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).
History
thumb|left|Logo of SELFHELP Crafts of the World, later to become Ten Thousand Villages.
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 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. The organization is no longer owned by the MCC. In 2019, Gordon Zook became the company's CEO. 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.
Artisan partners
Ten Thousand Villages works with artisans on employing environmentally sustainable production methods and using recycled or natural materials. Most of these groups are located in Asia, Africa, Latin America, and the Middle East. The organization frequently partners with groups that provide training and employment to individuals facing barriers in the mainstream labor market, such as those disadvantaged because of disability or gender. [https://www.pasadenaweekly.com/feature_stories/a-global-movement-ten-thousand-villages-is-the-gift-that-keeps-giving/article_eaa0a756-b7f0-11ef-874c-93ef4ed02374.html]
Artisans are paid 50% of the agreed-upon price up front to cover the cost of raw materials, with the remaining 50% paid upon product completion. This full payment is issued before the products are shipped to North America, regardless of whether the items are eventually sold.
Operations
thumb|400x400px|Ten Thousand Villages store in Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania
The Ten Thousand Villages USA headquarters is located in Akron, Pennsylvania. The organization operates as both a wholesaler and retailer, selling various home goods and baked items.
Media
In 2005, Ten Thousand Villages released a DVD titled The Power of Trading Fairly, discussing with artisans from Bangladesh, Guatemala, and Kenya.
In 2006, the organization released Make Trade Fair, a compilation CD created to support Ten Thousand Villages.
Impact
The organization states that its fair trade practices support tens of thousands of artisans worldwide. Some of the artisan groups or families have transformed into full-fledged businesses that employ hundreds to thousands of people.