Aid to Artisans, a non-profit organization, is also a global community of people. We offer practical assistance worldwide to artisans who work with us as partners to foster artistic traditions and cultural vitality, to improve livelihoods and to keep communities healthy, strong and growing. We work with our artisan-partners to develop products with the appeal to compete successfully in new markets around the world and to improve their business skills so that the changes we achieve as partners are enduring.



Our goal is simple: a world community of entrepreneur-craftspeople who have the ability to improve their own lives, the lives of their families, the communities in which they make their homes, and their livelihoods.



Founded in 1976, Aid to Artisans (ATA) changes the lives of thousands of artisans each year through its empowering programs of product design, business skills training, and marketing. Historically, handmade crafts are legacies of cultural traditions. In developing countries, handcrafts continue to provide an important source of income, especially for women who have limited options and resources for productive employment.



Working one-on-one with artisans, ATA acts as a catalyst to encourage artisan commerce in local, regional, and export markets in the U.S. and Europe, and to promote product sales and strengthen artisan businesses. ATA helped artisans generate $25 million in retail sales of handmade products in 2004. In human terms, self-sufficiency increases, jobs are created, household incomes are improved, and most importantly, hope, pride, and optimism grow.