
The 3rd Creek Foundation focuses on poverty alleviation in low-income countries by backing market-driven livelihoods and enterprise models that create jobs and increase smallholder farmer income. They favor capacity-building (training, accelerators, and technical assistance) and piloting scalable agricultural and clean-energy enterprises in sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia. Grants tend to support intermediaries and local partners that convert business models into jobs for the ultra‑poor rather than direct service delivery.
A defining pattern at 3rd Creek Foundation is its use of small, catalytic grants to help early-stage partners test and scale livelihood models for people living in poverty. In 2025, it gave multiple grants of $20,000 to Upaya Social Ventures to support businesses in India that create jobs for the ultra poor, and it backed Development in Gardening to run farmer field school programs in southwest Uganda. Those awards fit a broader portfolio that connects job creation, agriculture, and enterprise development rather than direct service delivery. The foundation’s recent grants also show a strong preference for intermediaries and local partners that build capacity around income generation. Street Business School received support for Global Catalyst Partner Training, while Anza Entrepreneurs was funded to strengthen investment readiness for Tanzanian social enterprises. Other awards supported clean charcoal briquette manufacturing, smallholder farmer productivity, and enterprise models that convert training, inputs, or technical assistance into income. The overall picture is of a funder that uses modest grants and program-related investments to back organizations working with ultra-poor households, unemployed people, women entrepreneurs, and smallholder farmers across low- and middle-income countries.
In agriculture and smallholder livelihoods, 3rd Creek Foundation supported Development in Gardening with $20,000 for farmer field school programs in southwest Uganda and gave $15,000 to King Baudouin Foundation US (Farming out of Poverty) for agricultural and livelihoods training. It also funded Safe Inclusion with $10,000 to increase agricultural productivity and shift subsistence farmers toward commercial crops with marketable surplus. The foundation also backs enterprise-building and skills platforms. Street Business School received $20,000 for Global Catalyst Partner Training, and Anza Entrepreneurs received $15,000 for an investment readiness accelerator for Tanzanian social enterprise. In clean-energy livelihoods, The Charcoal Project received $15,000 to advance clean charcoal briquette manufacturers and job creation for ultra poor, unemployed persons. Women’s economic empowerment appears in both the enterprise and clean-energy work, while farmer training, market access, and technical assistance recur across the portfolio.
$348K
$2M
$160K
$90K
Most grants fall between $14K and $16K, with a median of $15K.
25th Percentile
$14K
Median
$15K
75th Percentile
$16K
About 0% of grants go to recipients in NY.
Top 5 recipient countries by grant volume for 3rd Creek Foundation.
| Rank | Country | Grants | Total | Share |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | United StatesDomestic | 16 | $235K | 48.5% |
| 2 | United Kingdom | 6 | $90K |
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Concentrated, programmatic giving focused on a small set of repeat grantees and intermediaries; mostly modest-to-medium sized grants that fund capacity building, pilot models, and recoverable investments rather than one-off charity payments.
Notable grantees: Upaya Social Ventures, Anza Entrepreneurs, Street Business School, Development in Gardening, The Charcoal Project
The foundation’s typical grant size is tightly clustered: p25 is $14,238, median is $15,000, and p75 is $16,250. Recent awards also include multiple $15,000 grants and a $10,000 grant, which points to a compact, early-stage funding style rather than large one-off bets. The recent record shows repeated support to the same organizations across years, including Upaya Social Ventures, Street Business School, The Charcoal Project, Anza Entrepreneurs, and Development in Gardening. 3rd Creek Foundation is a regular funder and also makes program-related investments, with up to 15% of its portfolio allocated to impact investments in early-stage social enterprises. Unsolicited applications are not accepted in the program descriptions provided.
Grant activity is concentrated outside the foundation’s Nevada headquarters, with 0% of grants going to recipients in NV. The top state by grant count is New York, and recipient locations in the recent grants include Brooklyn and New York City. Other named U.S. cities include Seattle, Atlanta, Boulder, and Lamu Town. Outside the U.S., the grants list shows partners in India, Uganda, Tanzania, Sierra Leone, Burundi, and Kenya, reflecting a regional footprint that extends across Sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia.
