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GRAMEEN AMERICA INC

JACKSON HEIGHTS, NY · EIN 208497991 · Form 990 · FY2024 · NTEE S31 · Community Improvement · Very Large (>$50M) · grameenamerica.org
revenue
$141.8M
expenses
$45.3M
net assets
$297.3M
employees
477
volunteers
14
program ratio
93%
mission · from form 990

GRAMEEN AMERICA IS DEDICATED TO HELPING LOW INCOME ENTREPRENEURIAL WOMEN. (SEE SCHEDULE O)

profile · synthesized from sources

Grameen America provides microloans, financial education, and peer support to low-income women entrepreneurs who are excluded from traditional financial systems. Founded in 2008 in Queens, NY, the organization helps women build businesses, establish credit histories, and achieve financial mobility through a group-lending model. It operates in underserved communities across the United States, with a focus on women of color.

named programs · 7 · from sources

What they call their work

Credit-Building
Reports loan repayments to major credit bureaus, helping members establish credit histories and achieve average credit scores of 650+.
Elevating Black Women Entrepreneurs Initiative
Targeted program launched in 2021 to expand access to capital, business training, and peer networking for Black women entrepreneurs in select cities.
Financial Education
Offers training and workshops on financial literacy and business skills before and during membership to improve financial knowledge and wellbeing.
Health Program
Provides health education and system navigation through trained community health workers to improve physical and mental wellbeing.
Microloans
Provides first-time loans up to $2,500 to low-income women entrepreneurs without requiring credit history or collateral. Subsequent loans increase in amount upon successful repayment.
Peer Support
Facilitates weekly center meetings and networking events to build trust, share resources, and strengthen peer networks among members.
Savings Program
Pilot program enabling members to build assets, practice saving habits, and improve long-term financial stability.
activities · 7 groups

What they do

  • Women's Microenterprise and Livelihood Development 3 activities
    • Operating branches to serve women entrepreneurs nationwide
      Operates 43 physical branches across the United States to deliver services to low-income women entrepreneurs, serving over 279,000 women through its programs.
    • Providing microloans and financial services to low-income women entrepreneurs
      Provides microloans of up to $2,500 without requiring credit history or collateral to low-income women entrepreneurs, with opportunities for larger loans upon repayment. Reports repayments to major credit bureaus and has disbursed over 1.6 million loans, investing over $7.4 billion in capital since inception.
    • Running targeted initiatives for Black women entrepreneurs
      Launched the Elevating Black Women Entrepreneurs initiative in 2021 to provide affordable capital, business training, and peer networking; has invested $7.3 million in over 1,450 Black women through 3,200 microloans.
  • Financial Literacy Education Programs 2 activities
    • Delivering financial and business education workshops
      Provides ongoing financial and business education to members before and after loan disbursement to improve financial literacy, business outcomes, and long-term financial well-being.
    • Operating a pilot savings program for asset building
      Runs a pilot savings program designed to help members develop saving habits, build assets, and improve financial stability and mobility.
  • Financial Coaching and Credit Counseling 1 activity
    • Improving credit scores and financial well-being of members
      Helps members build credit history and improve credit scores, with 71% experiencing an increase and participants achieving an average credit score of 650; increases likelihood of having a credit score by over 17 percentage points compared to control groups.
  • Small Business and Nonprofit Lending 1 activity
    • Partnering to expand access to capital for women of color
      Commits up to $1 million in microloans to women entrepreneurs of color attending BeyGOOD Foundation's Black Parade Route luncheons, expanding access to capital through strategic partnerships.
  • Patient and Family Support Services 1 activity
    • Providing health education and health navigation services
      Delivers health education and health system navigation support through trained community health workers to improve health outcomes among members.
  • Member Business Referral & Discount Programs 1 activity
    • Supporting job creation through member businesses
      Supports the creation and maintenance of jobs through the growth of member-owned businesses, with evidence indicating 392,975 jobs supported through program participation.
  • Uncategorized 1 activity
    • Increasing business income and financial outcomes for members
      Members achieve an average annual business income boost of $4,237; increases monthly net business earnings by $127 and monthly net income by $173 compared to control groups, while increasing non-retirement savings by $839 on average.
financials · form 990 · fy2024
revenue
Total revenue$141.84M
Contributions & grants$84.31M59%
Program service revenue$54.30M38%
Investment income$2.92M2%
Other revenue$314K
expenses
Total expenses$45.33M
Program expenses93%
Admin / overhead5%
Fundraising3%
Salaries & benefits$28.40M
Grants paid out$0
Largest expense lineCompensation
balance sheet
Total assets$526.17M
Cash$148.55M
Investments$350.93M
Liabilities$228.84M
Net assets$297.33M
Liquid reserves132.2 mo
5 years on record · 2020–2024 · YoY revenue +70.1%
leadership · form 990 part vii · fy2024

