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Ten Thousand Villages
Ten Thousand Villages is a nonprofit fair trade organization that imports and sells handcrafted products made by artisans in over 35 countries to the US market. It was an early participant in the fair trade movement. It is a founding member of the World Fair Trade Organization (WFTO) and a certified member of the Fair Trade Federation (FTF).
Edna Byler founded the organization in 1946 following a trip to Puerto Rico. With support from the Mennonite Central Committee (MCC), she began selling handcrafted products from her car. By 1958, the operation had expanded into a storefront called Self Help Crafts. The organization was created to provide a market for artisan products as a way to generate income for people in developing countries. Its early philosophy reflected Mennonite values such as compassion, service, mutual aid, and peacemaking.
In the 1970s, the project moved out of Byler's basement and became SELFHELP Crafts of the World, an official MCC program. In 1994, the company became a member of the FTF. In 1996, the name was changed to Ten Thousand Villages, inspired by a quote attributed to Mahatma Gandhi: “India is not to be found in its few cities, but in the 700,000 villages.”
From 2006 to 2007, the company increased its purchases from artisans by more than US$1 million. In 2007, Ten Thousand Villages redesigned its stores to focus on reducing environmental impact and supporting its stated "triple bottom line" of economic, environmental, and social sustainability.By 2008, the company's sales surpassed US$25.5 million, with one-third paid directly to artisans and the other two-thirds covering importing, storage, marketing, retail costs, and administration.
In 2012, Ten Thousand Villages and the MCC entered into a partnership agreement. The organization is no longer owned by the MCC. In 2019, Gordon Zook became the company's CEO.
Ten Thousand Villages Canada closed corporate operations in June 2020, after which four stores remained open due to a licensing agreement, and a few others rebranded to continue operating independently. In May 2022, Dan Alonso was appointed as the new CEO.
In January 2025, the organization announced the closure of its 13 company-owned US retail locations, leaving 21 independent, local board-run stores as their brick-and-mortar channel. Ten Thousand Villages continued e-commerce retailing and wholesaling to its fair-trade affiliates.
Ten Thousand Villages works with artisans on employing environmentally sustainable production methods and using recycled or natural materials.
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Ten Thousand Villages
Ten Thousand Villages is a nonprofit fair trade organization that imports and sells handcrafted products made by artisans in over 35 countries to the US market. It was an early participant in the fair trade movement. It is a founding member of the World Fair Trade Organization (WFTO) and a certified member of the Fair Trade Federation (FTF).
Edna Byler founded the organization in 1946 following a trip to Puerto Rico. With support from the Mennonite Central Committee (MCC), she began selling handcrafted products from her car. By 1958, the operation had expanded into a storefront called Self Help Crafts. The organization was created to provide a market for artisan products as a way to generate income for people in developing countries. Its early philosophy reflected Mennonite values such as compassion, service, mutual aid, and peacemaking.
In the 1970s, the project moved out of Byler's basement and became SELFHELP Crafts of the World, an official MCC program. In 1994, the company became a member of the FTF. In 1996, the name was changed to Ten Thousand Villages, inspired by a quote attributed to Mahatma Gandhi: “India is not to be found in its few cities, but in the 700,000 villages.”
From 2006 to 2007, the company increased its purchases from artisans by more than US$1 million. In 2007, Ten Thousand Villages redesigned its stores to focus on reducing environmental impact and supporting its stated "triple bottom line" of economic, environmental, and social sustainability.By 2008, the company's sales surpassed US$25.5 million, with one-third paid directly to artisans and the other two-thirds covering importing, storage, marketing, retail costs, and administration.
In 2012, Ten Thousand Villages and the MCC entered into a partnership agreement. The organization is no longer owned by the MCC. In 2019, Gordon Zook became the company's CEO.
Ten Thousand Villages Canada closed corporate operations in June 2020, after which four stores remained open due to a licensing agreement, and a few others rebranded to continue operating independently. In May 2022, Dan Alonso was appointed as the new CEO.
In January 2025, the organization announced the closure of its 13 company-owned US retail locations, leaving 21 independent, local board-run stores as their brick-and-mortar channel. Ten Thousand Villages continued e-commerce retailing and wholesaling to its fair-trade affiliates.
Ten Thousand Villages works with artisans on employing environmentally sustainable production methods and using recycled or natural materials.