Bridges to Prosperity

Bridges to Prosperity uses a community-driven approach and intelligent technology to deliver a multi-dimensional impact to thousands of communities worldwide. The trailbridges are built to unlock opportunity, expand the reach of other development interventions, and ultimately eliminate poverty caused by rural isolation..{{Cite web |title=Vision, Mission, and Principle Strategies |url=http://www.bridgestoprosperity.org/Learn-About-Us/mission-ideals-vision/mission-ideals-vision.htm |publisher=Bridges to Prosperity |access-date=2011-10-10 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111008012329/http://www.bridgestoprosperity.org/Learn-About-Us/mission-ideals-vision/mission-ideals-vision.htm |archive-date=2011-10-08 |url-status=dead}}

File:Sebara Dildiy Bridge.jpg

File:Completed new Sebara Dildiy bridge.jpg

Bridges to Prosperity was established by Kenneth Frantz in 2001, after seeing a photo in National Geographic Magazine of a broken bridge over the Blue Nile River in Ethiopia, with ten men on either side of the broken span pulling themselves across the chasm by rope."Interview, Frantz, 10-2011; re-interviewed by independent team on 12-1-11 to comply with Wikipedia outside source recommendations".

Transport is a crucial driver of development, bringing socio-economic opportunities within the reach of the poor and enabling economies to be more competitive. Transport infrastructure connects people to jobs, education, and health services; it enables the supply of goods and services around the world; and it allows people to interact and generate the knowledge that creates long-term growth. Rural roads, for example, can help prevent maternal deaths through timely access to childbirth-related care, boost girls' enrollment in school, and increase and diversify farmers' income by connecting them to markets.{{cite web|url=http://www.worldbank.org/en/topic/transport/overview| title=The World Bank In Transport| publisher=World Bank| date=April 12, 2017| access-date=June 29, 2017}}

The World Bank estimates that over 1 billion people do not have access to transportation networks. Bridges to Prosperity determined that positive results could be attained by spreading the technology by building approximately 10–20 demonstration bridges per country, training locals, partnering with local technological institutes, providing downloadable and easy to use step-by-step photo and video manuals, and supplying free wire rope and wire rope clamps/clips for post-training/demonstration programs. Bridges to Prosperity has focused on education and training, the propagation of technical manuals, and trail bridge building textbooks as components of trail bridge building best practices.

All Bridges to Prosperity trailbridges leverage locally sourced and repurposed materials. Materials are not donated where that would cause unintended harm to existing businesses. In 2005, Bridges to Prosperity received a long term donation of free 7/8 inch to 1.25 inch wire rope from the ports of Portsmouth and Norfolk, Virginia.{{cite web| url=http://www.bridgestoprosperity.org/Learn-About-Us/in-the-news/attachments/2010-Jan-Maritimer-Magazine.pdf| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120407122328/http://www.bridgestoprosperity.org/Learn-About-Us/in-the-news/attachments/2010-Jan-Maritimer-Magazine.pdf| archive-date=April 7, 2012| title=Building Bridges to Prosperity| publisher=Virginia Maritimer| date=March 22, 2010| url-status=dead}} The wire rope donated was American manufactured high tensile steel wire rope used on gantry cranes for unloading container ships. Later, the port of Baltimore was added, as were Texas and West Coast ports. In 2012, approximately 100,000 feet of such donated used wire rope and strand was shipped in an intermodal container to programs all over the world. To build one trailbridge, the average number of feet of wire rope required is approximately 1,800 feet. Worldwide, there is enough recycled wire rope from gantry cranes to build approximately 2,500 footbridges every year. Each container shipped overseas weighs approximately 52,000 pounds and contains 20,000 feet of cable.

