Economic Development

Global Communities' economic development programs engage youth, conflict-affected populations, the poor, the food-insecure and other vulnerable and at-risk groups to enable them to achieve greater access to economic opportunities. The core principle of our approach is market facilitation—helping people identify and implement commercially viable and sustainable solutions themselves.

Pro-Poor Value Chain Development

Global Communities identifies economic sectors in which the poor are active but failing to achieve economic success. Using our market facilitation approach, we help to build the capacity of value chain actors to assess end markets, improve quality, establish business linkages and access new markets.

Economic Strengthening for Vulnerable Households

Global Communities builds resiliency and reduces household vulnerability to economic, social, health and environmental shocks through economic strengthening activities, such as savings mobilization, youth job placement services and farmer field schools, alongside psychosocial support, health care, education assistance and improved access to water and sanitation.

Agriculture and Food Security

Global Communities addresses chronic food-insecurity by focusing on livelihood recovery and income generation. We use a combination of tools including replenishment of livestock assets, provision of basic agricultural equipment, productivity-enhancing agricultural trainings and the rehabilitation of key economic infrastructure.

Youth Employment and Workforce Development

Global Communities works with educational and vocational institutions to provide youth with training that meets the labor demands of the private sector.  CHF promotes youth entrepreneurship through a skills-to-business approach that harnesses market opportunities for new business creation. 

Local Economic Development

Global Communities leverages its strength in community development to engage the government, the private sector and civil society to define joint economic priorities and design targeted interventions that lead to a more vibrant local economic environment. 

Cooperative Development

Global Communities has been a leading force in the cooperative development movement starting with the U.S. cooperative housing movement in 1952, when the organization was called the Cooperative Housing Foundation. Global Communities has since expanded its expertise, programs, and geographic scope to provide individuals and communities around the world with the necessary tools to improve their lives. Global Communities is a member of the Overseas Cooperative Development Council (OCDC). Read more about Global Communities' cooperative development work here.

We undertake economic development work in countries such as Armenia, Mongolia, Rwanda, Liberia, Lebanon and Yemen.