
Five Talents is a nonprofit organization that empowers communities worldwide by providing financial services and training to small business owners, particularly women.
Their innovative approach has helped thousands of entrepreneurs access capital and build sustainable businesses.
In some African countries, Five Talents has trained over 10,000 women to become successful business owners, with many reporting significant increases in income and improved living standards.
These women are now able to support their families and contribute to their local economies.
A different take: Five Star Business Finance Share Price
What We Do
We empower the poor in developing countries by helping them learn to read and write in their mother tongue, and to start and grow their own small businesses.
Five Talents has been working in some of the poorest and most overlooked areas of the world since 1998, developing savings groups and community banks, and providing financial literacy and business skills training.
We work closely with local partners to help families and communities learn to budget, save, invest, develop, and grow small businesses.
More than 700 million people worldwide live on less than $1.90 per day, struggling to survive with minimal access to education, healthcare, electricity, safe water and other critical services.
Five Talents transforms lives and communities through economic empowerment by facilitating financial inclusion and microenterprise development.
We aim to end extreme poverty by serving the marginalized and vulnerable poor in fragile states and underserved areas of the world.
Our vision is to eradicate extreme poverty by restoring human dignity and creating strong, sustainable communities.
We have aligned our programs with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals and the global development agenda set by the World Bank for reaching universal financial inclusion by 2030.
By empowering the poor and helping them learn to budget, save, invest, and develop sustainable businesses, we aim to fight poverty, create jobs, and transform lives.
We provide access to training and basic financial services, opportunities to underserved groups, and work in partnership with the local church to achieve spiritual transformation.
Broaden your view: South Pacific Business Development
Our Approach
We use a client-focused and community-centered approach to equip local entrepreneurs and mobilize local resources for sustainable development.
Our approach involves building the skills and capacity of local organizations to serve their communities through capacity building.
Literacy and financial literacy training is a crucial first step for many participants in our programs, who often have limited educational background, and helps them develop skills and get accredited in literacy, numeracy, and financial literacy.
We organize micro-entrepreneurs into groups that provide encouragement and accountability, which become hubs for community development measures like further training, peace-building, and healthcare opportunities.
Every micro-entrepreneur learns how to manage money wisely and develops fiscal discipline by putting away a portion of their earnings into savings, which helps them budget, plan, and prepare for emergencies.
Participants in our programs receive mentorship in community savings and business development, which enables them to become fully self-managing and self-sustaining after one to three years.
Recommended read: Rise Asset Development
Organization
Five Talents has a proven track record of empowering the extreme poor around the world, with twenty years of history and experience working in twenty developing countries.
Their approach is built on a savings-led, community-centered model that avoids the pitfalls of traditional microfinance.
The organization has strong partnerships with indigenous organizations that are known, respected, effective, and accountable in their communities.
These partnerships are often with large grassroots networks of women's ministries through the Anglican Church.
Five Talents' staff and program leaders have extensive experience in coordinating and running these programs, which is essential for their success.
The organization's Board of Directors provides a wealth of experience in finance, economic, community, and business development.
Five Talents has registered offices in the United States, Kenya, and the United Kingdom, which helps them maintain a global presence and reach more communities.
Check this out: 1899 United States Five-dollar Silver Certificate
Reviews
Reviews of Five Talents have been overwhelmingly positive, with many praising its innovative approach to microfinance.
One reviewer noted that the organization's focus on training and education has been instrumental in helping entrepreneurs in developing countries build successful businesses.
Five Talents has a strong track record of helping women and other marginalized groups achieve economic independence.
A significant number of borrowers have reported increased income and improved living standards after receiving loans from Five Talents.
In a review, a borrower mentioned that the organization's flexible repayment terms allowed them to manage their finances effectively and make progress on their business goals.
The organization's emphasis on community development has also been praised, with many reviewers noting the positive impact on local economies and communities.
Leadership
Leadership is not just about being in charge, but about getting the right things done. Drucker reminds us that the measure of the executive is their ability to "get the right things done".
According to Drucker, this usually involves doing what other people have overlooked as well as avoiding what is unproductive. It's not about being the boss, but about being effective.
Great leaders drive extraordinary performance, and it's not just about hard work. Dr Ali Abdaal has found that the secret to productivity and success is feeling good, not grind.
A different take: Which Composer Was Not a Member of the Russian Five?
To be a great leader, you need to have the right talents. Barry Conchie and Sarah Dalton's book, Five Talents That Really Matter, is a well-researched analysis of what talents are at the core of great leaders.
It's not just about being charismatic or having a strong personality, but about having the right mix of skills and abilities. By understanding what talents are most important, you can create a clear path to building strong leadership within a company.
The right talents can help you overcome fear and achieve your goals. Mel Robbins' life-changing Audible Original features a powerful mix of one-on-one life-coaching sessions and a personal narrative with vital take-aways that you can start using immediately.
To become extraordinary and impact the world at scale, you need to have the right framework. Thibaut Meurisse's book, Do the Impossible, provides the exact framework you need to become extraordinary and make a difference.
By focusing on the right things and avoiding what is unproductive, you can achieve great things. It's not just about being in charge, but about making a real impact.
Recommended read: One of the Five Types of Vehicle Insurance Is ___________________.
Awards and Future
Five Talents has received numerous awards for its outstanding work in empowering the extreme poor. One of these awards is from Greater Washington's Catalogue for Philanthropy, which named Five Talents US "one of the best" non-profits.
Five Talents UK won the 2011 Award from Advocates for International Development (A4ID) for the best Development Partner. This award celebrates the outstanding achievements of legal professionals and the development organisations they have worked with in tackling extreme poverty and meeting the UN’s Millennium Development Goals.
Over the past twenty+ years, Five Talents has reached an impressive milestone of working in twenty one countries.
Awards
Five Talents US was named "one of the best" non-profits by Greater Washington's Catalogue for Philanthropy, which evaluates applicants based on distinction, merit, and impact.
The evaluation process involves 115 reviewers from various backgrounds, including foundations, corporations, and peer non-profits.
Five Talents UK won the 2011 Award from Advocates for International Development (A4ID) for being the best Development Partner, celebrating outstanding achievements in tackling extreme poverty and meeting the UN’s Millennium Development Goals.
What's Next?
Five Talents has made significant progress in empowering the extreme poor, but there's still more to be done. Over the next three years, the organization aims to expand its programs to reach more families in the countries where they work.
The impact of Five Talents' programs is evident in the numbers. They've reached over 3,000 communities and equipped over 3,300 churches worldwide. This expansion will help even more families start and develop their own small businesses.
One of the key factors contributing to the success of Five Talents' programs is the creation of savings groups. Each of the 3,100 savings groups created has developed its own constitution, appointed its own leadership, and established separate emergency or social insurance funds. This level of autonomy and self-sufficiency is crucial for long-term sustainability.
The success of Five Talents' programs is also reflected in the loan repayment rate, which has averaged over 90%. This is a testament to the effectiveness of their approach and the trust that has been built with the communities they serve.
A different take: Newburyport Five Cents Savings Bank
Sources
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Five_Talents
- https://www.guidestar.org/profile/54-1940918
- https://www.forbes.com/sites/martinzwilling/2024/08/25/5-talents-that-really-matter-for-great-business-leadership/
- https://register-of-charities.charitycommission.gov.uk/en/charity-search/-/charity-details/4020618
- https://www.audible.com/pd/The-Five-Talents-That-Really-Matter-Audiobook/B0CQ8VQH15
Featured Images: pexels.com