Charity Navigator rated Bridges to Prosperity, Inc their top rating, four stars.{{Cite web|url=http://www.charitynavigator.org/index.cfm?bay=search.results&overallrtg=4&keyword_list=bridges%20to%20prosperity|title=Charity Navigator - Your Search Results|website=Charity Navigator|language=en|access-date=2019-02-22}}

File:El Bosque footbridge.jpg

Safe access is transformative for households, communities, and countries. Bridges to Prosperity partners with local governments and community leaders to develop, enable, and advocate for national infrastructure programs that acknowledge the needs of rural populations.

To help effect this system change approach, Bridges to Prosperity is furthering the following three initiatives as outlined in the organization's strategic plan: 1) gather the evidence supporting efficacy and efficiency of safe access as a fulcrum for rural development; 2) create collective action to elevate rural transport on the development agenda; and 3) support governments with technical assistance best practices and the capacity to make smart infrastructure investments.{{Cite web |title=2025 Strategic Plan |url=https://www.calameo.com/bridgestoprosperity/read/00486528370b58c6c5d49 |access-date=2023-05-16 |website=calameo.com |language=en}}

Bridges to Prosperity has been recognized by a number of global awards. In 2016, Bridges to Prosperity was named the 2016 Eurostar Ashden Award for Sustainability,{{cite web|url=https://www.ashden.org/files/case_studies/Bridges%20to%20Prosperity%20-%20Ashden%202016%20case%20study.pdf|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160822224151/https://www.ashden.org/files/case_studies/Bridges%20to%20Prosperity%20-%20Ashden%202016%20case%20study.pdf|archive-date=August 22, 2016|title=Winner case study - Bridges to Prosperity, global|publisher=Ashden|url-status=dead}} and one of the top 10 Social Enterprises in the world by Classy.{{cite web|url=https://www.classy.org/blog/introducing-classy-awards-winners/| title=Introducing the 2016 Classy Awards Winners| access-date=June 29, 2017| first=Ellie |last=Burke| website=classy.org| date=24 June 2016}}

File:Chaypara Footbridge.jpg

Building on the affinity with construction firms, especially those that design and build highway bridges, a corporate sponsor program was started to allow employees to form teams to design and build trailbridges. Today,{{when|date=May 2023}} Bridges to Prosperity provides co-branded bridge-building opportunities for companies around the world, ranging from financial services firms to construction industry giants.

The original industry partners included Ross Construction of Palo Alto, California, and Flatiron Construction, along with Flatiron's parent company, Hochtief of Germany. By 2019 over 50 industry partners included Parsons Corporation, COWI, Alridge, Berger Charitable Foundation, Balfour Beatty, Europengineers, Institution of Civil Engineers, Kiewit, Michael Baker, NSBA, Railroad Construction Co, Thornton Tomasetti, WSP, American Bridge, Arup, Bechtel, Burohappold, FHECOR, HDR, Freyssinet, IBT, Knights Brown, KPFF, McNary Bergeron, Mott MacDonald, PCL, Price & Myers, Ramboll Fonden, Tony Gee, Traylor Bros, Walsh, and Weston & Sampson.{{Cite web |title=Corporate Program Brochure |url=https://www.calameo.com/bridgestoprosperity/read/00486528357a5a6878625?page=31 |access-date=2023-05-17 |website=calameo.com |language=en}}

Important supporters include various Rotary International clubs who collaborate in providing Rotary Foundation-matched humanitarian grants.{{cite web| url=http://www.bridgestoprosperity.org/Learn-About-Us/in-the-news/attachments/2010-01-01-Daily-Press-Bridge-Builders-Reach-For-More.pdf| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120407122343/https://www.bridgestoprosperity.org/Learn-About-Us/in-the-news/attachments/2010-01-01-Daily-Press-Bridge-Builders-Reach-For-More.pdf| archive-date=April 7, 2012| title=Bridge-builders reach for more| first=Jim| last=Hodges| publisher=Daily Press| date=January 1, 2010| url-status=dead}}File:Cuatro Cayos.jpgWhen Bridges to Prosperity was founded by a member of the Gloucester Point Rotary Club in Gloucester, Virginia. That club assisted in the purchase of materials for the repair of the Blue Nile Bridge. Over 65 rotary clubs worldwide (and over 800 individual Rotarians) have participated directly in Bridges to Prosperity programs.

