Our Impact

All Regions

Ending global poverty depends on creating a sustainable impact. We rigorously collect and analyze data from our projects to continually improve our approach and scale up progress. Below is TechnoServe’s topline impact from the past year.

How technoserve provides solutions for poverty - Our business solutions for poverty give clients the financial benefits they need to improve their incomes

$366m

Financial Benefits

beneficiaries of technoserve's business solutions for poverty include smallholder farmers icon

1.3m

People/Enterprises with Increased Revenue

women beneficiaries are a key focus in our business solutions for poverty icon

39%

Women Beneficiaries

ROI icon

$5

Average Return On Investment

TechnoServe was rated the #1 nonprofit at reducing poverty by ImpactMatters

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Our Measurement Approach

TechnoServe rigorously tracks the revenues of the people and businesses we support–along with many other indicators–to ensure the effectiveness of our programming. We then analyze these data to identify successful project models and learn how to improve future approaches.

As one of the premier organizations helping fight global poverty, transparency is the cornerstone of TechnoServe’s measurement approach. We share data on the impact all our projects create, regardless of whether it looks good or bad. We believe this transparency can inform greater and more effective programs aimed at reducing poverty, both within TechnoServe and in the broader development community.

View 2022 Impact Data

Measurement Blogs

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Cost-Effective Impact

Just as investors seek the maximum financial return for their clients, TechnoServe works to turn every program dollar into the greatest possible income gains for our own clients: the people we work with in the developing world. We analyze the cost-effectiveness of all our work, applying lessons to programs across our portfolio.

$5

Average income gain for every $1 in program cost.

Spotlight: Big Impact for the Money

YEP program participants in India

TechnoServe’s Youth Employability Program built on the success of an earlier program, which developed a model for helping young people in Mumbai’s marginalized communities enter the white-collar workforce. After that program closed in 2016, this follow-on initiative scaled that model and closed in 2018 with an ROI of more than 20.

$22.80

Average income gain for every $1 in program cost.

External Evaluations

Whenever possible, TechnoServe leverages external evaluators to conduct independent assessments and evaluate our implementation model. Learn more about external evaluations of our work.

 

2022 Measurement Changes

In 2022, TechnoServe updated our impact calculations with three new metrics: “Lives Improved,” “People/Enterprises with Improved Revenue,” and “Better Jobs.”

“Lives Improved”: This metric better captures the full picture of TechnoServe’s impact, which is designed to create a halo effect beyond those we work with directly. To determine this figure, we calculate the number of:

  • Past or present TechnoServe clients who increased their revenue in 2022 as a result of TechnoServe’s work
  • Family members of those who increased their revenue (based on average family size, as reported by TechnoServe program staff)
  • People or businesses who are not TechnoServe clients, but for whom we have data indicating that (as a result of TechnoServe’s work), they undertook or experienced changes that usually result in increased revenue
  • Jobs created as a result of TechnoSere’s work, or employees whose job stability has improved as a result of our work with their employing businesses

“People/Enterprises with Improved Revenue”: In addition to those we work with directly who have experienced measured revenue growth, we now include those outside TechnoServe programs who have shown strong indications of revenue growth as a result of our work. This includes, for instance, those who:

  • Received training from a local TechnoServe partner
  • Saw or heard informational media programming from TNS or a TNS partner
  • Are members of a client cooperative or association

We include these “indirect beneficiaries” in our calculation of “People/Enterprises with Improved Revenue” if they undertake or experience changes that typically lead to revenue gains, such as:

  • Entering a new value chain
  • Benefiting from crop price increases 
  • Purchasing new farm or business supplies that can improve revenue

“Better Jobs”: This metric captures how many jobs have been created, strengthened, or filled as a result of TechnoServe’s work, within our entrepreneurship programs. (We hope to expand this measurement to all our programs in the future.) 

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Resources

The Lasting Impact of TechnoServe’s Work with Coffee Farmers

Triple Line was contracted by TechnoServe to evaluate the impact of the East Africa Coffee Initiative (2008-11) in Rwanda, Kenya, Tanzania and Ethiopia with the objective of helping smallholder farmers to improve productivity and increase incomes.

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Accelerating Impact from Entrepreneurs

Lessons learned from TechnoServe’s work with SGBs in Central America, based on research conducted by Emory University and the Impulsa Tu Empresa program.

English PDF