Social Enterprise
Lending in the Shadow of Colonialism
Financial program to help microenterprises in Tanzania fails to take historical context into account.
Tag: Microfinance
Technology
Bank You
BanQu is the world’s first non-cryptocurrency blockchain app to help the world’s poorest people establish a verifiable economic identity. A Field Report from the Summer 2020 issue.
Business
The Dawn of Responsible Finance
Since the Great Recession, leaders in finance and investing have aimed to make their industries more equitable, sustainable, and socially productive. Has the fight for financial reform found its moment amid the economic crisis sparked by the COVID-19 pandemic? A Case Study in the Summer 2020 issue.
Food
Building Investor Appetite for Nutritious Food
Increasing access to quality food worldwide requires money from investors for food-related enterprises. Blended finance can help boost their risk tolerance. A Viewpoint from the Summer 2020 issue.
Philanthropy & Funding
Kiva Reinvents Itself
Kiva’s new strategy extends far beyond the organization’s original mission and legacy as a crowdfunding platform for microfinance. Can it succeed and still retain its original spirit? A Case Study from the Fall 2019 issue.
Economic Development
Creating New Pathways to Capital
Inequity continues to plague the lending industry, but a microlending program in New Mexico has created a solution that is providing underserved communities the capital they need. A Viewpoint article from the Summer 2019 issue.
Business
Six Ways to Support Small and Growing Businesses in Emerging Markets
Entrepreneur support programs are popular among donors, but many fail to incorporate rigorous research on the most effective ways to help businesses grow. Insights from current academic literature can help improve program design.
Water & Sanitation
Taps and Toilets for All
Microfinance for water and sanitation enables people to find their own solutions.
Economic Development
Beyond Policy: How Gendered Interactions on the Ground Shape Development
Viewing social and economic development as a series of interpersonal interactions can help us understand why development outcomes sometimes diverge from policy goals, and how gendered interactions shape social and economic development.
Economic Development
A New Paradigm for Microfinance: Savings and Credit
While they are no magic wand and really only work as part of a holistic approach, there is enormous potential for international development organizations to help communities help themselves through savings and credit groups.