It funds nonprofit partners and organizations working on poverty alleviation, economic opportunity, agriculture, climate-smart agriculture, food security, WASH, livelihoods, and income generation. The recent grants also show support for social enterprise intermediaries and local partners that build skills, market access, and job creation pathways for ultra-poor communities.
Its grant sizes are clustered around $15,000. The provided distribution shows p25 at $14,238, median at $15,000, and p75 at $16,250, with recent grants including $10,000, $13,000, $15,000, $20,000, and a $30,000 award.
No. The program descriptions provided for its grantmaking and impact investment activity state that unsolicited applications are not accepted.
Yes. The recent grants list shows repeat support to several organizations across years, including Upaya Social Ventures, Street Business School, The Charcoal Project, Anza Entrepreneurs, and Development in Gardening. That pattern suggests an ongoing partner-based approach rather than purely one-time awards.
Recent grants are heavily U.S.-based by recipient location, with the largest concentration in New York, plus Seattle, Atlanta, Boulder, and Brooklyn. The international awards in the recent list reach India, Uganda, Tanzania, Sierra Leone, Burundi, and Kenya.
2026
Source: IRS Form 990-PF, fiscal year 2026.
| 3 | Malawi | 5 | $64K | 15.2% |
| 4 | Burundi | 3 | $20K | 9.1% |
| 5 | Kenya | 3 | $15K | 9.1% |
Recipient country reflects the grantee's headquarters per IRS 990-PF and Schedule F filings, not the program's implementation country.
Most recent grants reported to the IRS.
| Recipient | Location | Amount | Year | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Development in Gardening | Atlanta, GA | $15,000 | 2026 | To support farmer field school programs in southwest Uganda |
| KBFUS Farming Out of Poverty | New York, NY | $15,000 | 2026 | To support FOOPs program model reaching smallholder Sierra Leonean farmers with inputs as a service, knowledge building, and access to markets. Grant includes support of greenhouse construction in Tormabum. |
| Anza Entrepreneurs | Portcawl | $15,000 | 2026 | Support investment accelerator for Tanzanian enterprises positively impacting poor through product or job creation |
| AfES | Blantyre, So | $13,000 | 2026 | To enhance food, nutrition and income security through raising the capacities of 100 small holder farmers that are living in Chigalu community in Blantyre District. Includes goat loan program |
| The Charcoal Project | Brooklyn, NY | $10,000 | 2026 | Advancing clean charcoal briquette manufacturers and job creation for ultra poor, unemployed persons |
| Street Business School | Boulder, CO | $20,000 | 2025 | Support local NGO to receive Street Business School's Global Catalyst Partner Training |
| Development in Gardening | Atlanta, GA | $20,000 | 2025 | To support farmer field school programs in southwest Uganda |
| Upaya Social Ventures | Seattle, WA | $20,000 | 2025 | Support businesses in India to create jobs for the ultra poor |
| Upaya Social Ventures | Seattle, WA | $20,000 | 2025 | Support businesses in India to create jobs for the ultra poor |
| Anza Entrepreneurs | Portcawl | $15,000 | 2025 | Support investment accelerator for Tanzanian enterprises positively impacting poor through product or job creation |
| The Charcoal Project | Brooklyn, NY | $15,000 | 2025 | Advancing clean charcoal briquette manufacturers and job creation for ultra poor, unemployed persons |
| Anza Entrepreneurs | Portcawl | $15,000 | 2025 | Support investment accelerator for Tanzanian enterprises positively impacting poor through product or job creation |
| KBFUS Farming Out of Poverty | New York, NY | $15,000 | 2025 | To support FOOPs program model reaching smallholder Sierra Leonean farmers with inputs as a service, knowledge building, and access to markets. Grant includes support of greenhouse construction in Tormabum. |
| AfES | Blantyre | $13,000 | 2025 | To enhance food, nutrition and income security through raising the capacities of 100 small holder farmers that are living in Chigalu community in Blantyre District. Includes goat loan program |
| AfES | Blantyre | $11,950 | 2025 | To enhance food, nutrition and income security through raising the capacities of 100 small holder farmers that are living in Chigalu community in Blantyre District. |
| Safe Inclusion | Bujumbura | $10,000 | 2025 | To increase agricultural productivity moving subsistence farmers to commercial crops with a marketable surplus. |
