Developing Inclusive Financial Systems: How Can Funders Support Microfinance Effectively

Faculty:
Natasa Goronja

'Microfinance' has become shorthand for providing a broad range of financial services to a wide variety of poor and low-income clients. The expanded definition means opening up the financial sector to ensure that the poor have permanent access to financial services. And it means providing poor people with options.

This course will give you the knowledge, tools, and network to make the right decisions, from a funding standpoint. It covers the fundamentals of how donors and investors can effectively fund microfinance.

The course will help develop a better understanding of the financial market at the micro, meso, and macro levels, review appropriate roles of funders as well as factors for effective involvement in microfinance. The course also gives an overview of funders’ comparative advantage, instruments, collaboration and how to structure monitoring and reporting for microfinance activities.

The methodology and learning tools employed reflect the state of the art in active, participatory-based, adult education. Course sessions will focus on applying learning to real-world situations and include presentations, case studies an interactive group work. In other words, the course is highly practical and participants will apply the techniques learnt step by step to analyze, decide and design microfinance investments.