by Jennifer Lee -

MICROCAPITAL STORY: Investments Outside the Box: Part 4 of a 4-Part Series on the Cracking the Capital Markets III Conference Hosted By ACCION and Credit Suisse

On March 10-11, 2008, ACCION International and Credit Suisse held the third Cracking the Capital Markets conference on microfinance investment. The conference brought together hedge fund managers, institutional and private investors, leading rating agencies, and microfinance institutions (MFIs) to discuss the challenges, successes, and future of microfinance investments. The first, second, and third articles of this series can also be found on the MicroCapital website.

In addition to innovative securities transactions, the conference also introduced new investment opportunities which extend beyond the classic micro-credit sectors. This includes investment to small and medium enterprises (SMEs), insurance services to low-income people, housing funds for the very poor, and green energy investments. Presentations from this panel can be found here.

by Jennifer Lee -

MICROCAPITAL STORY: Does Microfinance Performance Correlate with Other Emerging Markets Investment, Part 3 of a 4-Part Series on the Cracking the Capital Markets III Conference Hosted By ACCION and Credit Suisse

On March 10-11, 2008, ACCION International and Credit Suisse held the third Cracking the Capital Markets conference on microfinance investment. The conference brought together hedge fund managers, institutional and private investors, leading rating agencies, and microfinance institutions (MFIs) to discuss the challenges, successes, and future of microfinance investments. The first and second articles of this series can also be found on the MicroCapital website.

As a follow up to a presentation at last year’s conference, Nicolas Krauss presented an update to an initial study on the correlation of microfinance to other emerging markets investments. In addition, he discussed whether the correlation (or lack there of) position microfinance as an attractive investment for portfolio diversification. Presentations from this panel can be found here.

by Jennifer Lee -

MICROCAPITAL STORY: Microfinance Meets the Internet, Part 2 of a 4-Part Series on the Cracking the Capital Markets III Conference Hosted By ACCION and Credit Suisse

On March 10-11, 2008, ACCION International and Credit Suisse held the third Cracking the Capital Markets conference on microfinance investment. The conference brought together hedge fund managers, institutional and private investors, leading rating agencies, and microfinance institutions (MFIs) to discuss the challenges, successes, and future of microfinance investments. The first and third articles of this series can also be found on the MicroCapital website.

The conference’s last panel discussed the potential impact of the internet on how microfinance institutions (MFIs) finance themselves. The panel included intermediaries who utilize the internet to bring donors and investors to MFIs, small business, and individual borrowers. Presentations from this panel can be found here.

by Jennifer Lee -

MICROCAPITAL STORY: Evaluating Microfinance’s Performance in Turbulent Markets, Part 1 of a 4-Part Series on the Cracking the Capital Markets III Conference Hosted by ACCION and Credit Suisse

From March 10-11, 2008, ACCION International held the third Cracking the Capital Markets conference on microfinance investment. ACCION is a private, non-profit microfinance organization, specializing in global micro-enterprise loans, business training, and other financial services. The conference was co-hosted by Credit Suisse and brought together hedge fund managers, institutional and private investors, leading rating agencies, and microfinance institutions (MFIs) to discuss the challenges, successes, and future of microfinance investments. The second and third articles of this series can be found on MicroCapital’s website.

by the MicroCapital Team -

MICROFINANCE EVENT: University of Chicago Graduate School of Business, the Harris School of Public Policy Studies and the Kellogg School of Management Sponsor 2008 Chicago Microfinance Conference

CHICAGO MICROFINANCE CONFERENCE: COMPETITION AND COLLABORATION

APRIL 18, 2008, UNIVERSITY OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, USA

Brought to you by students from the University of Chicago Graduate School of Business, the Harris School of Public Policy Studies and the Kellogg School of Management, the fourth annual Chicago Microfinance Conference is themed: “Competition & Collaboration: Expanding the Boundaries of Microfinance.” The organizers describe the conference as a “collaborative effort…that brings together practitioners, academics and emerging industry leaders to advance the strategic debate of the future of microfinance.”

