Microcredit pioneer Muhammad Yunus, winner of the 2006 Nobel Peace Prize (along with the Grameen Bank, which he founded) has developed a new approach to capitalism: social business. Yunus, author of Building Social Business, says social business will create self-supporting enterprises that generate economic growth even as they produce goods and services that make the ...
EventsThis summer Oikocredit is building a movement that will alleviate poverty and empower communities around the globe. Come to house parties or a larger event on May 21, and meet Oikocredit’s Executive Director Terry Provance via live web-stream. Chat, eat and drink fair trade goodies, and hear about the movement. What: Local house parties to ...
EventsCome meet Jolkona, a local non-profit that allows you to donate to projects around the world and get feedback from the field on the impact of your specific donation, during a happy hour on May 20th at 6pm at SAMTaste. They have projects that span Microfinance, Empowerment, Education, Public Health, Cultural Identity and Environment. Jolkona’s ...
EventsGrameen Foundation, Unitus, Vittana, Global Partnerships, and Washington CASH will share their insights on how they entered the field of microfinance, challenges they encountered, successes they’ve enjoyed, and recommendations that they have for those interested in the field.
Events, FeaturedIf you’re planning on attending Microfinance USA 2010 in San Francisco, you should plan on joining us Wednesday, May 19th at Pete’s Tavern (across from the Ballpark) to network with the best and brightest practitioners, investors, and microfinance enthusiasts for drinks and great conversation. Can’t attend the Microfinance USA conference, but you’re in the Bay Area? ...
EventsFor those unable to spend the full 2 days at the conference, Microfinance USA is offering tickets by session for the plenary, breakout session, networking event, lunchtime session, or borrower tour.
EventsVillage Enterprise Fund (VEF), a microenterprise organization whose mission is to break the cycle of poverty in rural East Africa by turning the dreams of the very poor into reality, by helping them start small businesses and build sustainable incomes, is hiring a Chief Executive Officer. The Position Village Enterprise Fund seeks an energetic, experienced, ...
Job PostingsSeattle – Global Partnerships (GP), a Seattle-based nonprofit that expands opportunity for people living in poverty by investing in microfinance programs in Latin America, announced today that Mark Coffey has been named chief investment officer. Coffey is a veteran financial executive who most recently served as president of ShoreBank Pacific, the first commercial bank in ...
News and CommentaryDebate erupted last week over the interest rates charged to microloan borrowers after The New York Times published a front page article criticizing some microfinance practitioners. What’s all the buzz about? Read Neil MacFarquar’s article that sparked the interest rate debate. Responses from: Opportunity Fund – “We must place mission before profits to help borrowers ...
Events“The Social Entrepreneurship Club UW is looking to further connect the world of social entrepreneurship in Seattle by providing a venue in which students, faculty, staff, and innovative, exciting ventures changing the world through microfinance, new technologies, and powerful business models can interact and connect. We will be holding our first annual Social Entrepreneurship Networking ...
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