Message from the President

Thank you for being part of the story of Because.

In 2024, you helped us celebrate 15 years of developing, distributing and supporting innovative products that solve problems for those impacted by poverty. 

Last year we dedicated ourselves to a process of learning and experimentation. While we still don’t have all the answers (and never will), your support allows us to continue taking bold steps forward. 

As the next chapter in our story unfolds, thank you for continuing to be a part of the team and the mission.

In gratitude, 
Andrew Kroes

The Shoe That Grows

Entrepreneurship

Additional impacts

Reflection

2024 financial report

Our supporters
Mission / Vision / Theory of Change

2024 was a year of strategically narrowing focus and defining a more unified mission.

Through processes of experimentation and learning, combined with an intentional deep dive into impact, we’re better defining and communicating how Because International can make a difference in the world.

This work has been shaped by the Multidimensional Poverty Index (MPI)—a framework used throughout the humanitarian aid sector to define poverty and measure how many people are experiencing it and to what extent. These measurements are broken out into three dimensions: Health, Education and Standard of Living. As we look at our work with The Shoe That Grows and with entrepreneurs, this is what unites us: a focus on delivering products that help alleviate poverty by addressing basic human needs that fall within one of these three dimensions.

We’ve refined our Mission, Vision and Theory of Change to better demonstrate and explain this shared understanding of our work.

Mission

Our mission is to alleviate poverty by delivering products that impact lives.

Vision

We envision a world without poverty—where all basic needs are met, communities are uplifted, and all people can flourish.

Theory of Change

Our Theory of Change shows how working toward our mission can bring us closer to achieving our vision.

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The Shoe That Grows

In 2024, the focus returned to innovation with The Shoe That Grows—testing, learning and developing a new design that will allow production and distribution to scale exponentially in the years to come.

Through research and development, we also built partnerships in Kenya that have helped identify communities where The Shoe will create impact and we’ll be able to measure and track it more effectively.

In addition to distributions in Kenya, supporters, partners and members of The Sole provided The Shoe That Grows on service trips, in Christmas shoeboxes, and to families impacted by humanitarian crises around the world.

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The Shoe That Grows

A fresh focus on Kenya

To accommodate research and development in 2024, the focus naturally shifted to Kenya, where we have team members and where The Shoe is produced. That, in combination with some remarkable distributions—like one where we met and gave a new pair to a girl who came with a years-old pair on her feet—led to over 9,200 pairs distributed in Kenya and to strategic partnerships with other organizations who can help identify and meet the needs there.

One of those partners is Kiwimbi Kenya. Kiwimbi works with over 90 schools in Busia County through their community building educational programs. Kiwimbi helped distribute over 1,900 pairs in 2024 through two major distributions.

One of the schools that received shoes was Kidek Primary. In this area, students walk to school on the hot sand during the dry season and through water during the rainy season—many without shoes at all.

One teacher at Kidek Primary shared, “Before, most of [the students] didn't have shoes. But right now, all of them come in shoes to school and they don't have jiggers.”

We look forward to a continued partnership with Kiwimbi as they help distribute hundreds of thousands of pairs of The Shoe That Grows in Busia County throughout 2025.

LEARN MORE ABOUT KIWIMBI
Shoes for communities impacted by conflict

Shoes for communities impacted by conflict

Thank you to members of The Sole, our monthly giving community. You helped fund 4,250 pairs of The Shoe That Grows in 2024. These shoes were distributed through our partner Lifting Hands International to refugees, widows, orphans and others caught in conflict and crisis around the world. Specifically, pairs went to Gaza, Lebanon and Afghanistan in 2024.

See a distribution→
Creative fundraising for Guatemala

Creative fundraising for Guatemala

The Shoe That Grows reaches thousands of kids around the world through individuals and organizations who take them on service trips. When Sarah Overcast learned about the conditions kids face in Guatemala, where Stonehill Church was heading on a mission trip, she decided to fundraise to take The Shoe That Grows. Using the Because-provided free fundraising platform, she raised over $2,000.

Read the story→

The Shoe That Grows

Impact by the numbers

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Pairs distributed

Through partners, service trips and Christmas shoeboxes

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Countries

Across six continents and every major world region

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Jobs created

Full-time equivalent jobs at Umoja Shoe Company in Kenya

Entrepreneurship

After a successful spring 2024 cohort of the Because Accelerator—made possible with the help of donors, the Because team, and Advisor Network—the entrepreneurship team took some time to evaluate the program and examine its impact. 