by Melissa Duscha -

MICROFINANCE EVENT: The FT and IFC 2008 Sustainable Banking Awards for Microfinance Institutions and Investors Extended Entry Deadline to March 10

 The 2008 Financial Times Sustainable Banking Awards has extended their submission deadline to March 10. The awards will be presented in London on June 3, 2008 following the 2008 FT/IFC Sustainable Banking Conference.

by Anthony Busch -

MICROFINANCE EVENT: Al Huda to Conduct Training Workshop in Islamabad on Islamic Microfinance

TRAINING WORKSHOP ON ISLAMIC MICROFINANCE

MARCH 7-8, 2008, STATE BANK OF PAKISTAN, ISLAMABAD, PAKISTAN

The Al Huda Center of Islamic Banking and Economics (Al Huda CIBE), an institute based in Lahore and comprised of Pakistani academics and practitioners in the field of Islamic finance, will hold a two-day workshop introducing the basics of Islamic microfinance and small and medium enterprises (SMEs), as well as presenting updated practices in the field. Convening at the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) in Islamabad, the seminar will cover issues specific to Islam, such as the role of the takaful in microfinance—a form of mutual insurance entailing the pooling of a group’s monies into one common fund which is managed according to shariah law—as well as the interest-free loaning mechanism known as musharaka which is the joint participation of the investor and borrower in the profit and loss of an investment rather than a conventional loan with a risk-determined interest rate. The workshop will also delve into the SBP’s plans for the future development of Islamic finance in Pakistan as well as outreach and development associated with Islamic SMEs and microfinance. The SBP issued new guidelines for Islamic microfinance services within Pakistan in late 2007, as reported by MicroCapital.

by Anthony Busch -

MICROFINANCE EVENT: Microfinance Pioneer Muhammad Yunus to Deliver Keynote Address at PODER Magazine’s Philanthropy Forum Devoted to the Americas in Miami, Florida

PODER PHILANTHROPY FORUM

MARCH 11-12, 2008, GUSMAN CENTER FOR THE PERFORMING ARTS, MIAMI, FLORIDA

PODER Magazine, a monthly publication written for business and political elite focusing on the growing influence of Latin America and the US Hispanic community, announced on Tuesday that it will be hosting, along with its partners, a Philanthropy Forum designed to encourage increased collaboration by gathering global practitioners and scholars as well as to foster innovation in private and corporate philanthropy in the region. According to the PR Newswire release, co-sponsoring partners include the City of Miami, the Committee to Protect Journalists, Foreign Policy magazine, Georgetown University, Impremedia, the Inter-American Development Bank, Miami Dade College, the Miami Herald Publishing Company, the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation (Knight Foundation), Synergos.org, and Univision.

by Jake Keller -

MICROFINANCE EVENT: Compartamos of Mexico to Hold Fourth Quarter Conference Call

COMPARTAMOS FOURTH QUARTER CONFERENCE CALL FEBRUARY 26, 2008, INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE CALL Mexican Microfinance Institution (MFI), Compartamos, will hold its fiscal 2007 fourth quarter conference call and release its earnings for the year ending December 31, 2007 on February 26, 2008 at 12 PM Eastern Time.

by Jake Keller -

MICROFINANCE EVENT: Social Business and Microeconomic Opportunities for Youth

SOCIAL BUSINESS AND MICROECONOMIC OPPORTUNITIES FOR YOUTH  

MARCH 12-14, 2008, DENVER, USA 

Sponsored by Friends of Microcredit, this conference is targeted to social entrepreneurs, microfinance practitioners, business leaders, students, and thought leaders who address the issue of poverty with a particular focus on youth. It will identify and offer leadership opportunities and demonstrate social business projects.  

by the MicroCapital Team -

MICROFINANCE EVENT: ACCION Joins With Credit Suisse to Host Cracking the Capital Markets III

