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September 10, 2012
MiCRO and Fonkoze help Haitians rebuild their businesses
The storm Isaac caused untold damages in the loves of Haitians who were barely settling down in their lives after the earthquake in 2010. Microinsurance company MiCRO (Microinsurance Catastrophe Risk Organisation) is helping fix the lives of people who have lost their homes and businesses by making payments to Fonkoze, […]
September 10, 2012
Kiva vs. Zidisha: Comparing microfinance alternatives
While both Kiva and Zidisha are non-profit microfinance organizations operational online and based in the US, there are a few notable differences. While Kiva lends the lender amounts to microfinance institutions based locally, Zidisha uses no intermediaries. Loans from Zidisha go directly to computer literate borrowers who update their loans […]
September 10, 2012
BRAC: Reinventing microfinance
BRAC has successfully experimented with microfinance to evolve it on their terms to a new model called the Graduation Model. This model is meant for people who are too poor to be eligible even for microfinance loans, and must struggle to feed themselves and their families on a sustained basis. […]
September 10, 2012
Accion microfinance to house its archives in Tufts
Accion, the international non-profit which has worked extensively in the field of microfinance has declared that it will house its archives within Tufts University’s Digital Collections and Archives. Accion has been named a high-impact non-profit by Philanthropedia (read here). Read more here.
September 10, 2012
Brazil: Helping Bolsa Familia develop better products
Bolsa Familia is one of the largest CCT (Conditional Cash Transfer) programmes of the many in the category of the G2Ps. The challenge being faced by Bolsa Familia providers is the prevalence of the misconception that the recipients are very poor people who are more comfortable handling cash. In order […]
September 10, 2012
Programmes help poor Americans with banking services
Despite being residents of a developed nations, there are several Americans who are financially unincluded and hence must bear the burden of living without bank accounts and financial services which make the everyday lives of people easier. Now, new programmes being carried out in California, which help the poor with […]
September 10, 2012
Banks now leading the charge in developing markets
The mobile banking revolution, which originated with Safaricom’s M-PESA in Kenya is now being led by mainstream banks which wish to tap the previously unexplored markets in developing countries. More and more banks are coming out with their own mobile banking services, which have been seen to be very useful […]
September 10, 2012
Kenya: Small traders shun loans from MFIs
Many small-scale businesspersons in Kenya are moving away from the trend of borrowing money from microfinance institutions because of the high interest rates and strict repayment conditions which make the overall loan maintenance and repayment tough for the people. Interest rates from the typical MFIs are higher than those from […]
September 10, 2012
How MFIs can manage default risk while building financial inclusion
Tiered lending is the way to proceed for MFIs which seek to avoid defaults within group lending systems as well as adhere to their original social mission. For this, a thorough and adequate understanding of the clients, their incomes and their needs is required. Read more here.
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06 Key Lessons for informing policy decisions: Mainstreaming tribal-specific climate adaptive capacities in vulnerable coastal regions within National Action Plan on Climate Change
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Four Key Lessons for Policy Consideration: Scaling Climate Adaptive Capacities among Small and Marginal Farming Communities in the Sundarbans
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Five Key Lessons for Policy Consideration: Scaling Climate Action Programs for Landless Rural Communities in Semi-Arid Ganges-Brahmaputra Basin in South Asia
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View Blog Posts
GST 2.0 and Tax Cuts: Can They Make Growth Fairer and Greener?
India's latest GST reform, being termed as GST 2.0, is more than just slashing rates. By simplifying the tax structure, cutting levies on essentials, and supporting renewable infrastructure, it's open..
Reimagining Sports in CSR: From Tokenism to a Vehicle for Multiplying Impact
In 2023–24, Indian companies spent about ₹1,396 crore of their CSR budgets on sports — just 4% of the total ₹34,909 crore Indian corporates spent on CSR that year. Most of the rest went to edu..
Interactive SHG Map of India: 7.5 million Women Self Help Groups are spread across 27 States and 6 UTs in India
Under the National Rural Livelihood Mission (NRLM), India has 7.5 million Women Self Help Groups (SHGs) spread across 27 states and 6 Union Territories. Each of these small, self-governed, and peer-co..