What is Tools For Hope?

Tools For Hope is a nonprofit founded by Joram Kimenyi and Richard Trevillian, aimed at facilitating growth and development for subsistence farmers in East and Central Africa. Tools may be manual farming tools such as farming hoes, hammers, screwdrivers etc. Tools could also be services like education and exposure to Micro-Finance opportunities.

Why Tools For Hope?

Tools for Hope, Inc. (TFH), founded in 2015, is a TN corporation.  Its objective is to help East Central African (e.g. Rwandan) subsistence farmers rise from poverty and for that rise from poverty to be permanent and self-sustaining.  The TFH process involves training small groups of farmers (~20) in effective, basic agricultural and business techniques, aligning TFH goals with those of national and local governments, bringing basic mechanization to the farms, and developing farmer group credit-worthiness.  That process has proven itself to work well in Rwanda.

Once the farmers understand and begin seeing the benefits of utilizing the modern farming techniques that they have learned from the agri-business mentoring provided by TFH their basic standard of living rises dramatically. Next, TFH collaborates with the local governments to assist the farmer co-op in buying mechanized farm equipment such as irrigation systems.  From there, the farmers are able to purchase farm livestock and other needs.  During the training process, expected to last two years, the farmers learn and practice basic business activities such as banking, decision-making, building creditworthiness, bartering, etc.

A cornerstone value of TFH is that charity is corrosive to the basic social fabric.  Therefore, TFH loans funds to the farmers for investments in livestock and machinery normally at an interest rate that is equal or less than inflation.  That approach has proven to be very successful.  Additionally, TFH believes that all solutions must be fully acceptable and understood by the farmers before implementation begins.  TFH collaborates with local and national governments as well as universities, and other NGOs.  TFH seeks and values diverse ideas from a wide range of experts on issues facing the subsistence farmers.

Images from our Dec 2017 trip to Rwanda

Immediate needs

We have received an offer to match all donations made towards the Basic utility vehicle for up to $5500.00. Please consider making a donation to help us get this vehicle to Rwanda by Dec 2017! Please see our other immediate needs below:

Employee Salary in Rwanda: $4000.00

Addition of Goats: $950.00

Find more information on Rwanda here

How to give

 
Wondering what gifts to give?  Consider making a tax-deductible donation in honor of a loved on this year.  As you consider your charitable gifts between now and the end of the year, remember that gifts made now could generate income tax deductions that may help reduce your tax bill.

Gifts by Check and mailed via the USPS may be mailed to the following address:

Tools For Hope, Inc.
1540 Robinson Road
Knoxville, TN 37923

Online gifts via PayPal

• The most convenient way to ensure that your gift to Tools For Hope, Inc. is received on time is to make it online via PayPal. Please follow the link on the sidebar for to go to PayPal.

Gifts of Securities

• Giving stock worth more than you paid for it may result in tax savings.  Stock transfers initiated and received on or before the close of the market on December 30, 2016, will be credited for 2016.  To ensure proper gift credit to you, please notify us in advance when you are ready to make a transfer.

Gifts via Wire Transfer
Our wire transfer instructions are as follows:

• Financial Institution: Enrichment Federal Credit Union
• Address: 1009 Bradford Way, Kingston, TN 37763
• Routing number: 264281364
• Account Name: Tools For Hope, Inc.
• Account Number: 778271106305
  • Wire transfers must be received on or before December 31, 2016, in order to be considered a 2016 contribution.  Please contact Tools For Hope and provide the name of who is making the wire transfer. You may email either joram@toolsforhope.org or richard@toolsforhope.org.

Gifts via IRA Charitable Rollovers

• The charitable IRA rollover, also called a qualified charitable distribution, was made permanent in 2015.  Donors age 70 1/2 or older may use this option to make qualifying charitable gifts that are excluded from taxable income and counted toward their required minimum distribution.  To qualify, gifts must be transferred directly from the IRA provider to Tools For Hope, Inc. and meet certain other requirements.  We encourage you to check with your financial advisors about the best ways for you to take advantage of this opportunity.

Giving Tuesday 
Celebrate Giving Tuesday (November 29, 2016) by supporting Tool For Hope, Inc. See https://www.givingtuesday.org/.

Amazon Smile
Amazon gives 0.5% of eligible purchases to Tools For Hope, Inc. when you sign up for Amazon Smile and select Tools For Hope, Inc.  See https://smile.amazon.com.

Use our Amazon smile link when shopping

AmazonSmile is a simple and automatic way for you to support Tools For Hope, Inc. every time you shop, at no cost to you. When you shop at smile.amazon.com, you will find the exact same prices, selection, and shopping experience as Amazon.com, with the added bonus that Amazon will donate a portion of the purchase price to Tools For Hope, Inc.

How do I select Tools For Hope, Inc. to support when shopping on AmazonSmile? On your first visit to AmazonSmile, smile.amazon.com, you need to select Tools For Hope, Inc. to receive donations from eligible purchases before you begin shopping. Amazon will remember your selection, and then every eligible purchase you make at smile.amazon.com will result in a donation.

To shop at AmazonSmile simply go to smile.amazon.com from the web browser on your computer or mobile device. You use the same account on Amazon.com and AmazonSmile. Your shopping cart, Wish List, wedding or baby registry, and other account settings are also the same.

How much of my purchase does Amazon donate? The AmazonSmile Foundation will donate 0.5% of the purchase price from your eligible AmazonSmile purchases.

Which products on AmazonSmile are eligible to support Tools For Hope, Inc.? You will see eligible products marked “Eligible for AmazonSmile donation” on their product detail pages.