The takeaways highlighted our organizational strengths and most highly valued aspects of the program for the entrepreneurs. Those included professional mentorship, connection with the Because team, and a like-minded community of support. We identified a need to more closely align the entrepreneurship program with our work with The Shoe That Grows, as we believe that our mutual experience and learning will increase the impact of every product.

This reflection laid the foundation for the next iteration of work with social entrepreneurs: the Because Fellowship. This new initiative will provide more targeted support, collaborative partnerships and revenue based funding opportunities to a small group of top accelerator alumni ready to take their businesses to the next level.

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Entrepreneurship

Meet Arnold, a 2024 accelerator alumnus

Arnold Mugagga, one of 26 entrepreneurs in the 2024 Because Accelerator, joined seeking more knowledge and skills to grow his business, Zetu Africa Limited, and to expand the reach of his impact product, SeatPacks, in Uganda and beyond. 

The SeatPack is an innovative backpack with a collapsible stool and writing surface, providing basic, portable classroom equipment to kids in areas lacking desks for students. Some SeatPacks also come with solar lights to help students study when electricity is scarce. 

Arnold was paired for mentorship with Linnea Thomas, Because director of Marketing and Systems, for part of his cohort. This pairing produced significant growth and generated ideas for partnering to increase impact in educational access, a shared focus. One result is the first-ever combined product distribution of SeatPacks and The Shoe That Grows in Kenya in early 2025.

Meet arnold
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Entrepreneurship

Joshua Ichor of GeoTek visits Because

In June 2024, Joshua Ichor, a spring 2021 accelerator alumnus, visited the Because International headquarters in Nampa, Idaho. He met the team and was featured at a special event in nearby Sun Valley, focused on his work at GeoTek, which provides clean water solutions in Nigeria.

Joshua shared, “My favorite part of the Because Accelerator is the quality of mentorship resources we have and still have. Andrew opened up my mind to the world of product design, Sarah and others are ever available to support us, and my mentor Tom flew all the way from Michigan to [meet me] in New York the first time I traveled to the United States. These resources are priceless to me.”

As a member of the new Because Fellowship, Joshua is continuing to refine his innovative technology and expand the impact of GeoTek.

read the full story

Entrepreneurship

Impact by the numbers

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Provided in funding

To support key investments for business growth

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Active mentors

Working with entrepreneurs in the 2024 Cohort

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Businesses supported

All-time, from the launch in 2018 through 2024

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Countries where The Shoe was distributed

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Countries where accelerator participants are located

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Countries where both are present

The Shoe That Grows + Entrepreneurship

Additional impact by the numbers

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Supporters

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Distribution partners

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Customers

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Products distributed in 2024

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Jobs created by businesses

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Christmas shoeboxes packed

Reflections / 2024 Financial snapshot

Stories of impact and financial statements each provide their own picture of the health and effectiveness of the organization, but as our leadership team reflected on the year as a whole, these successes and challenges encapsulate some of the most important work of the past year as we look to the future.

Challenges

  • Focus on developing relationships with humanitarian aid organizations did not gain traction, leading to a pivot in direction in 2025.
  • Delays in shoe development and a lack of success with aid organizations resulted in missing our goal for pairs of The Shoe distributed, leaving a lot of potential for growth when the new design is ready in 2025.
  • Slowed progress with revenue based financing and service provider experimentation left some unanswered questions within entrepreneurship, prompting continued testing as we change direction in 2025.

Successes

  • Made critical progress with development of the newest version of The Shoe That Grows, preparing us to scale growth in 2025 and create the best shoe in the world for kids impacted by poverty.
  • Refocused on defining and measuring the impact of our work, leading to new processes and a better understanding of how we’re making a difference.
  • Filled expertise gaps by adding two senior roles in the U.S. and one in Kenya, strengthening our team.
  • Introduced a culture of experimentation, helping increase our rate of learning across programs and initiatives.
  • Answered some big questions we had around the impact of entrepreneurship, causing an exciting shift in focus for 2025.
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Program expense split

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Expense ratio

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Revenue

Our supporters

Thanks to each and every one of our 2024 supporters. We couldn’t do it without you: our Because community.