Partnerships with the local developing country Rotary clubs, such as the Rotary Club of Nkwazi, Lusaka, Zambia, facilitate access and operation in countries with little bureaucratic interference. The partnerships with local Rotary clubs allow quick customs clearance of wire rope imports and expedited business contacts and allow USA-based Rotarians to easily travel and participate in schemes as well as adding defense against potential corruption.

File:Avery Bang 2018.jpg

Support from former CEO Avery Bang's alma mater, the University of Iowa engineering school, and non-profit Continental Crossings{{cite web|url=http://continentalcrossings.com/| title=Continental Crossings | Building bridges, connecting communities| access-date=June 29, 2017}} has led the construction of three additional bridges.

Other university engineering programs include Arizona State University,{{Cite web|title=Bridges to Prosperity at Arizona State |url=http://www.asu.edu/clubs/b2p/ |publisher=Arizona State University}} NDSEED,{{cite web| url=https://ndseed.wixsite.com/2013/about_us| access-date=June 29, 2017| archive-url=https://archive.today/20170629180516/https://ndseed.wixsite.com/2013/about_us| archive-date=June 29, 2017| title=Notre Dame Students Empowering Through Engineering Development - About Us| url-status=dead}} and Virginia Tech,{{Cite web |title=Bridges to Prosperity at Virginia Tech |url=http://www.b2p.org.vt.edu/ |publisher=Virginia Tech |url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110802205657/http://www.b2p.org.vt.edu/ |archive-date=2011-08-02 }}{{Cite news|title=A bridge to prosperity: Tech students help Haiti |journal=Collegiate Times |url=http://www.collegiatetimes.com/lifestyle/a-bridge-to-prosperity-tech-students-help-haiti/article_8e0a53f8-58cc-59ee-9f2c-b491dfb8d05f.html |date=28 March 2011 |author=Mia Perry| access-date=June 29, 2017}} among others. Effective September 1, 2018, the university program was spun off into its own entity with Engineers in Action.{{Cite web|url=https://www.eiabridges.org/|title=Engineers in Action Bridge Program|website=Engineers in Action Bridge Program}}

In the fiscal year ending in 2022, the organization had revenues of $15,325,708 contributed as follows:{{Cite web |title=Fy22 Annual Report |url=https://www.calameo.com/bridgestoprosperity/read/0048652838283464b03cb |access-date=2023-05-16 |website=calameo.com |language=en}}

• Individual and grant contribution: 76%
• Corporate partnership fees: 9%
• Government contribution: 9%
• In-kind contribution & others: 6%

{{Reflist|30em}}

{{Commons category|Bridges to Prosperity}}

• [https://www.bridgestoprosperity.org/ Bridges to Prosperity]
• [https://web.archive.org/web/20100312112822/http://www.bridgestoprosperity.org/Videos/sebara-dildiy-how-it-all-started.htm How It All Started > Video]
• [https://web.archive.org/web/20110725024519/http://www.bridgestoprosperity.org/Learn-About-Us/in-the-news/attachments/2007-Bridge-Design-Engineering.pdf Bridge Design & Engineering Issue 46 - Charity Link Brings Footbridge To Fruition]
• [https://web.archive.org/web/20110725024530/http://www.bridgestoprosperity.org/Learn-About-Us/in-the-news/attachments/2008-Rotarian.pdf The Rotarian - Bridging Worlds]
• [https://web.archive.org/web/20110725024624/http://www.bridgestoprosperity.org/Learn-About-Us/in-the-news/attachments/2007-Hearsay-Kathy-Lewis-WHRO.mp3 National Public Radio audio file]

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Category:Bridges

Category:Footbridges

Category:Pedestrian infrastructure

Category:Non-profit organizations based in Colorado

Category:2001 establishments in the United States