-
Wrapping Up Net Impact on … Impact
If standards only aim to include output metrics, information elicited by these assessments will only indicate how well the business model operates based on if they performed as planned or not. This kind assessment does not address the larger question of how and potentially, why the business model is helping or hurting individuals.
- Categories
- Uncategorized
-
Civilizing the ’Wild West’ of Microfinance
Every emerging industry that has survived to transform the world has had to emerge from its "Wild West" phase ? a sort of testing period where ideas are thrown against the wall to see what sticks and what ends up bouncing right back in its face. After a few decades, perhaps microfinance has reached that defining moment.
- Categories
- Uncategorized
- Tags
- governance, microfinance
-
Passing the Entrepreneurship Test
Armed with brief assessment, borrower data spanning seven countries and eight languages, and the interest of financial institutions across Latin America and Africa, the Entrepreneurial Finance Lab (EFL) spun out of Harvard. In the coming months, the partnership aims to provide over 30,000 entrepreneurs with access to credit for the first time.
- Categories
- Uncategorized
-
Procter & Gamble and Healthpoint Services Announce Learning Partnership
A potentially game-changing partnership has just been announced at the mHealth Summit in Washington DC. Procter and Gamble and Healthpoint Services will join forces under a learning partnership aimed at advancing an innovative model that delivers clean drinking water and quality healthcare services to rural communities in India and other countries.
- Categories
- Uncategorized
-
Assessing Grameen Foundation?s Progress Out of Poverty Index
If used appropriately and in a widespread fashion, Grameen Foundation’s Progress out of Poverty Index (PPI) could standardize the process for how migration out of poverty is measured, while creating a large sample population for comparison. By the same token, there are some potential shortcomings in the 5-month-old certification process.
- Categories
- Uncategorized
-
NextThought Monday: A Closer Look at the Numbers Behind Branchless Banking
While the New York Times’ Thomas Friedman breathlessly reports on the latest mobile banking advancement in India, can we really believe the hype? Mark Pickens, Microfinance Analyst with CGAP’s Technology Program, says based on his study of 18 branchless banking providers, in fact, we can.
- Categories
- Finance
-
Friday Roundup – 11/5/10: Suicides, Repayment Rates and Other Soundbites
This week we introduce a new format of the Friday Roundup, and share a few resources on a recent debate passes through 99% repayment rates, suicides and other dangerous soundbites.
- Categories
- Uncategorized
-
Tough Stuff Fortifying the Base
While Tough Stuff certainly is not the only enterprise to sell solar-powered lanterns and charging strips, it is one of the few that provides a modular option allowing consumers to purchase detachable components of the technology - from LED lamps to rechargeable battery packs - making it more affordable.
- Categories
- Uncategorized
