This 21-page paper provides microfinance institutions (MFIs) guidelines to measure their social performance and thus stay true to their mission and goals. Part of ACCION International’s InSight Series, the paper was written by Senior Director Rekha Reddy, who is responsible for measuring the poverty and social performance of ACCIOn affiliates. ACCION International is an international, non-profit microlending organization. One can find the full paper here.
Search Results for: india
MICROCAPITAL EVENT: 2008 World Business and Development Awards, for Which Microfinance Institutions (MFIs) are Eligible, Currently Accepting Nominations
WORLD BUSINESS AND DEVELOPMENT AWARDS
SEPTEMBER 24, 2008, NEW YORK
The International Chamber of Commerce (ICC), an institution promoting trade and investment across borders since 1919, announced on April 16th through a press release that the bi-annual World Business and Development Awards (WBDA) are now accepting nominations for the 2008 competition. The awards will recognize private sector institutions which support the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), one of which is the eradication of extreme poverty, the primary social motive for many microfinance institutions (MFIs).
MICROCAPITAL STORY: ING Review of AXA Group’s Microfinance Activities and AXA World Fund’s Microfinance Investments
The Dutch Bank ING published its updated 2008 study on commercial bank microfinance activity, called “A Billion to Gain? The Next Phase”. A MicroCapital summary of the paper can be read here. MicroCapital is reviewing the microfinance activities of several of large international banks covered in the study, such as the AXA Group.
PAPER WRAP-UP: Performance and Transparency: A Survey of Microfinance in South Asia, Microfinance Information eXchange (MIX)
Authored and published by staff members of the Microfinance Information eXchange (MIX), initiated and funded by the Consultative Group to Assist the Poor (CGAP) and The World Bank, released January 2006, 100 pages, available at http://microfinancegateway.com/files/31049_file_MIX_South_Asia_Performance_and_Transparency_2_.pdf
MICROCAPITAL STORY: New York Times Magazine Surmises Cell Phones Can Transform Developing World in Similar Vein as Microfinance
An article in the Apr. 13 issue of the New York Times Magazine examines the proliferation of cell phones in the developing world and their potential to profoundly impact the global economy in years to come. Significantly, the trend, like microfinance, is seen as a bottom-up approach to development, with the poor taking advantage of emerging opportunities to lift themselves out of poverty.
MICROCAPITAL STORY: SKS Microfinance Looks to Offer Microinsurance Products with Bajaj Allianz Life
Indian microfinance institution (MFI), SKS Microfinance (SKS) announced it will partner with Bajaj Allianz Life Insurance Company to provide its members with a group insurance product. The product will be distributed by SKS and- according to the CEO of Bajaj Allianz Mr. Kamesh Goyal- will give Bajaj Allianz access to the micro-insurance market.
NEWS WIRE: United States: World Bank Notes Trend of Microfinance Institutions Fighting Climate Change
Source: Development Outreach (World Bank Group).
MICROCAPITAL STORY: ING Review of American International Group (AIG) and Its Partnerships with ACCION, FINCA, MicroCred, Pro Mujer, and Pak-Oman Microfinance Bank
The Dutch Bank ING published its updated 2008 study on commercial bank microfinance activity, called “A Billion to Gain? The Next Phase”. A MicroCapital review of the paper can be read here. MicroCapital is reviewing the microfinance activities of several of large international banks covered in the study, such as American International Group (AIG).
MICROCAPITAL STORY: EDA Rural Systems Deploys Micro-Credit Ratings International Ltd (M-CRIL) Executives to Found Social Enterprise Price Discovery Platform CapitalConnect
Founded by EDA Rural Systems (EDA), CapitalConnect (CC) is a new information dissemination and price discovery platform for social enterprise transactions. CC aims to facilitate loans and equity investments by helping institutional lenders, institutional investors and social enterprises find one another. It is not a stock exchange, but provides a common platform for institutional players to interact, potentially resulting in more-realistic market valuations. Participants complete their transactions outside the portal. The service is not currently open to small-scale individual investors.
MICROFINANCE EVENT: Vikram Akula, SKS Founder and CEO, to Speak at Washington Offices of Consultative Group to Assist the Poor (CGAP) April 11, 2008
“BROWN BAG” LUNCH WITH VIKRAM AKULA OF SKS MICROFINANCE
APRIL 11, 2008, WASHINGTON, UNITED STATES
The Consultative Group to Assist the Poor (CGAP) periodic Brown Bag Lunches offer the opportunity to hear about happenings and advances in microfinance in a casual setting. This Friday at noon CGAP hosts special guest Vikram Akula, Founder and CEO of microfinance institution SKS Microfinance. Lunch will be served and, although the event is free of charge, RSVP is requested by Thursday, April 10 via cgap@worldbank.org. Event details are not available online, but CGAP may be reached at +1 202 473 9594. The CGAP offices are on the third floor of 900 19th Street NW, Washington DC.
