Our Approach

The R.I.S.E. Artisan Fund invests in and supports early-stage artisan enterprises creating sustainable livelihoods for rural communities with few economic alternatives. The fund is managed by Realize Impact and Sprout Enterprise®.

Thanks to the generous support of our contributors, the R.I.S.E. Artisan Fund will be making investments this year of between $15,000 to $35,000 in artisan enterprises creating livelihoods in rural communities. We are inviting applications from enterprises which we promote via Sprout Enterprise® as well as from nominations by colleagues within our network.

Our preference is for revenue-based investments with a return of capital within 3 to 5 years. We expect enterprises to be ready to make use of loans for working capital or asset purchases, or to use purchase advances or factoring for production for international buyers.

Our goal is to create a revolving fund for future investment in artisan enterprises. We expect a return of capital on the investments we make.

Enterprise Development Framework

We use the R.I.S.E. Artisan Fund Enterprise Framework to assess artisan enterprise development. Enterprises qualifying for investment will most likely be at stage 3 or 4 of their enterprise development. Investment capital will enable these enterprises to reach the next stage of development and prepare them to scale successfully.

We expect artisan enterprises to have defined and track impact metrics aligned with one or more of the UN Sustainable Development Goals. These enterprises are redesigning business models based on sustainable and ethical business practices, skills development and training, revitalization of heritage crafts and shared ownership.