The Commercialization of Microfinance
The Commercialization of Microfinance

Author: Deborah Drake

Publisher:

Published: 2002

Total Pages: 344

ISBN-13:

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* Addresses key issues related to bringing microfinance into the commercial realm * Written by prominent practitioners and scholars from a variety of organizations While many microfinance organizations started as NGOs, there is now a growing movement for them to transform into regulated, for-profit entities. Concurrently, commercial banks, credit unions, and specialized investors are also entering the market. The Commercialization of Microfinance synthesizes case studies from Latin America and beyond, delving into the trends and challenges of converting microfinance institutions into commercial entities. Prepared by ACCION, this book will be essential reading for anyone interested in understanding how the world of microfinance is changing, and how that world affects the broader processes of development.

A World of Three Zeros
A World of Three Zeros

Author: Muhammad Yunus

Publisher: PublicAffairs

Published: 2017-09-26

Total Pages: 260

ISBN-13: 1610397584

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A winner of the Nobel Peace Prize and bestselling author of Banker to the Poor offers his vision of an emerging new economic system that can save humankind and the planet Muhammad Yunus, who created microcredit, invented social business, and earned a Nobel Peace Prize for his work in alleviating poverty, is one of today's most trenchant social critics. Now he declares it's time to admit that the capitalist engine is broken -- that in its current form it inevitably leads to rampant inequality, massive unemployment, and environmental destruction. We need a new economic system that unleashes altruism as a creative force just as powerful as self-interest. Is this a pipe dream? Not at all. In the last decade, thousands of people and organizations have already embraced Yunus's vision of a new form of capitalism, launching innovative social businesses designed to serve human needs rather than accumulate wealth. They are bringing solar energy to millions of homes in Bangladesh; turning thousands of unemployed young people into entrepreneurs through equity investments; financing female-owned businesses in cities across the United States; bringing mobility, shelter, and other services to the rural poor in France; and creating a global support network to help young entrepreneurs launch their start-ups. In A World of Three Zeros, Yunus describes the new civilization emerging from the economic experiments his work has helped to inspire. He explains how global companies like McCain, Renault, Essilor, and Danone got involved with this new economic model through their own social action groups, describes the ingenious new financial tools now funding social businesses, and sketches the legal and regulatory changes needed to jumpstart the next wave of socially driven innovations. And he invites young people, business and political leaders, and ordinary citizens to join the movement and help create the better world we all dream of.

The Essentials of Social Finance
The Essentials of Social Finance

Author: Andreas Andrikopoulos

Publisher: Routledge

Published: 2021-11-18

Total Pages: 174

ISBN-13: 1000483185

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The Essentials of Social Finance provides an interesting, accessible overview of this fascinating ecosystem, blending insights from finance and social entrepreneurship. It highlights the key challenges facing social finance, while also showcasing its vast opportunities. Topics covered include microfinance, venture philanthropy, social impact bonds, crowdfunding, and impact measurement. Case studies are peppered throughout, and a balance of US, European, Asian, and Islamic perspectives are included. Each chapter contains learning objectives, discussion questions, and a list of key terms. There is also an appendix explaining key financial concepts for readers without a background in the subject, as well as downloadable PowerPoint slides to accompany each chapter. This will be a valuable text for students of finance, investment, social entrepreneurship, social innovation, and related areas. It will also be useful to researchers, professionals, and policy-makers interested in social finance.

Microfinance for Entrepreneurial Development
Microfinance for Entrepreneurial Development

Author: Douglas Cumming

Publisher: Springer

Published: 2017-09-28

Total Pages: 235

ISBN-13: 3319621114

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This edited collection presents recent developments, practical innovations, and policy reforms in the realm of microfinance in emerging markets. Microfinance has been hotly debated by ever-colliding camps of ardent supporters, who believe that microfinance addresses credit market failures and provides a durable answer to the problem of the poverty, and staunch critics, who argue that lending by microfinance institutions is wasteful, and the interest rates are too high. To bring further insight into this important debate, this book presents comprehensive historical, political, and economic perspectives on the latest issues in microfinance. An impressive array of scholars and practitioners build a framework for thinking about regulation to drive sustainable, inclusive development. With case studies of programs in India, Ghana, and Bangladesh, and examinations of the effects of gender and religion on financial decision-making, this comprehensive collection offers something valuable to scholars, policymakers, and practitioners—anyone with a vested interest in promoting innovation in microfinance.

The Mission-Driven Venture
The Mission-Driven Venture

Author: Marc J. Lane

Publisher: John Wiley & Sons

Published: 2015-01-20

Total Pages: 294

ISBN-13: 1118336054

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Practical guidance to maximize financial results while driving positive social change The Mission-Driven Venture provides actionable guidance for leveraging the power of the marketplace to solve the world's most vexing social problems. Written by attorney and financial advisor Marc J. Lane, a renowned thought leader and expert on entrepreneurship, social enterprises, impact investing and entrepreneurial finance, this book reaches the full spectrum of interests represented at the intersection of business and social change. Whether a social entrepreneur, impact investor, socially conscious individual, or a nonprofit or foundation leader, any reader committed to social innovation can benefit from this practical roadmap to the rapidly developing arena of social enterprise. Through real-world accounts of the journeys and successes of mission-driven ventures, Lane effectively illustrates the transformative potential of social enterprise, inspiring the reader to be an agent of change. Among the many tools offered through The Mission-Driven Venture, readers will: Find functional guidance to move from idea to reality with a step-by-step guide to designing and implementing a successful mission-driven venture Assess the benefits and challenges of the business models and entity choices available to the social entrepreneur Examine the entrepreneurial linkages between nonprofits and for-profits Recognize governance issues that can arise when mission and profit objectives clash, and discover tools for managing them Explore evolving trends and developments in financing social enterprise Discover methods and tools for measuring and reporting social impact Develop an effective strategy for achieving both financial success and meaningful social impact

Microfinance Institutions
Microfinance Institutions

Author: R. Mersland

Publisher: Springer

Published: 2015-12-11

Total Pages: 329

ISBN-13: 113739966X

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Research on MFI performance is still in its infancy. MFIs are hybrid organizations with dual objectives. Performance studies in microfinance are therefore less straightforward compared to performance studies in traditional banking research. This book contains new MFI performance research by top scholars from across the globe.

