FINCA News

Citibank Staff Provide Training for FINCA Jordan Clients January, 2012 Staff members of FINCA Jordan were recently joined by a group of Citibank employees at the Deir Alla branch to conduct training for clients designed to enhance their business management skills, and advise them in areas of personal financial management, marketing and product development. more... FINCA's Rupert Scofield Profiled in LIFESTYLES Magazine January, 2012 LIFESTYLES Magazine has published an in-depth and engaging profile of FINCA's President & CEO Rupert Scofield entitled "The People's Bank: FINCA's Rupert Scofield is out to prove that small loans can go a long way." more... 2011 – A Record-Setting Year for FINCA! December 30, 2011 2011 proved to be a year of achieving new goals and setting all-time records for FINCA’s 21 subsidiaries worldwide. We’d like to share a few of our most notable successes with you.  more... Improving Microfinance Together October, 2011 Recent media criticism of the microfinance industry motivated a group of leading U.S.-based microfinance organizations' CEO's to come together to discuss a number of challenges facing the microfinance industry. It was out of these initial discussions that the Microfinance CEO Working Group (MCWG) has emerged... more... Credit Suisse Supports Professional Growth for FINCA Staff September, 2011 As FINCA continues to grow and reach more clients, the need to develop professional mid-level managers is being met through the generous support of Credit Suisse. Learn more about how this partnership will help FINCA reach even more clients with new and improved products and services. more... FINCA Fields Three Speakers at Toronto International Microfinance Summit (TIMS 2011) September 17, 2011 More than 300 supporters gathered in Toronto on September 17, 2011, to learn about the effectiveness of microfinance at a one-day conference titled From Microcredit to Financial Inclusion: Making a Difference in our World. Among them were three FINCA representatives who each participated on a panel. more... UN Goodwill Ambassador Mira Sorvino Supports FINCA at Canadian Fundraiser September 15, 2011 Academy-award winning actress Mira Sorvino was the guest of honour at FINCA Canada’s annual fundraising, hosted by FINCA Canada Board Member Linda Wolfond and her husband Greg, where she spoke about how microfinance can help prevent human trafficking. more... Introducing FINCA's New StarGirls! September 2011 Ambassador of HopeNatalie Portman and Goodwill Envoy Zoe Saldana, both celebrated actresses, have been long-time supporters of FINCA, but they are not our only stars! With the support of the Mastercard Foundation, FINCA Uganda has inspired more than a thousand young women and girls to save money for their futures. more... A Brush for Dusty Shoes: A Day in the Life of a FINCA Loan Officer As we all know, FINCA differs immensely from a commercial bank. A bank would look at FINCA’s borrowers and immediately focus on the risky nature of lending to clients without collateral. FINCA, on the other hand, focuses on the entrepreneurial potential of prospective borrowers, giving them the chance to build assets, savings, a credit rating and much more. But this is not the only thing that sets FINCA apart from other financial institutions. more... How did FINCA become one of the world’s leading microfinance organizations? Three-part video series provides all the answers 7/7/2011 FINCA President and CEO Rupert Scofield shares the lessons he’s learned over the past 25 years with the UK’s Telegraph, talking about what it takes to turn a small idea into a thriving, poverty-alleviation organization. more... Reaching Millions More through Socially-Responsible Investments 6/17/2011 With the strength of its global network, FINCA is partnering with a group of socially-responsible organizations that have long-standing lending relationships with FINCA, and whose missions explicitly align with FINCA’s own goal of alleviating poverty. more... New Initiative Lets You Lend A Hand Directly to FINCA Clients 6/13/2011 FINCA is excited to announce that now you can support clients directly through an easy-to-use, safe and secure online donation tool called Lend A Hand. This new, direct-to-donor sponsorship program lets you choose the client you personally want to help build, or expand, their small business, then make your donation using this innovative new tool. more... How did FINCA become a Global Microfinance Leader? FINCA's President & CEO Publishes a Book May 2011 If you've ever wondered how FINCA has grown from an idea scribbled on a legal pad to a thriving network of wholly-owned microfinance institutions serving hundreds of thousands of clients with a broad array of products and service, then you might be interested in President & CEO Rupert Scofield's book The Social Entrepreneur's Handbook: How to Start, Build and Run a Business that Improves the World. In his new book, Rupert provides readers with a no-holds-barred, honest assessment of what it’s taken over the past 25 years to create one of the world’s premier poverty alleviation organizations. more... Responding to Concerns about the Microfinance Industry May, 2011 Recent reports in the media re: client protection, interest rates and commercial vs. non-commercial microlenders has prompted us to provide our supporters with an explanation of how FINCA ensures that we keep the welfare of our clients first and foremost in all of our endeavors, and hold to the highest ethical standards. more... FINCA Surpasses 800,000 Clients Served Worldwide May, 2011 FINCA concluded the first quarter of 2011 serving 800,814 clients across our 21 programs--a new record in client outreach. Given the five-person average family size of our clients, FINCA's financial services potentially improved the lives of over four million children and adults struggling in poverty. more... Village Banking Campaign Call-To-Action a Big Success April, 2011 In May 2007, with your help and support, FINCA launched the Village Banking Campaign, an ambitious call-to-action campaign designed to harness social momentum and mobilize the people and resources needed to alleviate poverty on a global scale. We are pleased to share the success of the campaign, on the heels of FINCA celebrating 25 years of poverty alleviation in 2010 more... An Open Letter in Support of Dr. Muhammad Yunus Washington D.C., March 8, 2011 - Muhammad Yunus has diligently served the poor for decades. No one has done more to inspire generations to work to reduce poverty. more... In Support of Dr. Muhammad Yunus 3/7/2011 Statement by Rupert Scofield, FINCA's President and CEO: Dear Friends, You may be aware of the issues surrounding the government of Bangladesh and its campaign to remove Muhammad Yunus as the Managing Director of Grameen Bank... more... FINCA Azerbaijan Surpasses 100,000 Client Mark FINCA Reaches Record Number of Clients Worldwide 2/15/2011 FINCA Azerbaijan recently became the third program in FINCA’s 21-country global network to pass the 100,000-client milestone—after FINCA Mexico and FINCA Kyrgyzstan. more... Unrest in Jordan February 3, 2011 With the media's focus on the crisis in Egypt and demonstrations elsewhere in the Arab world, FINCA supporters may be concerned about the unrest in Jordan, where FINCA serves over 11,000 clients and their families. more...