he key question the Foundation seeks to address is not the persistence of poverty, but the dynamics of wealth creation. How is wealth created? And how do people in ordinary circumstances become involved in the creation of wealth for their benefit? Our focus on free enterprise follows from the simple insight that entrepreneurial activity is at the heart of the process of wealth creation. It is, therefore, essential to expand the understanding of the various ways in which enterprise can create wealth.

The Foundation is most interested in positive, “what works” programs. Almost half of the world’s population lives on less than $2 a day. Such a vast scale of global poverty at the beginning of the 21st century is one of the world’s greatest challenges. Can real progress in alleviating poverty—or, more positively, creating wealth—be made in the next 50 years? The issues are complex, the range of possible solutions is broad and the emotional power of various arguments can be intense. Can the quality of these debates be advanced in a positive direction? Can progress be made so that real change for the better will accelerate?

www.templeton.org/funding_areas/freedom_and_free_enterprise/