History of MicroAid Projects1997 - 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 has 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. 2007 – MicroAid brand transferred to MicroAid projects charity and Newsletto, the e-newsletter product, launched. The CBO platform pioneered by MicroAid was made open source and transferred without cost to key client charities such as DreamScheme Charity No 1080903, Micah Organisation Charity No 212325 etc. 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)
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