CRACKING THE CAPITAL MARKETS III

MARCH 10-11, 2008, NEW YORK, USA

The third ACCION conference on microfinance investment, co-hosted by Credit Suisse, will bring hedge fund managers, institutional investors and private investors together with leading rating agencies and microfinance institutions (MFIs) to discuss the successes, challenges and trends of microfinance investment. Sessions will cover how microfinance is faring amid declining markets, risk, peer lending and a separate forum only for qualified investors. The cost is USD 550. More details and online registration are available at the conference website or via Stephanie Dolan at +1 617 625 7080 x1119 or conference@accion.org.

by the MicroCapital Team -

MICROFINANCE EVENT: ACCION Joins With Standard Chartered Bank to Host Cracking the Capital Markets: South Asia

CRACKING THE CAPITAL MARKETS: SOUTH ASIA

APRIL 29-30, 2008, DELHI, INDIA

Cohosted by ACCION International and Standard Chartered Bank, this microfinance investment conference will bring together a wide range of finance professionals – institutional and private investors, leading microfinance institutions in Asia, international and regional banks, emerging markets specialists and rating agencies – to discuss the successes, challenges and trends of microfinance investment in South Asia.

by Melissa Duscha -

MICROFINANCE EVENT: FT and IFC Launch 2008 Sustainable Banking Awards for Microfinance Institutions and Investors

The 2008 Financial Times Sustainable Banking Awards will be held in London on June 3, 2008. Started in 2006, in partnership with the World Bank’s International Finance Corporation (IFC), the FT Sustainable Banking Awards recognizes banks that have shown leadership and innovation in integrating social, environmental and corporate governance objectives into their operations.

by Anthony Busch -

MICROFINANCE EVENT: The Consultative Group to Assist the Poor (CGAP) and the Microfinance Management Institute (MFMI) to Hold Funder Training Course in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

CGAP/MFMI FUNDER TRAINING COURSE

APRIL 7-11, 2008, ADDIS ABABA, ETHIOPIA

The complete title of this event is “Building Inclusive Financial Systems: How Funders Can Make a Difference” and it is the first of three courses on the same subject to be held in 2008. The Consultative Group to Assist the Poor (CGAP) and the Microfinance Management Institute (MFMI), a joint venture of CGAP and the Open Society Institute (OSI), are offering the session which will be “a hands-on training course on building financial systems for the poor,” according to the brochure. Both the enrollment form and the brochure are available on the CGAP Donor Information Network Center (CGAP DIRECT) Web site.

by the MicroCapital Team -

MICROFINANCE EVENT: Carmen Velasco, Co-Founder of Pro-Mujer to Speak at Women Advancing Microfinance Talk in New York

WOMEN ADVANCING MICROFINANCE-NEW YORK (WAM-NY) VOICES FROM THE FIELD SERIES: CARMEN VELASCO, CO-FOUNDER OF PRO MUJER

FEBRUARY 20, 2008, BEAR STEARNS, NEW YORK

Carmen Velasco is a Bolivian born child psychologist and co-founder of Pro Mujer, a microfinance network that offers credit, savings accounts, health care services and training to poor women entrepreneurs in Latin America. Carmen will speak about her experience as a microfinance practitioner in Bolivia and in other countries throughout Latin America.

by Andrew Reese -

MICROCAPITAL STORY: 3RD Annual Srijan Microfinance Competition

The Srijan Microfinance Business Plan Competition will host its third annual entrepreneurial challenge. The name Srijan means “creation” in English and the competition aims at developing innovative solutions to the resource and infrastructure problems that currently limit MFI’s. In addition, the event hopes to capitalize on the entrepreneurial spirit of participants to further the efficiency of sustainable development methodologies and act as a forum for business, finance, and investor opportunities.

by Jake Keller -

MICROFINANCE EVENT: Financiera Independencia of Mexico to Hold Fourth Quarter Conference Call

FINANCIERA INDEPENDENCIA FOURTH QUARTER CONFERENCE CALL

FEBRUARY 21, 2008, INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE CALL

Mexican Microfinance Institution (MFI), Financiera Independencia, will hold its fiscal 2007 fourth quarter conference call and release its earnings for the fourth quarter ending December 31, 2007 on February 21, 2008 at 11 AM Eastern Time.