Fund for Innovation, Effectiveness, Learning and Dissemination (FIELD)

About this grant

This grant will support Aspen Institute’s Fund for Innovation, Effectiveness, Learning and Dissemination (FIELD). Since its creation seven years ago, FIELD has had a large share in building the U.S. micro-enterprise field by documenting and disseminating lessons learned, informing federal policy, and connecting programs with additional funding.Funding will enable FIELD to move the industry toward greater sustainability and scale. Objectives include developing and implementing a communications strategy to help practitioners, funders and policymakers understand the recent assessment of the micro-enterprise field; creating tools for sustaining and stabilizing the field; and examining options to improve performance and expand services.Accomplishments since its inception included investing in 33 projects to test innovations and support research in five target areas; documenting and disseminating lessons learned through publications, the Web site and training formats; and helping leverage new financial support for micro-enterprise practitioners.