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Does ’the Cloud’ Have a Silver Lining for the Poor? New Sources of E-Transaction Data Hold Promise
Financial services firms in wealthy nations depend heavily on data to design their products and tailor products to consumers. A very basic example is using credit scores. This data-driven approach has been largely impossible for banks that would pursuing BoP customers. But that may be changing as several startup firms are gearing for launch.
- Categories
- Technology
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2011 Social Finance Forum: Investing in Good Deals
Last year, over 300 people gathered for the launch of the Mobilizing Private Capital for Public Good report by the Canadian Task Force on Social Finance. It was a call to action on the role of capital markets to create economic/social sustainability. This year, Canada’s impact investing marketplace will tackle what it means to invest in good deals.
- Categories
- Investing, Social Enterprise
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Housing Series: The Critical Shift Toward Asset Building
For over two decades, the partnership between the Citi Foundation and Habitat for Humanity International relied heavily on a "one house, one family," volunteer house-building model. But a shift to a strategy that increases the supply of financial products and services that accelerate financial inclusion is urgently needed.
- Categories
- Finance, Uncategorized
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Housing Series: The Case for Housing Support Services
Access to finance and secure tenure has been shown to be the most effective catalysts for self-help incremental housing improvements. But while they are essential, even together, they are not sufficient to improve the living conditions for many of the world’s low-income populations.
- Categories
- Finance
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SELCO: A Business, Ongoing Case Study in Solar-Powered Social Impact
SELCO, a social enterprise traditionally focused on providing solar energy to the rural underserved, has launched a new urban model in India that has helped electrify a set of slum-dwelling households in Bangalore. The early success has been less about the feat of solar power in slums, and more about creating a ripple effect for social impact.
- Categories
- Energy, Impact Assessment
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The 2012 ‘Doing Business’ Report: A Traveler’s Guide
Access to credit, reliable electricity, reasonable tax codes and other factors key to a business’s long-term success?for better or worse?often lies with a country?s government. The World Bank ranks these factors in its annual Doing Business Report. This year?s survey also provided intriguing insights for developing world entrepreneurs.
- Categories
- Education
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From the Roundtable: Reflections on Improving Microfinance
Citi Foundation recently hosted an interesting day-long roundtable that focused on the Center for Financial Inclusion’s (CFI) report on "Opportunities and Obstacles to Financial Inclusion." It’s an important report because it raises significant issues for the sector. The discussion focused on how to protect and educate legitimate borrowers.
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- Uncategorized
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How Businesses Can Excel as the Poor Shift to Buying in Small Packs
My colleague expressed shock at the price of packaged mushrooms in supermarkets in Eastlands compared to those in Westlands in Nairobi. The price for the same product was almost double in Eastlands compared to Westlands. She was surprised at the pricing logic, but this is just a poverty penalty. I explained that the rich always pay less than the poor in many circumstances. Micro finance institutions charge higher interest rates for loans than mainstream banks while shylocks ...
- Categories
- Uncategorized
- Region
- Sub-Saharan Africa
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