| Lamu Tamu Beekeepers Co-operative | Lamu Town | $5,000 | 2025 | enhance income security to beekeepers through providing training and technical assistance to increase their honey productivity |
| Upaya Social Ventures | Seattle, WA | $30,000 | 2023 | Support businesses in India to create jobs for the ultra poor Pool of Recoverable Grants |
| Anza Entrepreneurs | Porthcawl | $15,000 | 2023 | Support Investment Readiness Accelerator for Tanzanian social enterprise |
| Street Business School | Boulder, CO | $15,000 | 2023 | Support local NGOs to receive Street Business Schools Global Catalyst Partner Training |
| Development in Gardening | Atlanta, GA | $15,000 | 2023 | Support Batwa core farmer livelihood program in SW Uganda |
| King Baudouin Foundation US (Farming out of Poverty) | New York, NY | $15,000 | 2023 | Support agricultural and livelihoods training for those in need |
| The Charcoal Project | Brooklyn, NY | $10,000 | 2023 | Unrestricted grant to support organizations work advancing clean charcoal briquette manufacturers to support job creation, household savings, womens empowerment, and improved health outcomes |
Development in Gardening
$15,000To support farmer field school programs in southwest Uganda
KBFUS Farming Out of Poverty
$15,000To support FOOPs program model reaching smallholder Sierra Leonean farmers with inputs as a service, knowledge building, and access to markets. Grant includes support of greenhouse construction in Tormabum.
Anza Entrepreneurs
$15,000Support investment accelerator for Tanzanian enterprises positively impacting poor through product or job creation
AfES
$13,000To enhance food, nutrition and income security through raising the capacities of 100 small holder farmers that are living in Chigalu community in Blantyre District. Includes goat loan program
The Charcoal Project
$10,000Advancing clean charcoal briquette manufacturers and job creation for ultra poor, unemployed persons
Street Business School
$20,000Support local NGO to receive Street Business School's Global Catalyst Partner Training
Development in Gardening
$20,000To support farmer field school programs in southwest Uganda
Upaya Social Ventures
$20,000Support businesses in India to create jobs for the ultra poor
Upaya Social Ventures
$20,000Support businesses in India to create jobs for the ultra poor
Anza Entrepreneurs
$15,000Support investment accelerator for Tanzanian enterprises positively impacting poor through product or job creation
The Charcoal Project
$15,000Advancing clean charcoal briquette manufacturers and job creation for ultra poor, unemployed persons
Anza Entrepreneurs
$15,000Support investment accelerator for Tanzanian enterprises positively impacting poor through product or job creation
KBFUS Farming Out of Poverty
$15,000To support FOOPs program model reaching smallholder Sierra Leonean farmers with inputs as a service, knowledge building, and access to markets. Grant includes support of greenhouse construction in Tormabum.
AfES
$13,000To enhance food, nutrition and income security through raising the capacities of 100 small holder farmers that are living in Chigalu community in Blantyre District. Includes goat loan program
AfES
$11,950To enhance food, nutrition and income security through raising the capacities of 100 small holder farmers that are living in Chigalu community in Blantyre District.
Safe Inclusion
$10,000To increase agricultural productivity moving subsistence farmers to commercial crops with a marketable surplus.
Lamu Tamu Beekeepers Co-operative
$5,000enhance income security to beekeepers through providing training and technical assistance to increase their honey productivity
Upaya Social Ventures
$30,000Support businesses in India to create jobs for the ultra poor Pool of Recoverable Grants
Anza Entrepreneurs
$15,000Support Investment Readiness Accelerator for Tanzanian social enterprise
Street Business School
$15,000Support local NGOs to receive Street Business Schools Global Catalyst Partner Training
Development in Gardening
$15,000Support Batwa core farmer livelihood program in SW Uganda
King Baudouin Foundation US (Farming out of Poverty)
$15,000Support agricultural and livelihoods training for those in need
The Charcoal Project
$10,000Unrestricted grant to support organizations work advancing clean charcoal briquette manufacturers to support job creation, household savings, womens empowerment, and improved health outcomes