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The Double Bottom Line of Microfinance Must Become a Triplet: Why MFI performance measurement needs a gender lens
According to the Microfinance Information Exchange, 74 percent of MFIs claim to target women, and just over half declare women’s empowerment or gender equality as an objective. Yet gender has not been recognized as one of the pillars of MFI performance. Women’s World Banking makes the case that all MFI performance measurement must have a gender lens.
- Categories
- Education, Impact Assessment
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Engineering Answers on ‘DEMAND’: A new global review of engineering successes in development
At the bottom of many a development money pit is poor design. Fortunately, engineers can help prevent funding sinkholes from opening in the first place. With that in mind, we’re pleased to announce the online debut of a new magazine for engineers and the global development community, DEMAND, ASME’s Global Development Review.
- Categories
- Education, Energy, Technology
- Tags
- research
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Small Farms, Big Funding Gap: Local bank financing for smallholder farmers meets only 3 percent of overall demand
New research reveals that local bank lending to smallholder farmers – which should be a main avenue for improving their access to finance – meets less than 3 percent of their estimated financing demand. This gap represents an obstacle to global poverty reduction efforts - and a compelling opportunity for buyers, lenders and other actors in the agricultural value chain.
- Categories
- Agriculture
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Ziqitza a ‘Driver’ Among Social Businesses: Ambulance company expanding rapidly, eyeing markets outside India
Ziqitza has grown from just 10 ambulances in 2005 to more than 800 today, has served more than 2.5 million people – many of whom live below the poverty line – and its annual revenue is roughly $20 million. The secret, according to its CEO, lies in its revenue model.
- Categories
- Environment, Health Care
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Getting Innovations to Market: Crazy ideas and actionable insights from Grameen Foundation’s Dar es Salaam Workshop
Human-centered design methodology has led to a number of great products, but many get stuck in the implementation phase, only to collect dust on a shelf. That’s why forty international development practitioners recently convened in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania to discuss creative ways to ensure that new products actually get to market and reach end users. Grameen Foundation’s Kimberly Davies shares some of their insights.
- Categories
- Uncategorized
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Getting Back to the ‘Heyday’ for Vaccines: PATH’s Batson on how ‘really smart innovations’ are bending the global health curve
Foundations and governments involved in global health are more sensitive to cost-per-solution these days. That puts an emphasis on creativity and a disciplined public-private approach going forward.
- Categories
- Health Care
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Impact Investing, Framed: How the concept of “framing” can better position financial institutions for investment
There’s a misperception that community investments are riskier than other impact investments. In fact, Community Development Financial Institutions (CDFIs) performed well during the recession, while generating measurable social outcomes. Calvert Foundations Andrew Parrucci discusses how CDFIs can better position themselves for investment through the concept of "framing."
- Categories
- Impact Assessment
- Tags
- impact investing
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The Doctor is (Checking) In … Via Mobile: Pesinet combines apps, mircoinsruance with old-fashioned grassroots education
In Mali and Burkina Faso, an NGO uses a three-prong approach designed to get families to bring their children to local health centers starting with the earliest symptoms.
- Categories
- Environment, Health Care, Technology
