Search

Microfinance institutions (MFIs) supply financial services to micro-enterprises and low-income families. MFIs pursue the double bottom lines of social development and financial returns, and their funding is supplied by a range of sources from donations to commercial investments. Microfinance is thus an arena in which donors meet professional investors, and it has quickly developed into a large industry. Currently, more than 3000 MFIs report their numbers to www.microfinancesummit.org and serve altogether more than 150 million people with microcredit. More than 100 international funds invest in MFIs, and microfinance is about to become an important asset class for investors, particularly those pursuing both financial and social returns (www.mixmarket.org).