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Announcing NextBillion’s Most Influential Articles of 2023: Cast Your Vote in our Annual Contest by Jan. 7!
As 2023 draws to a close, it’s time for NextBillion’s annual tradition: our “Most Influential Articles of the Year” contest. As we've done since 2012, we've selected 12 of our most-read articles from the past year, inviting readers to vote for the ones that influenced their thinking the most. You can vote multiple times — up to once per hour — during the voting period, which will run from Dec. 22 to 11:59 pm on Jan. 7. Best wishes for a healthy and prosperous new year!
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- Agriculture, Energy, Environment, Finance, Investing, Social Enterprise, Technology, WASH
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The Next Generation of DFI Technical Assistance: Why it’s Time for Development Finance Institutions to Take a Standardised Approach
Development finance institution technical assistance (DFI TA) has expanded greatly in scope and scale in recent years. But Johanna Strikwerda and Justin van Rhyn argue that a lack of standardization in TA approaches has made it hard for DFIs to coordinate their efforts, share best practices and maximize their effectiveness. In this article — the second in a two-part series exploring the uses of TA in development finance — they explore the benefits of a more standardized approach to TA design, delivery and results measurement, and highlight some ways DFIs can move toward this standardization.
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- Investing
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Empowering Emerging Fund Managers in Underserved Markets: The Role of Development Finance Technical Assistance
Emerging fund managers and other capital allocators play a vital role in addressing the "missing middle" financing gap in underserved markets. But as Robert Haynie and Justin van Rhyn point out, the demand for this funding vastly outweighs the current supply. In this article — the first in a two-part series exploring the uses of technical assistance (TA) in development finance — they explore how development finance institutions can leverage TA to meet the earlier-stage financing needs of missing middle businesses and improve the pipeline for later-stage investors.
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- Investing
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Achieving the SDGs in the World’s Most Vulnerable Countries: Why the Private Sector Must Recommit to Financing Sustainable Development in Small Island Developing States
It's widely recognized that the world is not on track to reach the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by 2030. And as Isabella Massa and Samory Toure at the UN Sustainable Development Solutions Network explain, Small Island Developing States (SIDS) are facing unique obstacles to their SDG agendas. They explore the economic, geophysical and environmental vulnerabilities that SIDS face, and call for the private sector to step up its commitment to financing SDG progress in these countries.
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- Environment, Investing
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Financing Women- Owned or -Led SMEs for Sustainable Growth: Navigating Capital Supply Side Challenges in Africa
One in four African women owns or manages a business, and in several countries in sub-Saharan Africa, the rates of entrepreneurial activity among women rise to 30-50%. But as Nathalie Gogue-Ebo and Katharina Weber at Open Capital point out, just 6% of funding in the region goes to women- owned or -led small and medium enterprises (WSMEs), limiting these businesses' growth potential. They discuss the factors that are preventing investors from supporting WSMEs, and share some potential solutions.
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- Investing
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Announcing Kiva’s Bold New Impact Strategy: The Nonprofit Microfinance Pioneer Shares its Refined Approach — And Unveils the Process Behind its Development
Both social enterprises and nonprofits need inspiring missions to thrive, and when those missions are coupled with well-crafted impact strategies, the change they seek to make is more likely to become reality. Kiva CEO Vishal Ghotge announces the pioneering microfinance nonprofit's latest impact strategy, explains how it will shape Kiva's next phase — and reveals the process behind its creation, so it can serve as a resource for other organizations.
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- Finance, Investing, Social Enterprise
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How Fintech is Enabling Progress Toward the SDGs — And Why it’s Time for Investors to Double Down
Due to high interest rates and other macroeconomic challenges, there's been a global slowdown in venture capital funding to tech firms. David Grimaud at Bamboo Capital Partners explains how this lack of investment is impacting fintech companies in emerging markets, putting not only financial inclusion but other development priorities at risk. He explores how fintech innovators are advancing multiple SDGs, and how the investment community — especially impact-focused investors — can better support them.
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A New Approach to Philanthropy: Why the Sector Must Prioritize Systems Change — And How Funders Can Respond
As global development challenges like inequality and climate change worsen, philanthropy is increasingly focusing on systems change — i.e., efforts to address the complex root causes of societal problems, rather than simply addressing the problems themselves. Heather Grady at Rockefeller Philanthropy Advisors (RPA) explores why this new focus requires a different approach to philanthropic giving, and shares key learnings from RPA's Shifting Systems Initiative that could be useful to the broader philanthropic community working on systems change.
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- Investing
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