About
MicroAid makes community web sites that are inclusive, easy to use and build long lasting relationships.
Our social enterprise constitution means we will always re-invest surplus profits to make sure our services serve people first and investors second.
MicroAid History
1997 - Richard Beresford started SHIP (Self Help Ideas and Plans) as a personally funded project in Indonesia. SHIP helped poor families learn about micro-enterprise through self-help leaflets and small micro-grants.
During the period from 1997 to 2001 over $135,000 was disbursed to more than 4,000 families using the SHIP approach.
2001 - Richard and Toby Beresford formed SHIP as a social enterprise limited company in the UK with the objective of taking SHIP's methodology onto the Internet to "connect poor families to global resources".
2002 - MicroAid (as SHIP became known) was launched as an Internet service, providing a charitable donation broking service using online payment tools and a unique technology platform for a network of over 40 small charities in Indonesia and Bangladesh. Considerable media interest.
2003 - It became clear that the business model whereby all donations passed through MicroAid who took a small brokerage fee was going to be very difficult to make financially viable. Critically too it did not develop local community self-reliance, fund raise themselves and run projects themselves. Development of new "stand alone" version of software begun.
2004 - MicroAid Community Technology on the web: a subscription-based, software service for community based organisations (CBOs) to raise funds and manage projects, without MicroAid in the funding loop. Small charities and CBOs can now take advantage of MicroAid's software and development expertise for themselves.
2006 - MicroAid Web Platform - internet web infrastructure for charities, networks of charities and small business.
Associate Organisations:
MicroAid Projects Charity
MicroAid's charity "MicroAid Projects" supports
small scale micro-projects in Indonesia.
http://www.microaidprojects.org.uk
Communities in Aceh
MicroAid has an office operating with partners in Aceh to help with
reconstruction projects following the Tsunami.
http://www.microaid.or.id
Academic Foundations
The findings from four key development projects have been the source of much of MicroAid technical expertise:
IFAD: Income Generation Project for Marginal Farmers and Landless (P4K)
UNDP: Planning and Implementation Support for
the P4K Programme
ADB: Participatory Family
Enterprise Planning (ADB SSTA 3314)
ADB: Participatory Approaches
to Sustainable Income Generation - (ADB SSTA 3313)
MicroAid's social enterprise approach
MicroAid's overall vision is to see healthy, connected communities worldwide. To do this we have formed a web software firm with two divisions in Indonesia and UK. The Indonesia office that provides an easy to use internet newsletter tool to keep members in touch within their community. This is used both by individual organisations and organisation networks. The UK office is currently in "stealth" mode to provide a new "web 2.0 development agency" providing businesses and commuinities with tools on facebook and google. The charity provides learning micro-grants to micro-entrepreneurs in developing countries.
Legal Status
MicroAid Limited is a registered company in England & Wales number 4275579