Offering the ideal of “private property for all,” Prisma is a microlender registered as a U.S.-based international holding company offering financial services in Latin America. Its principal business operations are making loans to “unbanked” customers that are ignored by the mainstream finance sector. Prisma makes loans, at risk-adjusted market rates, from USD 50 to USD 15,000. Application for services is open to anyone.

In Nicaragua in 1995, the two entrepreneurs founded the predecessor to Prisma with $1,000 in personal start-up capital and a $4,000 loan from an American businessman, George Kraus, who is now a Board Member. Prisma has always operated as a business, never accepting donations or subsidies.
Prisma’s vision is that 1% of the stock and bond portfolios held by the investing public will be invested in microfinance as a certified asset class in order to eradicate poverty by creating wealth.

Prisma has operations in the US, Honduras and Nicaragua and offers great internship opportunities for people looking to get a start in microfinance. Interns’ benefits include hands-on microfinance industry experience, direct interaction with Prisma’s CEO and senior management and the opportunity to make a visible contribution to a vibrant, growing company that is making a difference.

Products:
Prisma offers a variety of products designed to meet the needs of its clients:
-Micro, Small and Medium sized Business Loans
-Home & Home Improvement Loans
-Consumer & Auto Financing Loans
Most loans are issued in partnership with other institutions such as employers and civic associations.

A member of the Nicaraguan Association of Microfinancing Associations, Fondo de Desarrollo Local is a lead institution in credit service provision in Nicaragua’s rural sector.  FDL’s portfolio is over $ 54 million dollars placed with more than 75,000 clients, 61% of whom are women, and 62% of the credits are agricultural.
FDL has received various international acknowledgements as one of the most transparent and best administered institutions in Central America and the Caribbean including: the CABEI Prize 2006 for Microfinancing Management; the Certificate of Transparency granted by the Consultative Group to Assist the Poor (CGAP); and the Prize for Excellence in Microfinances for Non-regulated Institutions.

MISSION:
The Local Development Fund (FDL) is a non-profit association created by the Nitlapán – UCA Institute to provide financial services to small and medium rural and urban businesspeople to allow them to increase their living standard and capital.
To fulfill its mission, FDL has skilled and competent human resources with appropriate infrastructure and technology, and is linked to institutions that are working for national development.

VISION:
FDL aims to be the leader in providing rural credit services to small and medium business people, financing working and investment capital with financial and social profitability. To that end it requires skilled, competent human resources committed to local development. In addition it establishes links with national and foreign institutions to attract funds, and with other like-minded organizations. It also acquires appropriate infrastructure and technology.

VALUES:

• Equity in services access
• Professional ethics
• Spirit of service
• Respect
• Commitment to human development
• Honesty
• Ideological tolerance
• Efficiency and Effectiveness

CREDIT, a licensed microfinance institution in Cambodia since May 2004, has raised almost $2,000,000 on Kiva over the past 27 months. However, it hasn’t always been a MFI — the faith based organization was started in 1993 by World Relief US in Cambodia and was registered as a private limited liability company (LLC) in 2003. Today, World Relief Corporation has a 74% shareholding in the company, World Relief Canada owns 17% and World Hope International has the remaining 9% share. At the end of 2007, CREDIT had a portfolio of US$10.3 million in outstanding loans reaching 18,771 clients. There are some interesting statistics about the MFI on their Kiva profile — 91.3% of their loans are to women, with an average loan size of $737 and their repayment rate is 100%.  The average interest rate borrowers pay to CREDIT is 11%, which is half the average interest rate for all field partners on Kiva. If you ask me, that’s an impressive track record.

Vision: Economically active poor and entrepreneurs have the opportunity to develop the livelihoods and experience full and productive lives.

Mission: To provide inclusive financial services tailored to the clients’ needs through excellent services and positive relationship while maintaining organizational sustainability.

CORE Values:
Motivation - Christ’s love

Values about clients -

• Committed to the poor and upholding their dignity
• Belief in the God-given potential of the clients
• Clients are business partners not beneficiaries

I was lucky enough to visit Southeast Asia back in March and got a general feel for what everyday life was like. I can’t pin down exactly what it was, but Cambodia was definitely my favorite country I visited on the trip that included Thailand, Vietnan and Hong Kong. Whereas in places like Vietnam and Thailand, it seemed many (not all) of the locals wanted to help you only to get your money; the people in Cambodia seemed genuinely interested in helping others. Oh yea, and that temple called Angkor Wat is beautiful. I’m certainly going to make it a point to visit a CREDIT office next time I travel to Cambodia.

Asasah:

Founded in Pakistan in 2003 by Ms Tabinda Jaffrey, Asasah’s promise is to “eradicate poverty by enhancing micro-productivity of poor households.” With 29 branches and over 41,000 cumulative active clients, Asasah believes that if executed properly, microfinance can create a lasting impact on households. Although Asasah makes women the primary credit recipient, they target the entire household, requiring both spouses to be jointly responsible to uphold the organization’s terms. In addition to the household lending method, Asasah follows Grameen Bank’s group lending methodology to ensure that the right people are receiving the credit and training that they need. Asasah has proven their success by having 0% portfolios at risk, doubling their number of active clients every year, being rated with 5 stars by the Mix Market and being a partner of Kiva.

Highlights:
-Portfolio at Risk: Asasah has maintained its portfolio quality and has zero delinquency.
-Partnerships: Asasah is the first NGO-MFI in Pakistan to partner with commercial financial institutions and has to date formed several partnerships with commercial institutions, donor agencies, international NGOs and network organizations.
-Joint Credit Rating: Asasah is the first microfinance organization in Pakistan to be jointly rated by JCR-VIS and Microfinanza.
-Governance: As Asasah’s strategic partner, Save the Children US has two seats on Asasah’s board and bottom-up planning approach.