The Handbook of Microfinance
The Handbook of Microfinance

Author: Beatriz Armendariz

Publisher: World Scientific

Published: 2011

Total Pages: 700

ISBN-13: 9814295655

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Handbook of Microfinance addresses the gap between clients who are benefiting from access to financial services via MFIs, and the potential market, which remains underserved or untapped. This gap can be attributed to a "mismatch" between what consumers, or potential clients, demand and what MFIs offer in terms of financial products. The scope of the book is wide. It includes successes and failures, main challenges and debates, methodologies for impact evaluation via random trials, leading trends in Asia versus Latin America, main efforts in Africa, the importance of value chains in Central America, ethical and gender issues, savings, microinsurance, governance, commercialization trends and the potential advantages and disadvantages of it. Lastly it features main lessons from informal finance and 19th-century credit cooperatives addressing the above-mentioned mismatch.

A Realistic Theory of Social Entrepreneurship
A Realistic Theory of Social Entrepreneurship

Author: Arvind Ashta

Publisher: Springer Nature

Published: 2019-11-07

Total Pages: 161

ISBN-13: 3030321428

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Using evidence from the microfinance sector, which is considered a leading sector of social entrepreneurship, this book attempts to push the boundaries of research in this field. While recent studies consider that commercial enterprises, not-for-profits and social enterprises are formed by entrepreneurs with different personal identities, they do not explain why these personalities may change before they convert their social enterprises, and change further at the stage of transitioning into commercial enterprises. Presenting a theory of development and evolution for social enterprises which examines the dynamics associated with change, impact and growth and an in-depth critical view of motivation, funding and profit, this book examines how that impacts the social mission and enterprise structure in the wake of hybrid and for-profit models and corporate philanthropy. The author highlights the ‘cracks’ in social entrepreneurship and asks how they are being filled, institutionally.

Small Money Big Impact
Small Money Big Impact

Author: Peter A. Fanconi

Publisher: John Wiley & Sons

Published: 2017-05-01

Total Pages: 272

ISBN-13: 1119338204

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Make your money make a difference—and enjoy attractive returns Small Money, Big Impact explores and explains the globally growing importance of impact investing. Today, the investor's perspective has become as important as the actual social impact. Based on their experience with over 25 million micro borrowers, the authors delve into the mechanics, considerations, data and strategies that make microloans and impact investing an attractive asset class. From the World Bank to the individual investor, impact investing is attracting more and more attention. Impact investing is a global megatrend and is reshaping the way people invest as pension funds, insurance companies, foundations, family offices and private investors jump on board. This book explains for the first time how it works, why it works and what you should know if you're ready to help change the world. Impact investing has proven over the last 20 years as the first-line offense against crushing poverty. Over two billion people still lack access to basic financial services, which are essential for improving their livelihood. Investors have experienced not only social and environmental impact, but have received attractive, stable and uncorrelated returns for over 15 years. This guide provides the latest insights and methodologies that help you reap the rewards of investing in humanity. Explore the global impact investing phenomenon Learn how microloans work, and how they make a difference Discover why investors are increasingly leaning into impact investing Consider the factors that inform impact investing decisions Part social movement and part financial strategy, impact investing offers the unique opportunity for investors to power tremendous change with a small amount of money— expanding their portfolios as they expand their own global impact. Microfinance allows investors at any level to step in where banks refuse to tread, offering opportunity to those who need it most. Small Money, Big Impact provides the expert guidance you need to optimize the impact on your portfolio and the world.

Social Entrepreneurship
Social Entrepreneurship

Author: Constant Beugré

Publisher: Routledge

Published: 2016-11-03

Total Pages: 421

ISBN-13: 113665593X

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Social entrepreneurship differs from traditional forms of entrepreneurship in that the primary goal of the social venture is to address social problems and needs that are as yet unmet. The driving force of such ventures is social value creation. This new textbook aims to provide a comprehensive, cutting edge resource for students, introducing them to the unique concerns and challenges that face social ventures through a comparison with the principles of traditional entrepreneurship. The book consists of fourteen chapters covering all aspects of venture creation and management—from writing a business plan, to financing, people management, marketing, and social impact measurement. Social Entrepreneurship uses real-life examples and sources to expose students to contemporary developments in the field, encouraging them to think critically about the issues faced by social ventures across the globe, and experiential exercises and assignments are included to provide students with hands-on experience in creating and managing their own social ventures. Also containing review and application questions, illustrative cases, definitions of key terms, and a comprehensive companion website, Social Entrepreneurship is the essential guide to this rapidly emerging field. Visit the companion website at www.routledge.com/cw/beugre to find: For Instructors PowerPoint slides Multiple-choice questions For Students Extra illustrative cases Web links Links to video