About the Together Women Rise Grants Program
Together Women Rise is a collective giving community advancing global gender equality. In 2026, we awarded a $45,000 grant to Adelante Foundation. aims to empower enterprising women with the least opportunity to achieve economic self-sufficiency. Created following the devastation of Hurricane Mitch in 1998, Adelante (meaning “forward” in Spanish) uses microfinance to directly address the persistent economic exclusion of low-income women in Honduras, many of whom remain outside the formal financial system and lack resources to achieve economic independence.
Mónica’s Story
Mónica always had the heart of an entrepreneur but lacked the access or opportunity to make her dreams of financial independence come true. She was caring for her young children and surviving in a system that kept her excluded from even the hope of advancement. But then she heard about Adelante. Friends encouraged her to attend financial education meetings and join a loan group run by Adelante. Sixteen years ago, Mónica received her first loan from Adelante, and with it, she began to change her life and the lives of her children.
Mónica’s first business was small – she sold snacks at a local school. As her confidence and income grew, Mónica moved her business into her home to save on rent, stretching her earnings and planning for the future. Adelante’s support helped her grow her business steadily over the years. Today, Mónica’s small snack stand has transformed into a thriving diner, and it is nearing registration as an official restaurant. She even hosts special events, like weddings, which allows her to hire additional help – many of them family and neighbors – creating a ripple effect of employment and empowerment within her community.
With each loan, Adelante has empowered Mónica not just to expand her business but to build a life of stability, dignity, and pride. She has been able to make important home improvements, from repairing windows to plastering walls, creating a safe environment for her family. Importantly, the financial skills she has learned through Adelante have helped her manage her finances wisely. She can now budget, save, and invest with confidence, paying her bills on time and planning for the future. And Mónica stands as a role model for other women in her community, breaking barriers and proving that empowerment and independence start with opportunity.
What’s Driving the Problem
In Honduras, poverty is an urgent, persistent risk to women. They face entrenched barriers to employment, capital, and decision-making power. Honduras has one of the lowest female labor force participation rates in the region, and it
Though the financial gender gap in Honduras shows signs of improving, it is still wide, especially when it comes to credit granted in the commercial sector where men have significantly greater access. Women also have higher costs associated with the credit they can access, including higher interest rates than men. But here’s a critical data point found by the Honduran National Banking and Insurance Commission: On average, women in Honduras – and typically in other countries as well – have better payment behavior than men. When given access to credit, they are more likely to pay it back.
Adelante’s Community-Based Solutions in Action
Adelante provides microloans and financial literacy to women otherwise excluded from the formal economy, using an approach that is based on the proven link between economic empowerment and gender equality: when women control resources, they gain influence in their households and communities. Studies, including those by the World Bank and UN Women, consistently show that empowering women economically improves household wellbeing, increases children’s school attendance, and contributes to community development. By investing in their children’s education, women take a step toward breaking generational cycles of poverty.
Adelante focuses on the intersection of poverty and gender inequality by ensuring women’s access to credit, knowledge, and support to build sustainable livelihoods. Investing in women as entrepreneurs addresses both the symptoms and root causes of gender inequality in Honduras. This work leads to more resilient families, greater economic stability, and generational change. When women earn income and gain agency, communities grow stronger and more equitable.
How Our Grant Will Be Used
Together Women Rise’s grant of $45,000 funds “Equal Access: Advancing Gender Equity through Microfinance” Project:
Funding supports expansion of this project, enabling Adelante to meet rising demand and reach more underserved women. This 12-month, phased program pairs subsidized microloans with practical financial education for low-income entrepreneurial women in communities surrounding Adelante’s field offices, located in some of the most impoverished areas in Honduras.
- In months 1–3, Adelante will disburse small loans and deliver training on savings, credit, and budgeting (with family and community involvement).
- In months 4–6, Credit Officers will visit clients to monitor how funds are invested, manage collections, and gather feedback.
- In months 7–12, repaid loans will be reinvested and the training/monitoring cycle will repeat.
- Throughout the year, Adelante will track business growth and household outcomes (safer homes, healthier diets, increased savings), document success stories, collaborate with community leaders to expand reach, and offer optional impact tours so stakeholders can meet clients and hear results firsthand.
Microloans for a variety of purposes, including:
- start or grow businesses ranging from food vending and small retail shops to agricultural production and home-based services like tailoring and craft work.
