BRAC USA Inc

Overview

Since its inception in Bangladesh in 1972, BRAC has evolved into the largest southern NGO, employing over 90,000 staff members and reaching more than 150 million people in Asia and Africa. BRAC has established itself as a pioneer in recognizing and tackling the different dimensions of poverty, its unique, holistic approach to poverty alleviation and empowerment of the poor encompassing a range of programs in health, education, environment and social development in addition to micro-finance.

Mission

To alleviate poverty and empower the poor. With multifaceted development interventions, BRAC strives to bring about positive changes in quality of life of the poor. BRAC firmly believes and is actively involved in promoting human rights, dignity and gender-equity through social, economic, political and human capacity building.

Program

BRAC’s Economic Development Program offers a range of microfinance loans catering to the different poverty groups. BRAC also provides training and support to the borrowers so that they can use the money productively and effectively. The program also offers an asset transfer program for the poorest segment of the population unable to avail of micro-credit. The Social Development Program provides law and human rights education and legal support in order to prevent exploitation. BRAC’s Education Program reaches out to children who have been left out of the formal education system due to poverty and gender bias with non-formal primary and pre-primary schools employing, unique, interactive teaching methods. The program also offers literacy retention facilities for adolescents and adults. BRAC’s Health Program serves the basic healthcare needs of the poor by training Health Volunteers to go door-to-door disseminating health information and providing essential healthcare and commodities. The program emphasizes maternal and newborn healthcare and works in partnerships with the government and other organizations on Tuberculosis and Immunization programs. BRAC has also developed numerous other interventions that cater to specific needs of the regions in which it’s operating.

Impact

Over the last three decades, BRAC’s work in Bangladesh in health, education and social development as well as microfinance has had great impact in the lives of the poor. Interventions such as its Oral Rehydration, immunization and family planning programs contributed significantly to the dramatic reduction in infant mortality and fertility rates in the country. BRAC programmes have played a major role in the empowerment of women and the achievement of gender parity in education in Bangladesh. The success of BRAC’s interventions has also resulted in the replication of its programmes in numerous countries throughout the world.

Chief Executive

Susan M. Davis

Chief Executive Profile

Early in her career, Susan lived in Bangladesh working with Ford Foundation where she led innovative initiatives aimed at scaling up microfinance institutions that were owned and governed by poor women and promoting social entrepreneurship. She worked with Women’s World Banking, led the Women’s Environment & Development Organization, and advised the head of the ILO. She has been a leadership group member of Ashoka for the last decade and leads its Global Academy for Social Entrepreneurship. Susan is also a senior advisor to New York University’s Reynolds Program on Social Entrepreneurship. She is a founding board member and Chair of the Grameen Foundation. She also serves on the boards of Sirleaf Market Women’s Fund, Project Enterprise and Aid to Artisans and the Advisory Council of Realizing Rights: the Ethical Globalization Initiative.

Board

Allan Rosenfield, M.D., F.A.C.O.G.
Chair

Ronald Grzywinski
Treasurer

Kamal Ahmad
Secretary

Richard A. Cash, MD, MPH
Assistant Secretary and Treasurer

Lincoln C. Chen, M.D.
Board Member

Adrienne Germain
Board Member

Diana Taylor
Board Member

Elaine Wolfensohn
Board Member

Countries of Operation

Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Haiti, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Sudan, Tanzania, United Republic of, Uganda

States of Operation

New York