BRAC USA.

Mission

BRAC envisions a world free from all forms of exploitation and discrimination, where everyone can access opportunities to realize their potential. A leading international development organization known for its community-led, holistic approach, BRAC provides people living with inequality and poverty with the knowledge, tools and support needed for them to be agents of their own change. Founded in Bangladesh in 1972, today, we reach more than 100 million people in marginalized situations, hard-to-reach areas, and post-disaster settings across 17 countries in Asia and Africa, with a particular focus on uplifting women and children.

With nearly 700 million people living in ultra-poverty worldwide, BRAC recognizes the urgent need for innovative, scalable solutions. Since poverty and inequality are complex issues, solutions must be multidimensional. BRAC doesn’t just tackle single issues in isolation, we consider how challenges correlate and solutions intersect. Combining development thinking with business acumen, today BRAC is a world leader in developing and implementing cost-effective, evidence-based programs, and has been recognized as the number one development organization in the world for multiple consecutive years by Geneva-based independent media organization, NGO Advisor.

BRAC’s flagship program, the Graduation Approach, has been adapted by governments and organizations in over 50 countries as a pathway out of ultra-poverty. Our solutions ecosystem includes programming in education, Early Childhood Development (ECD), health care, youth empowerment, financial inclusion, agriculture, climate adaptation, human and legal rights, humanitarian response, including Play Labs for children, and more. Unlike traditional nonprofits, BRAC also operates social enterprises and microfinance programs, which help fund our social programs while providing benefits and services to millions.

BRAC’s model is to pilot ideas on a small scale, iterate until they are efficient and effective, and then scale them up to reach the highest number of people. Scale is only possible through collaboration. We partner with governments and other stakeholders to amplify and catalyze large-scale positive impact. BRAC is also a learning organization and works with internal and external evaluation experts to assess and improve our efforts–with significant research studies demonstrating the long-term effectiveness of our programs.

Organization Information