bridge]
• % clients increasing number of paid employees [because of Friendship Bridge]
• % of clients ‘very much increased’ number of quality meals [because of Friendship Bridge]
• % clients ‘very much improved’ ability to manage finances [because of Friendship Bridge]

We invite you to read the report to see Friendship Bridge’s ranking against other MFIs globally.

* Microfinance institutions participating in the Index attend diverse segments with a variety of financial products, including savings, housing loans, and insurance in addition to working capital and other types of loans.

2021 Report from 60 Decibels

Friendship Bridge strives to be a learning organization that responds quickly to the evolving needs of the women we serve in Guatemala. In an effort to constantly improve and diversify our offerings and ensure we provide the most appropriate loan products and services to our clients, we continuously collect social performance data, which informs our strategic decisions. Our partnership with 60 Decibels, a global impact measurement company that quantifies social impact as well as provides benchmarks of impact performance, is an integral part of this process.

Following up to research conducted in 2019, 60 Decibels conducted a study between April and May of 2021 that provided us with invaluable insights into our clients’ perspectives, sentiments, and experiences with Friendship Bridge. A total of 203 clients participated in phone interviews in which they were asked questions related to their profiles and the impact Friendship Bridge has had on their life. The study highlights that the majority of clients have seen increases in their income, quality of life, ability to plan their finances, frequency of participation in important family decisions, and spending on home improvements since joining Friendship Bridge.

Key Findings from the 2021 Report

94% of our clients reported earning more money because of Friendship Bridge.

When asked how they use this increased income, our clients said that they primarily use the money to cover household expenses, followed by investments in their small business. These results align with what we know: women invest the majority of their income back into their families and communities.

85% of our clients reported there were no alternatives available to them of comparable caliber to Friendship Bridge.

This emphasizes the strong value Friendship Bridge has for women in Guatemala and how our unique mix of loans products and services sets us apart in a saturated landscape of microfinance institutions (MFI).

46% of our clients reported never having used any of their loans to cover non-business expenses.

For those who did report occasionally using their loans for non-business purposes, the top expense was school. Even though the loans are principally meant to enable our clients to start, maintain, or grow their businesses, the women we serve are prioritizing their children’s education. Very few reported ever using the loan to pay off other debts, which reflects controlled over-indebtedness.

64 (excellent) is our Net Promoter Score® (NPS), a standard evaluation mechanism to client satisfaction.

The NPS is a widely used index that measures clients’ willingness to recommend an organization’s products or services. Anything above 50 is considered very good (64 is considered excellent). This score, along with the following words from a client answering whether she would recommend Friendship Bridge to others, attests to our clients’ sense of satisfaction:

Friendship Bridge Ranks #3 MFI in Latin America 

3 Key Takeaways About Friendship Bridge’s Impact in Guatemala

In addition to the above findings and statistics, we have identified three key takeaways from the report which underscore the connection between what we do and what matters to our clients:

1. Improving Quality of Life
2. Supporting Financial Autonomy
3. Fostering Resilience During the COVID-19 Pandemic

1. Improving Quality of Life

Of those surveyed, 97% said that the quality of their life had improved. Clients were asked to elaborate on their perception of participating with Friendship Bridge:

• Among those who reported improvements in the quality of life, 36% reported increased income as the main driver of this
• 31% talked about expanding or improving their businesses
• 14% mentioned their ability to access a loan when they need it, a critical element to managing cash flow and their daily lives.

Among those who reported no change in perceived quality of life, the majority attributed this to declines in business, small loan sizes, and the COVID-19 crisis.

Clients provided additional examples when reflecting on how their involvement with Friendship Bridge has improved their quality of life. Thanks to this involvement, they have been able to:

• build a kitchen
• construct a little house
• allocate additional funds to cover family expenses
• buy a motorcycle for transportation, rather than traveling by foot to sell products
• cover school expenses

Exactly 42% of clients surveyed said their level of stress related to their finances has decreased thanks to Friendship Bridge. Another 43% said their stress level stayed the same, which is notable considering the timing of this evaluation was during COVID-19 and during a time when the country was virtually closed.

2. Supporting Financial Autonomy

Questions were included that aimed to gauge the potential financial resilience of our clients. When asked to imagine having to cover an unexpected emergency and come up with approximately $450 within a month, 22% of clients said that this would be “very difficult” and 44% “slightly difficult.

Assessing financial resilience also involves gauging clients’ ability to pay back their loans. Positively, the evaluation revealed that two out of three clients do not consider their loan payments a burden, and four out of five clients report never needing to reduce their household consumption to make a Friendship Bridge payment. 

Additionally:

• 94% of clients say their ability to plan their finances has increased.
• 84% have increased their savings balance. 

Clients were also asked to speak to particular financial goals they might have. One out of three clients said her top financial goal was to improve or expand her business, and 91% said that their ability to achieve their goal has improved thanks to working with Friendship Bridge. This perception truly aligns with our vision of empowered women choosing their own paths.

Along with mentioning their financial goals and the increased feasibility of these thanks to their involvement with Friendship Bridge, clients indicated their perceived fairness of the loans. Three out of four clients considered the cost of the loan to be “fair,” and more than three out of four “strongly agree” that they understood all the loan terms.

3. Fostering Resilience During the COVID-19 Pandemic

Again, this research was conducted in April and May of 2021, a time in which the effects of the pandemic were still fresh and relevant. We wanted to understand how the pandemic had impacted our clients. We learned that three in five Friendship Bridge clients reported that their household financial situation had gotten worse because of COVID-19, with the main reason for the decline being an interruption to their business model.

When asked about how they were able to comply with their financial obligations during the COVID-19 crisis, clients answered:

• Use savings (54%)
• Borrow from friends or family (15%)
• Reduce household’s consumption of something (14%)
• Sell an asset (8%)
• Remittance support from friends/family abroad (6%)
• Borrowed from somewhere else (2%)

The financial resilience of our clients was evident considering that more than half the clients reported having sufficient savings to draw from, despite the heightened economic hardships they experienced, to make the loan repayments during the pandemic. In fact, of the loans that we provided to more than 29,000 women during 2020, we had a noteworthy repayment rate of over 95%. This result, however, does help us understand that our clients are likely in a more precarious financial situation now than they were before the pandemic. Read: Our Response During the COVID-19 Pandemic

Final Thoughts

As a whole, there are many strong and favorable results within this study. But we know there are still improvements we can make to best support the women we serve. We invite you to learn more about our strategy for the next five years and how our work will result in a multiplier effect by serving two distinct client segments and opening new branch locations, thus exponentially impacting an even greater number of Guatemalan women, families, and their communities.