Upward Ventures is a nonprofit organization that works to eradicate extreme poverty in the Dominican Republic by working with communities to kickstart businesses that provide jobs, empowerment and dignity to people that need them the most. We go after the roots of poverty by creating meaningful employment for poor families, kickstarting businesses that provide jobs – good jobs so people of the com
munity can support their families. Our businesses create products that not only compete and thrive in the open market but also that poor communities can use to improve their quality of life. We hire mainly women, as we know they carry most of the burden of their family’s wellbeing and are more likely to make the investments their children need. Our work involves connecting people and organizations and bringing them in to participate. Poverty is a very complex, multivariable, constantly evolving situation and we need to create spaces where everyone can come and contribute. It starts with the community itself, who must feel empowered to dream and work at their overcoming, trusting we are with them always. Community development is also part of what we do, following a more non-profit model. We have done projects that help communities attend basic needs, build relations and human capital. We also advocate on their behalf – get meetings with other donors and local authorities to speed up petitions, projects and funding. Our starting point is Las Malvinas, in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic. Las Malvinas is a growing community of 450+ families tucked between a park, an industrial zone and the River Isabella. Although Las Malvinas has brought in some urban services, these investments quickly decay without proper care, and most families remain poor due to erratic and low-wage employment. Upward Ventures co-creates businesses to provide the empowerment and dignity of employment, so families can lift themselves from poverty
WHAT WE DO
WE ENGAGE – We create spaces where the community comes together to talk about their aspirations and problems. When a good idea strikes, everyone’s invested, and the community becomes the driving force in making the solution a reality. WE KICKSTART – Acting as a catalyst, we kickstart social businesses in the community with the main purpose of creating good jobs, building capital and making products people from poor communities need. WE CONNECT – We know poverty cannot be eradicated by a single organization. We engage churches, universities, business, NGOs, donors and the public sector to contribute their expertise to our programs. WHO WE ARE
Upward Ventures is a diverse group of core staff and volunteers of all ages and professions. We all hold in common the strongest conviction that poverty is unjust, dehumanizing and intolerable. We believe every person is precious and unique, loved by God and deserving of the opportunity to thrive in life, to pursue their passions and reach their full potential. We believe poverty must be eradicated, for it is unjust and immoral. It attacks the fundamental rights of a person and the general prosperity of society. We believe no person, independent of her race, gender, color, language or culture should be left abandoned to a state of deprivation that robs her of the basic capabilities to flourish. No one should be condemned to a life of poverty and despair. Not now, not anywhere. We envision a world free of the injustice of poverty – of communities thriving and in prosperous communion with themselves, with others, the environment and their Creator. As people of faith, we strive to walk in Jesus’ steps - in His passion for the poor, the oppressed, the marginalized and the invisible; the special attention He pays to children and women, especially those that suffer. We set forth on this venture not because we think ourselves heroes or saviors, but because we cannot be bystanders as we witness the plight of those living in poverty. We are humbled by this opportunity to serve. Our programs strive to be channels of dignity and empowerment for the poor and a hub for all people to join us in the construction of a thriving, loving society.