- subsidize latrines, sinks, and biodigesters for healthy conditions at home and the workplace
- improve conditions at homes (such as a new roof or flooring) for home-based businesses
- support women farmers and rural producers to diversify crops and improve productivity;
- support school uniforms, supplies, and transportation for the children of participants.
With a historical loan repayment rate of over 95% and an average loan cycle of 6 – 10 months, the reinvestment of repaid capital allows Adelante to serve at least 700 women over five years – and eventually, to continue supporting women indefinitely. Financial training is provided by Adelante not only to the women participating in the grant program, but also to their families and members of their communities. The current education model is hybrid, combining both virtual and in-person formats. Adelante projects that at least 50% of participating women (125 women) will engage in the training during the first two years and they will invite additional family and community members, extending the benefits to at least 120 more people.
Microloans will serve as the foundation for starting or expanding businesses, increasing income, building resilience in the face of adversity, and achieving economic independence. Microfinance is a sustainable model when repayment rates are high. The nominal interest rate ranges from just 3% to 5% – much more affordable than the 20–30% charged by other financial institutions in Honduras. The interest Adelante collects covers operational costs, making the model self-sustaining.
| “I have been working for Adelante Foundation since 2006. I started as an educator, teaching financial literacy and later became a Credit Officer working directly with women and helping them secure and manage loans. I have seen a lot of women achieve their dreams. Many have gone on to experience business success and see their children graduate…Working for Adelante has also allowed me to achieve my goals. With their education stipend, I obtained my bachelor’s degree, have my own house, and am able to help my family too! I’m also thankful for all the love that I experience daily working with the women we serve. It is a true joy.” – Mercedes Soto, Well-Being Officer |
Microfinance is not charity – it empowers women to pursue opportunities. Entrepreneurs retain ownership of goals and accomplishments and experience sustainable economic development.
| “I am proud of my work. Every day we serve women entrepreneurs who have an important role in their household and local economy. It is great to see how our financing program contributes to improving the quality of life of each of our clients and their families. When their enterprises thrive, they use income to educate their children, improve their homes, and innovate their businesses. My hope and dream is that Adelante expands to other areas to empower change in the lives of more women who have few opportunities in this competitive and often unfair world.” – Sandra Romero, Branch Manager |
Impact and Transformation
For 25 years, Adelante has supported (on average) 5,000 Honduran women annually, providing microloans and training to help them launch and grow micro and small businesses, escape generational poverty, build resilience, improve health, and lead more empowered lives.
- Since 2000 Adelante has provided over $57 million in loans, benefiting over 175,000 underserved women. In 2024, the organization served 3,800 vulnerable women with $3.29 million in loans, with
- Loans range from $25 – $2,500.
- Beneficiaries consistently report higher income and business profits after participating in Adelante programs.
- 97% of Adelante beneficiaries report having greater self-confidence managing their finances after participating in Adelante programs.
- 92% of Adelante beneficiaries report having greater confidence in making household decisions.
- Adelante’s self-sustainable model means the repayment rate provides the ability to serve vulnerable women in perpetuity. Funding is used to expand the number of women served in more regions and ensures that financial literacy education is offered to entrepreneurs.
Direct impact of the grant that Together Women Rise is co-funding: Minimum of 250 (up to 300) women, Indirect impact: 600 women and girls
| Adelante participant Rosa Bueso works long days to ensure her customers have fresh tortillas for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Her business is thriving, and most of her tortillas are sold by order. Proud of her work, Rosa supports not only herself but also her elderly parents and two daughters. Before receiving a loan from Adelante, she struggled with excessive heat and sunlight while working in front of her home. With her first loan of $200, she extended her roof for better protection and purchased more ingredients to expand her business. As a single mother with limited means, qualifying for a traditional loan without high interest in Honduras is nearly impossible. Rosa is grateful for the opportunity to grow her business, improve her home, increase her income, and enhance her family’s quality of life: “This won’t be my last loan. Thank you, Adelante!” |
Mission Alignment
This project aligns well with Together Women Rise’s mission to advance gender equality. It pairs access to capital with capability-building, giving women not just a loan but the skills and confidence to make it work. Grounded in communities and involving families, it strengthens household well-being while growing women-led enterprises. The continuous tracking of outcomes and sharing of real client stories make the impact tangible and accountable. Adelante Foundation is committed to a world where women and girls are ensured equity and opportunity. By investing in women’s economic independence, Adelante challenges the systemic inequities that have long held women back, aiming to build a more just, inclusive world – one where every woman can thrive.
Budget
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Source Materials
National Commission of Banks and Insurance – Honduras (CNBS)
