Mifos is a community of of microfinance institutions, technology professionals, business people, volunteers, and contributors with a vision to create and deploy technology that allows the microfinance industry to scale. It has released Mifos 2.6.0 (Esha K) – the latest release of our free software for managing the delivery of financial services to the poor. It includes a new module or uploading/attaching files, a homepage dashboard of key business indicators, chart of accounts interface, and … [Read more...]
A Free Manual on Human Resource Policy for Microfinance and NGOs
January 17, 2013 By
If your organization is implementing a microfinance project or setting up a microfinance company, it is important to consider its management requirements to make it sustainable and effective. Human resources development is a major component of building strong community-based institutions. If you are seeking to compile information on how to develop a human resource policy for your microfinance company, then the following free manual will be very useful. In fact, this manual is being offered in … [Read more...]
New Version Mifos 2.5 – Free MIS Software for Microfinance
September 30, 2012 By
Mifos is a community of of microfinance institutions, technology professionals, business people, volunteers, and contributors with a vision to create and deploy technology that allows the microfinance industry to scale. It has released Mifos 2.5 - the latest release of our free software for managing the delivery of financial services to the poor. It includes a new integrated accounting module, 11 additional standard reports & data warehouse embedded in Mifos, importing loan & saving … [Read more...]
2012 WWB Fellowship Program- Seeking Fellows
January 24, 2012 By
Deadline: February 24, 2012. Countries/Region:Asia, Africa,Latin America WWB Fellowship Program enables future global leaders in microfinance and women’s economic empowerment to experience the challenges and rewards of contributing to an organization that works diligently to create financial opportunities for low income women. Over a 2-year period, Fellows will deliver solutions for the organization and the network member institutions concerning an array of microfinance initiatives including: … [Read more...]
Gender Consultant for Women in Rural Economy Research in Latin America-Women’s World Banking (WWB)
January 24, 2012 By
DEADLINE: February 3, 2012 Countries/Region:Colombia,Peru WWB is an international microfinance support organization and network of 39 microfinance institutions in 27 countries. The mission of WWB is to expand the economic assets, participation and power of low-income women and their households by helping them access financial services, knowledge and markets. Women’s World Banking (WWB) in collaboration with the Inter-American Development Bank is undertaking the project Development of Rural … [Read more...]
Global Partnerships lends $2.5M to two Colombian MFIs
October 9, 2011 By
A loan of $2.5 million is extended to two Colombian MFIs, by Social Investor Global Partnerships. The two MFISs receiving the loan are Fundación Amanecer and Contactar. Global Partnerships’ Social Investment Fund 2010 (SIF 2010), which is a five-year, $25 million debt fund, has provided the loan. The first loan of $1 million was made to Fundación Amanecer, in August. Subsequently, the second loan was made to Contactar, a nonprofit microfinance organization in southwest Colombia, in September; … [Read more...]
Pakistan Poverty Alleviation Fund invests in Jinnah Welfare Society
October 9, 2011 By
Pakistan Poverty Alleviation Fund (PPAF) has started an equity fund that will be invested in microfinance institutions. This fund will help PPAF reach its goal of making commercial financing easily accessible and increasing growth in rural areas. The MFIs will be judged by third parties, and only those that meet international criteria, and prove to be sustainable, will benefit from the fund. It is expected that the fund will make MFIs financially stronger, thereby helping them attract more … [Read more...]
Norwegian microfinance fund leads Rs.250 Million equity investment in Utkarsh
September 29, 2011 By
An INR 250 Million Series B investment in Utkarsh Microfinance Pvt. Limited has been led by the Norwegian Microfinance Initiative’s Frontier Fund KS. Utkarsh is a Non-Banking Finance Company (NBFC), with operations in 13 districts of Uttar Pradesh and Bihar. It has a client base of 57, 000, with a loan portfolio of INR 410 million. The participants in this Series B round of investment included Aavishkaar Goodwell (AG), which is an existing investor in the MFI. Utkarsh also has World Bank’s IFC … [Read more...]
Iraq’s microfinance institutions to hold conference on financial inclusion
September 29, 2011 By
An Inclusive Financial Services Stakeholders Conference will be held in Erbil on October 3 and 4. The USAID-Tijara Provincial Economic Growth Program, along with Iraq’s 12 institutions who deal with microfinance, will be holding the conference. The theme for the conference is ‘Transforming Inclusive Financial Services for Increasing Outreach.’ The forum will be composed of policy makers from Iraq, international rating institutions, donors, and commercial bankers. In addition, representatives … [Read more...]
Grameen Foundation and USAID Providing $3 Million for Peruvian Microfinance Institutions
September 28, 2011 By
According to an announcement made by Grameen Foundation and the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), they would be providing a credit guarantee of $1.5 million to the Peruvian savings and credit cooperative, Cooperativa de Ahorro y Credito (ABACO), to help it support almost $3 million for local currency financing to two Peruvian microfinance institutions (MFIs). The microfinance sector is quite well=established in Peru, as all the major institutions can easily approach the … [Read more...]