PRESS RELEASE: Microfinance Offshoot Grameen Healthcare Teams With Veolia Water to Provide Clean Water in Bangladesh
Source: Veolia Water.
MICROCAPITAL STORY: Whole Foods Partners with Muhammad Yunus to Found Whole Planet Foundation Supplier Alliance for Microcredit, Uniting Natural Foods Vendors to Pledge $1m to Microfinance
Whole Planet Foundation (WPF), a Whole Foods Market nonprofit that makes grants and loans to microfinance institutions in developing countries, announced in March the creation of a coalition of natural foods companies dubbed the Whole Planet Foundation Supplier Alliance for Microcredit (WPFSAM). WPFSAM has pledged USD 1.05 million over three years to WPF. WPF’s operating expenses will continue to be funded by Whole Foods Market, which invests USD 1 million annually in the effort. The newly committed funds will be loaned to an estimated 6,500 families via implementation partners that include Grameen Trust in Costa Rica, Guatemala and India; Fundación Adelante in Honduras; and Pro Mujer in Nicaragua. A partial transcript and online audio are available of Grameen Bank founder Muhammad Yunus’s interview regarding this commitment by Washington’s National Public Radio.
MICROCAPITAL STORY: A Review of BNP Paribas’ Microfinance Activities and Outlook for Expansion
The Dutch Bank ING published its updated 2008 study on commercial bank microfinance activity, called “A Billion to Gain? The Next Phase”. A MicroCapital summary of the paper can be read here. MicroCapital will review the microfinance activities of several of large international banks covered in the study, starting with BNP Paribas.
PAPER WRAP-UP: Benchmarking Asian Microfinance 2006
Written by Scott Gaul and Hindi Tazi of the Microfinance Information Exchange (MIX), based on 2006 benchmark data collected by MIX from 194 Asian microfinance institutions, this publication was released in March 2006 as a 20-page document available here.
The Asian microfinance sector served over 35 million active borrowers with USD 6.97 billion in loans in 2006. While it represents only one third of global borrowers, Asian microfinance serves two thirds of total microloan clients. Asian MFIs also achieved scale in savings with over 47 million voluntary depositors, three-fourths of global microfinance savings clients.
PAPER WRAP-UP: ING Report States that Global Banks Doubled Microfinance Loans Last Year
International financial services provider ING published the updated study “A Billion to Gain? – The Next Phase”. The 68-page report states that the amount of outstanding wholesale loans by international banks to microfinance institutions (MFIs) doubled by the end of 2007 to approximately USD 1.4 billion from USD 0.5 billion in 2006. The author and researcher is Matthis Boúúaert.
MICROCAPITAL STORY: The Netherlands Development Finance Company (FMO) Lends $1.1m to Fundación Internacional para la Asistencia Comunitaria de Guatemala (FINCA Guatemala)
The Consultative Group to Assist the Poor (CGAP) reports in its list of recent transactions that the Netherlands Development Finance Company (FMO) financed USD 1,103,100 in loans to Fundación Internacional para la Asistencia Comunitaria de Guatemala (FINCA Guatemala) on January 21, 2008.
MICROFINANCE EVENT: ING Bank Will Host the “A Billion to Gain? The Next Phase” Microfinance Seminar
A BILLION TO GAIN? THE NEXT PHASE
JUNE 16, 2008, AMSTERDAM, NETHERLANDS
The ING Group published an updated study on the microfinance activities of large, international financial institutions, called “A Billion to Gain? The Next Phase”. ING will hold a seminar to highlight the study, discuss latest trends, and debate central banks’ role in microfinance. The conference hopes to attract commercial banks and international microfinance representatives.
PIONEERS IN MICROFINANCE: Aloysius P. Fernandez of MYRADA and Sanghamithra Rural Financial Services
Aloysius P. Fernandez is Executive Director of rural development NGO MYRADA and Chairman of the Board of microfinance institution Sanghamithra Rural Financial Services.
MicroCapital: How did you get started in social finance?
AF: During the 1971 Bangladesh War, running a refugee program, I discovered the poverty and suffering there. I began to understand the causes of poverty, and I said: “Well, I’ve got to intervene in some way. Should I intervene in land? That’s difficult. Should I intervene in wages? That’s difficult.” So I said, “Let’s look at capital.” Then, we started cooperative societies, and these cooperatives broke down….