ROOT CAPITAL INC
130 BISHOP ALLEN DRIVE 2ND FLOOR, CAMBRIDGE, MA 021393309 www.rootcapital.org

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Organizations Filed Purposes: ROOT CAPITAL SEEKS TO INCREASE INCOMES AND STABILIZE EMPLOYMENT FOR FARMERS IN AFRICA, SOUTH-EAST ASIA, AND LATIN AMERICA. ROOT CAPITAL DOES THIS THROUGH A PROVEN CHANNEL: SUPPORT FOR AGRICULTURAL BUSINESSES THAT COLLECT AND MARKET THE CROPS OF THOUSANDS OF FARMERS. THROUGH A UNIQUE COMBINATION OF CAPITAL, TRAINING, AND ACCESS TO GLOBAL MARKETS, ROOT CAPITAL HELPS AGRICULTURAL BUSINESSES INCREASE FARMER INCOMES, WHICH IN TURN IMPROVES FOOD SECURITY, EMPOWERS WOMEN, CONSERVES ECOSYSTEMS, AND ENCOURAGES THE NEXT GENERATION OF FARMERS.

A NON-PROFIT ORGANIZATION THAT HELPS INCREASE INCOME AND STABILITY FOR RURAL FARMERS DISCONNECTED FROM THE FORMAL ECONOMY.

ROOT CAPITAL PROVIDES AGRICULTURAL BUSINESSES WITH A UNIQUE COMBINATION OF CAPITAL, TRAINING AND ACCESS TO GLOBAL MARKETS TO HELP THEM GROW. THESE CORE ACTIVITIES COMPRISE A THREE-PRONG STRATEGY: FINANCE, ADVISE, CATALYZE. PLEASE REFER TO THE ORGANIZATION'S WEBSITE FOR FURTHER INFORMATION AND STATISTICS ON PROGRAM ACCOMPLISHMENTS.FINANCE: ROOT CAPITAL TYPICALLY PROVIDES LOANS RANGING FROM $50,000 TO $3 MILLION TO RURAL SMALL AND GROWING BUSINESSES, ESPECIALLY THOSE BUSINESSES NOT CURRENTLY REACHED BY COMMERCIAL LENDERS.MOST ROOT CAPITAL LOANS CAN BE CATEGORIZED AS FOLLOWS:1) LINES OF CREDIT, WHICH ARE USED BY BORROWERS TO COVER COSTS OF PURCHASING RAW PRODUCT FROM THEIR FARMER SUPPLIERS. THESE LINES OF CREDIT HAVE TERMS OF UP TO ONE YEAR AND ARE GENERALLY ORIENTED AROUND A HARVEST OR PRODUCTION CYCLE.2) FIXED-ASSET LOANS WITH TERMS OF UP TO SEVEN YEARS FOR INVESTMENT INEQUIPMENT AND INFRASTRUCTURE.3) GENERAL WORKING CAPITAL LOANS WITH TERMS FROM ONE TO SEVEN YEARS.ROOT CAPITAL ASSESSES PROSPECTIVE CLIENTS AND EVALUATES THEM ON A SERIES OF FINANCIAL, SOCIAL, AND ENVIRONMENTAL CRITERIA. SOCIAL CRITERIA INCLUDE PRICES PAID TO SUPPLIERS, EMPLOYEE WAGES, AND WORKING CONDITIONS, AND COMPANY SUPPORT FOR SOCIAL PROGRAMS SUCH AS TRAINING AND MEDICAL CARE. ENVIRONMENTAL CRITERIA INCLUDE SOIL AND WATER MANAGEMENT, THE IMPACT OF THE BUSINESS ON THE SURROUNDING COMMUNITY, AND STANDARDS FOR PRODUCT HANDLING AND PROCESSING.ROOT CAPITAL'S LENDING SUPPORTS SUSTAINABLE ENVIRONMENTAL PRACTICES THAT PROTECT RURAL ECOSYSTEMS. CROPS PROCESSED AND MARKETED BY ROOT CAPITAL CLIENTS INCLUDE WILD-HARVESTED PRODUCTS SUCH AS NUTS AND NATIVE PLANTS FOR OILS, AGRO-FORESTRY CROPS SUCH AS SHADE-GROWN COFFEE AND COCOA, AND FARM-GROWN FRUITS AND VEGETABLES.LENDING OFFICERS STAY ENGAGED WITH CLIENTS THROUGHOUT THE TERM OF EACH LOAN, AND ROOT CAPITAL'S FINANCIAL ADVISORY SERVICES PROGRAM PROVIDES TRAINING AS NEEDED.