The MasterCard Foundation and UNCDF Launch MicroLead Expansion Program
September 26, 2011 By
The MasterCard Foundation and UN Capital Development Fund (UNCDF) have started the expansion plan for the MicroLead program that has already proved its success in the recent past. The launching of the new expansion plan came at the 5th Annual African Microfinance Conference in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. This new project will run for six years and cost around $23.5 million. It will enhance access to microfinance, particularly savings services, to 450,000 low income people in Sub-Saharan … [Read more...]
USAID signs microfinance guarantee agreement with Bank Muamalat, first of its kind with an Islamic financial institution worldwide
September 19, 2011 By
USAID recently signed a loan guarantee agreement with Bank Mulamalat, Indonesia’s oldest Islamic bank, enabling low-income women in that country to apply for microfinance loans. This $1.15 million agreement is USAID’s first-ever finance guarantee program with an Islamic financial institution worldwide. The loan guarantee agreement builds on President Obama’s speech in Cairo, in which he called for deeper engagement with the Muslim world. It is also a prime example of the type of how USAID … [Read more...]
Microfinance Capacity Building Fund: First call for proposals to improve the outreach of microfinance for the benefit of poor and low-income people in Africa
July 27, 2011 By
Microfinance in Africa is a powerful tool aimed at promoting economic growth and generating employment, yet the sector is fragile and its outreach is limited: only 1 in 5 households has a deposit account with a regulated financial institution, compared to an average of 1.5 in 5 in other developing regions, and 4 in 5 in developed countries. One significant challenge to the development of an efficient and sustainable microfinance sector in Africa is the lack of technical capacity building at … [Read more...]
AfDB, Government of Spain launch the Microfinance Capacity Building Fund for Africa
July 27, 2011 By
Source: http://www.mbendi.com/a_sndmsg/news_view.asp?I=117206&PG=35 The African Development Bank Group (AfDB) and Government of Spain have launched the Microfinance Capacity Building Fund for Africa, aimed towards strengthening capacity building efforts in the financial sector to help low-income populations in the continent. Special emphasis of the fund will remain on improving the conditions of women and people living in rural areas. Microfinance has emerged as an important tool to … [Read more...]
Registration open for the 2011 Global Microcredit Summit to be held in Valladolid, Spain during November
July 7, 2011 By
RESULTS Educational Fund is inviting interested candidates to get registered for the 2011 Global Microcredit Summit to be held in Valladolid, Spain from November 14-17, 2011. This will be the 15th global or regional summit organized by the Microcredit Summit Campaign. In February of 1997, the Fund convened the first Microcredit Summit, launching a nine-year Campaign to reach 100 million of the world’s poorest families, especially the women of those families, with credit for self-employment and … [Read more...]
MFC invites applications from national microfinance networks for Social Performance Start-up Fund
June 21, 2011 By
Microfinance Centre (MFC) is a grass-root network of 110 member institutions that play an active role in shaping the microfinance industry in the Europe and Central Asia (ECA) region. Members range from banks, non-governmental organizations, social and commercial investors, to development institutions and international PVOs. All share an interest in microfinance, as providers of financial services, capital or technical assistance. MFC invites all national microfinance networks who would like … [Read more...]
Opportunity International consolidates its Community Banking in the DRC with TFM’s contribution
May 12, 2011 By
Opportunity International, a leading network of microfinance institutions in the world, has announced its expansion plans in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) after getting a contribution of $250,000 from Tenke Fungurume Mining (TFM). This contribution is aimed at supporting the Opportunity DRC’s mission of providing safe community banking in the country besides providing small business loans and financial services to aspiring and struggling entrepreneurs. Under its flagship “Banking on … [Read more...]
Citi Microentrepreneurship Awards in Russia
November 22, 2010 By
The Russian Microfinance Center and the Citi Foundation announced the opening of nominations for the sixth annual Citi Microentrepreneurship Awards. Nominations will be open from 1 November until 30 December 2010. The aim is to encourage the best microentrepreneurs and the most effective organizations that offer microfinancing services across Russia, as well as to raise public and government awareness about the microfinance industry. The global competition was first launched in 2005 to … [Read more...]
Have your say for DFID-World Bank’s plan to increase microfinance services in the Sub-Saharan Africa
October 18, 2010 By
The UK Department for International Development (DFID) and the World Bank are in the process of setting up a Microfinance Capacity Building Facility for Sub-Saharan Africa, known as MICFAC. It aims to increase the outreach of microfinance services – such as savings, loans, insurance and money transfer services – to more poor people in Sub-Saharan Africa. DFID is currently inviting ideas and thoughts from individuals and organizations to contribute towards the design of this facility. The … [Read more...]
