About Our Social Investment Firm
Lean Social Impact Investing
Wilkes Investments (WI) is a social impact investment firm which furthers economic opportunity for indigenous-led grassroots organizations in Guatemala. We provide affordable financial capital, raised from our investors, directly into the hands of indigenous Guatemalans — not intermediary organizations. This empowers local organizations to control the investments that will better their communities and allow individuals and families to prosper.
After years of deep engagement in Central America, we’ve seen first-hand how impactful our model can be, even with relatively small investments. Our financing is more accessible to minimally resourced grassroots organizations because our interest rates are lower than what comparable social impact investment organizations offer. That’s because our model is built on years of relationship-building and trust which enables us to eliminate overhead and put more money directly into our partners’ hands. That means each dollar invested generates a greater impact.
WI’s founder, Jose Toasa, maintains constant communication with the firm’s partners in Guatemala and travels there frequently. He knows the organizations and their members very well, having visited their homes, their plots of land, and their small businesses. He deeply understands their capabilities and organizational challenges which enables him to select WI’s investments wisely.
Indigenous grassroots groups have the ideas. They have the know-how. They just need the financial capital to bring their ideas to fruition and enable their communities to prosper in ways they know best. That’s where WI’s partnership can help.