ADVISE: ROOT CAPITAL'S ADVISORY SERVICES PROGRAM PROVIDES TARGETED FINANCIAL TRAINING TO CURRENT AND PROSPECTIVE CLIENTS SO THEY HAVE THE FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT SKILLS THEY NEED TO GROW AND SUSTAIN THEIR BUSINESSES. ROOT CAPITAL'S FINANCIAL ADVISORY SERVICES (FAS)ARE DESIGNED TO PREPARE BUSINESSES WITH GROWTH POTENTIAL TO QUALIFY FOR CREDIT, TO SHEPHERD MORE PROSPECTIVE CLIENTS INTO OUR PORTFOLIO, AND TO MITIGATE THE RISK OF LENDING TO THESE BUSINESSES.THOUGH FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT TRAINING IS THE CORE OFFERING OF THE ORGANIZATION'S ADVISORY PROGRAM, ROOT CAPITAL ALSO PROVIDES COMPLIMENTARY NON-FINANCIAL SERVICES, SUCH AS PARTNERSHIP-BASED TRAINING IN AGRONOMY.ROOT CAPITAL PROVIDES TRAINING TO OUR CLIENTS ON FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT, AGRONOMIC PLANNING AND MONITORING, LOAN APPLICATION SUPPORT, FINANCIAL INSTITUTION (FI) ADVISORY AND MOBILE TECHNOLOGY.

CATALYZE: ROOT CAPITAL, INC. SEEKS TO CATALYZE A THRIVING FINANCIAL MARKET TO SUPPORT HISTORICALLY UNDERSERVED RURAL SMALL AND GROWING BUSINESSES. THE PROGRAM'S STRATEGY IS TO:- INNOVATE - CONDUCT R&D, STUDY IMPACT AT THE HOUSEHOLD AND BUSINESS LEVELS, AND LOOK FOR WAYS TO INCREASE IMPACT.- ACCELERATE - SHARE LEARNING FROM WORK WITH LIKE-MINDED PEERS TO BUILD COMMON STANDARDS AND PRACTICES NECESSARY FOR THE INDUSTRY TO THRIVE AND SCALE.THROUGH INDUSTRY ASSOCIATIONS SUCH AS THE ASPEN NETWORK OF DEVELOPMENT ENTREPRENEURS AND THE GLOBAL IMPACT INVESTMENT NETWORK, ROOT CAPITAL PLAYS A LEADERSHIP ROLE IN BUILDING THE ENABLING ENVIRONMENT FOR RURAL SMALL AND GROWING BUSINESS FINANCE.AS A NON-PROFIT COMMITTED TO ALLEVIATING RURAL POVERTY, ROOT CAPITAL SEEKS TO MAXIMIZE THE POSITIVE SOCIAL AND ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT OF OUR WORK. ECONOMIC, COMMUNITY, AND ENVIRONMENTAL SUSTAINABILITY ARE ALL PART OF OUR CORE VALUES.ECONOMIC SUSTAINABILITY - ROOT CAPITAL CLIENTS LINK SMALL-SCALE FARMERS TO MARKETS THAT CAN OFFER HIGHER AND MORE STABLE PRICES THAN THEY HAVE HISTORICALLY RECEIVED. ROOT CAPITAL CLIENTS ALSO GENERATE EMPLOYMENT INCLUDING MANAGERS, ACCOUNTANTS, AGRICULTURAL EXTENSION STAFF, DRIVERS, AND WORKERS AT PROCESSING PLANTS.ROOT CAPITAL WORKS WITH UNIQUE BUYERS OF AGRICULTURAL AND OTHER SUSTAINABLE PRODUCTS WORLDWIDE INCLUDING COMPANIES SUCH AS COOPERATIVE COFFEES, ANDEAN NATURALS, GEPA, STARBUCKS, KEURIG GREEN MOUNTAIN, AND EQUAL EXCHANGE.COMMUNITY SUSTAINABILITY - FARMER ASSOCIATIONS ENCOURAGE PARTICIPATORY DECISION-MAKING AND ARE A SOURCE OF COMMUNITY OWNERSHIP AND PRIDE. THEY ALSO STEM MIGRATION TO URBAN AREAS BY MAKING TRADITIONAL AGRICULTURAL ACTIVITIES MORE VIABLE. SOCIAL IMPACT INCLUDES STABILIZING INCOMES IN RURAL COMMUNITIES AND CREATING NEW ECONOMIC OPPORTUNITIES FOR WOMEN, INDIGENOUS PEOPLES AND OTHER MARGINALIZED GROUPS.ENVIRONMENTAL SUSTAINABILITY - ROOT CAPITAL CLIENTS TYPICALLY PROVIDE FARMERS WITH TRAINING IN SUSTAINABLE PRODUCTION TO AVOID DEFORESTATION, REDUCE CHEMICAL USE, IMPROVE WATER AND SOIL MANAGEMENT, AND OTHERWISE PROTECT THE HEALTH OF RURAL ECOSYSTEMS.

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