Microfinance Resources

Microfinance Websites:

ACCION International -Established in 1961 and a leader in microfinance since 1973, ACCION has over 45 years of experience in the field of international economic development. The mission of ACCION International is to give people the tools they need to work their way out of poverty. By providing microloans, business training and other financial services to poor men and women who start their own businesses, ACCION’s partner lending organizations help people work their own way up the economic ladder, with dignity and pride.

CGAP – CGAP is the leading independent resource for objective information, expert opinion, and innovative solutions for microfinance. CGAP works with the financial industry, governments and investors to effectively expand access to financial services for poor people around the world. Their mission is to help alleviate poverty by advancing access to finance.

Council of Microfinance Equity Funds – The Council of Microfinance Equity Funds(CMEF) is the first membership organization bringing together the leading private entities that make equity investments in microfinance institutions (MFIs) in the developing world. The Council’s members seek both social and financial returns from their investments in these institutions, all of which provide a range of financial services to poor households in developing countries.

Dr. Kendall Mau’s MICROFINANCE TRAVELS – Musings about Dr. Mau’s world travels in microfinance as CFO/COO of Prisma Microfinance, Inc. and MFI Consultant.

Grameen Foundation – Grameen supports microfinance programs that enable the poor, mostly women, to lift themselves out of poverty and make better lives for their families. To do this, Grameen partners with a worldwide network of microfinance institutions and focuses on the following key areas: supporting microfinance institutions, harnessing the power of technology, enabling microfinance institutions to access commercial financing to support their programs, expanding microfinance industry knowledge, and equipping the microfinance industry with measurement tools

Green Microfinance – Harnesses the power of renewable energy to microfinance.  Their work with microfinance institutions assists them in providing their clients with clean, renewable energy technologies – solar, wind, hydro, and biofuel – which enhance their physical and economic well-being while reducing greenhouse gas emissions and deforestation.

Idlo – The International Development Law Organization has a microfinance project of its own. Their website is a platform for discussions, social networking and research on microfinance legislation and regulatory-related issues.

MFI Connect – A new and growing social network that is focused on Microfinance.  The site aspires to become an integral part of the microfinance community by creating an active network of student microfinance organizations and by creating a vibrant forum for everyone to discuss issues relating to microfinance. The site is being run by a group of students and volunteers from accoss the United States and Europe and has been endorsed by Grameen America.

MicroCapital – MicroCapital publishes the MicroCapital Monitor and other products offering specialized news and information on international microfinance. As microfinance is an emerging industry with a legacy of charity, objective news with a business orientation is scarce. MicroCapital seeks to provide candid information on microfinance with the goal of encouraging rational growth of the industry.

Microcredit Summit Campaign – The Campaign brings together microcredit practitioners, advocates, educational institutions, donor agencies, international financial institutions, non-governmental organizations and others involved with microcredit to promote best practices in the field, to stimulate the interchanging of knowledge, and to work towards reaching our goals.

Microfinance Alliance – Aspires to raise awareness of the importance of microfinance as a tool for poverty alleviation and community development both locally and internationally. By engaging the public and university community, we hope to create a forum for dialogue, opportunities for action, and foster support for microfinance.

MicroCredit Enterprises – Committed to reducing poverty by mobilizing private investment capital to finance micro-businesses of poor families throughout the developing world. We do this with the help of leading companies and firms that donate their professional time and talent toward furthering this cause.

Microfinance Gateway – The Microfinance Gateway is the most comprehensive online resource for the global microfinance community. It includes research and publications, discussion groups, featured articles, organization and consultant profiles, and the latest news, events, and job opportunities in microfinance. The mission of the site is to advance knowledge and encourage innovation within the microfinance industry.

Microfinance International – Microfinance International aims to expand affordable and professional financial services to markets where such services have previously been unavailable, or are overpriced and disconnected from mainstream banking. They believe that a combination of microfinance methodology and a commercial banking approach in a for-profit model enables it to make financial services available in a socially responsible manner and ensure scalability.

Microfinance Network – MicroFinance Network (MFN) is an international association of leading microfinance institutions. Through the MFN, 37 members from 31 countries share ideas, experiences, and innovative solutions to the challenges they face in search of continuous growth and progress. MFN members seek to be models of what is possible in the industry.

Microfinance Opportunities – Microfinance Opportunities is a microenterprise resource center that promotes client-led microfinance. Established in 2002 as a 501(c)3 non-profit organization, they seek to facilitate an improvement in poor people’s lives by increasing their access to well-designed and well-delivered financial services. Microfinance Opportunities occupies a specialized market niche within the microfinance industry, providing action-oriented research, training, and technical assistance.

Microfinance Without Borders – MWB is a not-for-profit company improving the capacity of MFIs by providing first class practical training and placement opportunities for financial professionals. They work together with academic, public and private sector partners to develop state of the art training and networking opportunities to benefit the MF industry and its clients.

microLINKS – microLINKS is a knowledge-sharing family of applications and tools designed to improve the impact of USAID microenterprise programs and activities. microLINKS gives you access to the latest information on microenterprise; best practices; proven approaches from USAID Missions, partners, and practitioners; a library of documents, reports, and tools; and an environment that supports and enriches communities of practice.

MiFi Report: The MiFi Report is “your news source for everything microfinance.”  It is one of the web’s tops sites on current microfinance news.

Mifos – Mifos is an industry-wide initiative to address the microfinance industry’s information management challenge. Using the open source paradigm, Mifos is creating a new service model that will increase access to technology for all microfinance institutions, ultimately enabling them to extend their reach to the world’s poor.

Mix Market – A global, web-based, microfinance information platform.  It provides information to sector actors and the public at large on microfinance institutions worldwide, public and private funds that invest in microfinance, MFI networks, raters/external evaluators, advisory firms, and governmental and regulatory agencies. The MIX Market seeks to develop a transparent information market to link MFIs worldwide with Investors and Donors and promote greater investment and information flows.

Opportunity International – A leader in microfinance, Opportunity International is a non-profit organization dedicated to helping the poor. They provide financial services to the poor and train them in basic business practices so that they can work their way out of poverty. Their proven Trust Group model has brought success to millions of poor entrepreneurs around the world.

SEEP: The Small Enterprise Education and Promotion (SEEP) Network, the leading international network and promoter of best practices in enterprise development and financial services, is a global organization whose membership is committed to reducing poverty through the power of enterprise.

UN Microfinance: The United Nations Capital Development Fund (UNCDF) offers a unique combination of investment capital, capacity building and technical advisory services to promote microfinance and local development in the Least Developed Countries

Unitus – Unitus, an international nonprofit organization, works to reduce global poverty by increasing access to life-changing microfinance services. Rather than directly providing microfinance services, Unitus connects the ambitious, visionary social entrepreneurs who lead our partner MFIs with the business expertise, capital investments, and innovative tools and services required to grow faster, dream bigger, and reach farther.

Woman Advancing Microfinance International – The mission of Women Advancing Microfinance International is to advance and support women working in microfinance through education and training, by promoting leadership opportunities, and by increasing visibility of their participation and talent while maintaining a work/life balance.

World Microfinance Forum Geneva – The World Microfinance Forum Geneva promotes inclusive financial markets. The provision of financial services to the population at the base of the economic pyramid not only contributes to poverty reduction and development, it also offers interesting business and investment opportunities for the private sector.

 

If there are any other microfinance websites or resources that you think should be on here, feel free to email: “jerryostradicky (AT) g m a i l (DOT) c o m”