The Share Trust

28/05/2026

Lights, camera, action! Hear participants reflect on a five-day workshop where they gained practical tools to strengthen Self-Help Group (SHG) work across Zambia.

Earlier this year The Share Trust brought together 10 local NGOs and nearly 20 participants from across the country to learn, reflect, and reimagine how they support women’s groups in their communities.

The workshop highlighted the power of collective action to shift decision-making closer to communities, ensuring that those most affected are leading the solutions.

▶️ Watch the video, share the love, and hear directly from participants.

12/12/2025

Meet Rakibul, a 21-year-old from coastal Bangladesh who is reshaping what is possible for his family and community. As the eldest of eight, he has always supported his household despite limited mobility and scarce resources.

The Sundarban Coalition, a network of 16 local organizations, works with thousands of residents to strengthen livelihoods. When they met Rakibul, they saw his drive and supported him with a wheelchair and seed funding to grow his shop.

Today, his business is thriving. His story is inspiring his village and reminding us that when communities lead, change lasts.

A generous $10,000 match is now live. Your gift today can help more local leaders like Rakibul and expand the impact of community-led solutions through The Share Trust.

Click the link in our bio and double your impact and support this work today.

30/10/2025

Twelve years ago, Courtenay Cabot Venton, CEO and Founder of The Share Trust, met Meseret, a bold and visionary woman from Ethiopia whose story continues to inspire everything we do.

Meseret had faced extraordinary odds: poverty, hunger, domestic violence, and long periods of isolation.

Yet she never lost faith in one idea: that women could lead, and that when communities are trusted to guide their own change, transformation happens from within.

When Meseret joined a Self Help Group (SHG), she didn’t just change her own life. She started a business, gained independence, and empowered other women to do the same.

When the two met again this year, Meseret had become a senior government leader, shaping policies that help women in SHGs access new economic opportunities.

“I tasted, I touched, what it means to be in an SHG. It completely changed my life. I am a living example,” she shared.

Her story reminds us of what we’ve seen time and again:
when communities lead, change lasts.

This season, we’re celebrating local leaders like Meseret through our end-of-year campaigns by featuring stories of transformation that show the power of trust and community-led change.

Stay tuned for more inspiring journeys as we close out the year together.

Join us and help ignite change: https://thesharetrust.org/donate

30/10/2025

Local intermediaries are deeply rooted in their communities, often continuing their work long beyond donor cycles. Their proximity to the people and systems they serve can make them more accountable to local stakeholders, and they can provide cost-efficient partnerships — a critical advantage as global funding tightens.

Funding through local intermediaries can make sense when the goal is to strengthen local or regional systems, support multiple geographies or themes, manage a limited number of grants, or move larger amounts of funding than smaller organizations can typically absorb.

While INGOs, contractors, and UN agencies often play this role, local, national, and regional intermediaries remain under-recognized and under-utilized.

Our recent Local Intermediary Landscaping Study with Warande highlights many intermediaries around the world. Most of these intermediaries are still relatively small which is why we will be expanding our study to identify additional, larger intermediaries that are poised to receive larger grants.

29/10/2025

The power of women’s groups in action:

Communities thrive when women come together. The data says it all:

Women SHGs are linked to a 37% reduction in maternal mortality.

Women SHGs are twice as likely to participate in local politics.

The presence of an SHG in a community leads to a 19% increase in family planning use.

In Nepal, SHG interventions reduced child malnutrition by 16% (acute) and 11% (chronic).

29/10/2025

At The Share Trust, one of our core pillars is the Self-Help Group (SHG) model; voluntary collectives of 10 to 15 women who come together to save, start small businesses, and take collective action to transform their communities.

What begins as a simple act of gathering soon becomes something powerful. SHGs build confidence, agency, and hope only proving that when local actors have the power to make their own decisions, entire communities thrive.

From financial independence to stronger social bonds and better governance, SHGs are redefining what sustainable development looks like that led by the people, for the people.

Together, they’re not just changing lives, they’re building a foundation for lasting economic growth, social progress, and community-led change.

29/10/2025

30/12/2024

A heartfelt thank you to all our donors! Your contributions light up the path for women striving for a better future. We have a special opportunity to match each donation that comes into the Share Trust with $20,000, but ignite hope this giving SEASON we only have until TOMORROW December 31st. You can help us get there.

Together, we're building a brighter world. 💖

DONATE: https://thesharetrust.org/constellation-of-hope

30/12/2024

This holiday season, be a star in someone's life. Support our Constellation of Hope campaign and help women build sustainable futures. Every donation makes a difference: https://thesharetrust.org/constellation-of-hope 🌠

27/12/2024

Our "Constellation of Hope" campaign empowers women through Self Help Groups (SHGs) in Ethiopia, Afghanistan, Uganda, Bangladesh, and Somalia. These groups are among the most cost-effective transformative interventions globally, fostering financial independence and community resilience.

You can help spark transformative change through a donation to the Share Trust: https://thesharetrust.org/constellation-of-hope