Articles by Sam Mendelson
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Guest Articles
Thursday
August 6
2020A Sector in Ruins or ‘Building Back Better’? Findings From e-MFP’s Covid-19 Financial Inclusion Compass
With the COVID-19 pandemic and the global recession it has triggered, the financial inclusion sector is facing perhaps the greatest crisis in its modern history. In response, the European Microfinance Platform repurposed this year's Financial Inclusion Compass survey for this critical moment. Sam Mendelson discusses the results, and what they say about the sector's priorities, challenges and prospects for recovery.
- Categories
- Coronavirus, Finance, Investing
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Guest Articles
Thursday
March 12
2020A Spotlight on Effective and Inclusive Savings
Saving for an unpredictable future is one of the few genuinely universal life tenets. But for much of the past 40 years, the microfinance sector has focused overwhelmingly on credit. As Sam Mendelson and Daniel Rozas at e-MFP explain, that's one reason the 2020 European Microfinance Award is focused on “Encouraging Effective & Inclusive Savings.” They discuss the benefits of savings in introducing the €100,000 award – which is open for applications until April 15.
- Categories
- Finance
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Guest Articles
Thursday
January 23
2020Optimism, Confusion and Soul-Searching: The Financial Inclusion Compass 2019 Reveals a Sector at an Inflection Point
It's not your imagination: Financial inclusion is getting more complex. As Sam Mendelson at e-MFP points out, the sector expands in depth and breadth each year – from new products and players to increased expectations of impact. To cut through the confusion, e-MFP publishes The Financial Inclusion Compass, a report based on a broad survey of stakeholders, who share their views on the sector’s present and future. He discusses some highlights from the 2019 report.
- Categories
- Finance
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Guest Articles
Monday
March 18
2019The Winds of Change: Mobilizing Microfinance for Climate Change Resilience
Though the world is slowly taking action on climate change, much of the debate still focuses on mitigation. In fact, adaptation – becoming resilient to the changes to come – is equally important, say Daniel Rozas and Sam Mendelson at e-MFP. They explore how the financial inclusion industry can help vulnerable communities develop resilience to the disruptions of climate change, and to adapt to permanently changed environments. This year’s European Microfinance Award aims to inspire the sector to make this fundamental shift – interested providers can apply for the €100,000 award until April 9, 2019.
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- Environment, Finance
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Wednesday
November 28
2018On the Ground at European Microfinance Week: Discussing Technology’s Threat and Promise – and Financial Services for Refugees
There were two topics that dominated debate at last week’s European Microfinance Week (EMW) conference: the threats and opportunities brought about by the fintech revolution in inclusive finance, and the issue of financial inclusion for refugees and internally displaced persons. The discussion of these issues ranged from hopeful to surprisingly cautionary – Sam Mendelson at the European Microfinance Platform shares some highlights.
- Categories
- Finance
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Wednesday
May 2
2018Caveat Venditor: A New Model for Buyer Selection in Responsible Microfinance Equity Exits
Socially responsible investing is well understood, but what it means to be responsible as you "exit" or sell off equity is less clear. Daniel Rozas and Sam Mendelson studied a particularly difficult part of the exit process for microfinance investments - how to choose a buyer that is suitable for an MFI, its staff and its clients. They discuss their findings in a paper that they hope will help microfinance investors navigate the complicated terrain of "responsible exits."
- Categories
- Investing
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Wednesday
April 18
2018Bringing Technology to Microfinance in the Age of Data Scandals: European Microfinance Award Seeks Solutions
Fintech advances are often heralded for bringing financially excluded people into the mainstream. But Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg’s recent appearance before Congress is a stark reminder of the need for protection from – along with access to – technology. This year's European Microfinance Award is seeking organizations whose tech-enabled financial solutions place client protection at the forefront.
- Categories
- Entrepreneurship, Finance, Technology
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Tuesday
April 11
2017Home Sweet Home: Mobilizing Microfinance for Housing
Only 2 percent of microfinance portfolios consist of housing loans. Why? The authors say it's because housing languishes in the “household spending” category; it's not income generating, so it's somehow less deserving. It will soon be in the spotlight, however, as the eighth European Microfinance Award focuses on what financial institutions serving the world’s poor can do to address their housing needs.
- Categories
- Investing