Who runs it

paid leadership · 11
NameTitleHours/wkCompensation
ANDREA JUNG PRESIDENT & CEO 40 $655K
LUCAS RAMIREZ CFO 40 $380K
PATRICIA CHOI CHIEF TECHNOLOGY OFFICER 40 $366K
DIANA SACCHI CHIEF HUMAN RESOURCES OFFICER 40 $308K
HABIB CHOWDHURY VP, NATIONAL OPERATIONS 40 $268K
MIRIAM BENITEZ NIEVES SEC. & VP OF LEGAL 40 $244K
RAJITHA SWAMINATHAN VP, PROGRAM STRATEGY & MEMBER SVCS 40 $242K
MARCUS BERKOWITZ CHIEF PRODUCT & INNOVATION OFFICER 40 $241K
JILL MONUM VP, DEVELOPMENT & MARKETING 40 $238K
GREGORY JOHN MANN VP, CULT & ENGAGEMENT 40 $228K
PROFESSOR MUHAMMAD YUNUS CO-CHAIR (THRU 09/2024) 5 $9K
board members · 14
  • ADRIANA P TORRES — DIRECTOR
  • BENJAMIN FARKAS — DIRECTOR
  • JENNIFER R JACKSON — DIRECTOR
  • JOHN F MEGRUE — CO-CHAIR
  • KAREN PRITZKER — DIRECTOR
  • LORI DICKERSON FOUCHE — DIRECTOR
  • MAHMOUD MAMDANI — DIRECTOR
  • MARIA C ALONSO — DIRECTOR
  • MICHAEL D GRANOFF — DIRECTOR
  • MILEYKA BURGOS-FLORES — DIRECTOR (AS OF 06/2024)
  • NANDITA BAKHSHI — DIRECTOR
  • ROBERT ANNIBALE — DIRECTOR
  • TASMINA RAHMAN — DIRECTOR
  • VIDAR J JORGENSEN — DIRECTOR
relationships · 7

Who they work with

  • 30 U.S. cities Partner — Operates programs in partnership with local communities across 30 U.S. cities.
  • BeyGOOD Foundation Partner — Partnership to provide women entrepreneurs of color with microloans, business education, and peer networking through the Black Parade Route luncheons.
  • David Acosta Partner — Branch Manager at Grameen America in Houston, TX, and former staff member in Omaha, Charlotte, and San Juan.
  • MDRC Partner — Conducted independent, third-party evaluation of Grameen America’s microlending model using a randomized controlled trial.
  • Mastercard Center for Inclusive Growth Partner — Supports Grameen America's Economic Relief and Recovery Fund and partnership to expand access to capital and digital tools for women entrepreneurs during the pandemic.
  • Muhammad Yunus Partner — Nobel Peace Prize Laureate and founder of Grameen Bank, whose model inspired Grameen America
  • Robin Hood Funder — Funded the 36-month randomized controlled trial evaluating Grameen America’s microlending program.
strategies · 5

How they approach the work

Named approaches extracted from this org’s sources. Where others share an approach, follow it to see the full set of orgs running it.

  • Community-Driven Economic Empowerment
    methodology: community-driven-economic-empowerment
    By investing in Black women entrepreneurs through targeted capital and resources, we generate intergenerational financial mobility and community-wide economic uplift because empowering marginalized groups creates ripple effects that strengthen entire communities.
  • Dignity-Centered Financial Inclusion
    methodology: dignity-centered financial inclusion
    By treating borrowers with deep respect—modeled as treating each person like one’s own mother—we produce higher engagement and trust in financial systems because dignity is foundational to sustainable participation and reduces stigma associated with poverty.
  • Integrated Wellbeing Model
    methodology: integrated-wellbeing
    By recognizing that financial health is interconnected with physical and mental wellbeing, we produce more resilient entrepreneurs and communities because holistic support addresses the root causes of economic instability rather than symptoms alone.
  • Microfinance for Women Entrepreneurs with Integrated Support
    methodology: microfinance-with-support-services
    By providing microloans, financial education, credit-building, and peer support to low-income women entrepreneurs, we produce sustainable business growth and financial inclusion because access to capital combined with education and community support enables long-term economic self-reliance.
  • Rigorous Impact Evaluation Using RCTs
    methodology: randomized_controlled_trial_evaluation
    By using randomized controlled trials to evaluate program impact, we produce credible evidence of causal outcomes because applying medical research standards to microlending ensures accountability and informs continuous improvement.