Seattle Times blogger Kristi Heim writes about her visit to Washington CASH (Community for Self Help) in Seattle…Started in 1995, CASH works as an intermediary between the U.S. Small Business Administration and about 300 low income clients. As in the Grameen model, borrowers work in groups, meet every two weeks and have a mentor. They ...
EventsNo big surprise…the global financial crisis is going to slow the ability of MFIs and funders to grow in the year(s) ahead…according to at least one blogger, Stan Janz “The fourth-quarter credit crunch has forced Opportunity International to cut its 2009 forecast of 30 percent growth in half. World Vision’s microfinance arm, Vision Fund, slashed ...
News and CommentaryDon Schlosser, SeaMo’s resident finance expert, is traveling in Guatemala this week visiting projects supported by Global Visionaries and Global Partnerships, two of Seattle’s most exciting development organizations. We’ll be posting his dispatches as they come in.
FeaturedMohammed Yunus and Michael Chu debate commercialization
AsidesIn the midst of the ongoing turmoil in US and international capital markets, three recent announcements by financial institutions deserve notice. While totalling less than $700 billion , these are significant moves by several ongoing players in global microfinance: 1. Merrill Lynch Community Development Company (MLCDC) announced that it has invested $10 million in Calvert Foundation’s Community ...
News and CommentaryMicrofinance is best known for lending programs for the poor, but it’s more than that, comprising the provision of a whole spectrum of financial products and services to the poor. We sometimes forget the importance of the simple things…a safe place to put your money (tho one might wonder about that these days of financial turmoil ...
News and CommentaryACCION International, the well-known microfinance organization recently announced the establishment of a new initiative supported by founding sponsor Credit Suisse. The Center for Financial Inclusion intends to focus on connecting private sector, non-profit, an academic resources to advance the commercial model of microfinance while upholding the interests and needs of poor clients worldwide. It’s too ...
Events