Foundation for International Community Assistance

Overview

FINCA is the pioneer of the Village Banking method of microcredit, which gives the decision-making power of who may borrow, how much, and for what purpose to the 10-30 neighbors who come together to form the Village Bank.

We are also one of the world's largest microfinance institutions with more than 445,000 clients and more than $140 million in outstanding loans.

Mission

To provide financial services to the world's lowest-income entrepreneurs so they can create jobs, build assets and improve their standard of living.

Program

While many anti-poverty organizations provide a broad range of services, such as education, medical attention, and relief services, FINCA is a specialist in providing financial services to poor families.

FINCA offers loans, not grants, to low-income microentrepreneurs, because at the root of their poverty is lack of opportunity, not lack of desire to work. While many poor families have ideas for fostering their own employment by creating small businesses, few can access the capital they need to begin. They are excluded from conventional financial sources (e.g., commercial banks) because they lack credit ratings and assets to pledge as collateral. Even a small loan can stimulate productivity, enabling the microentrepreneur to build assets and purchase inventory at the best prices. By investing the loan and increasing his or her business as a result, the borrower reaps an additional reward—increased self-esteem through self-help.

Loans are a renewable resource, which can impact entire communities. A loan is borrowed, invested, and repaid, after which it can be used to stimulate yet another fledgling business. FINCA loans circulate throughout low-income communities until their effect is multiplied many times.

Impact

FINCA’s Village Banks break the vicious cycle of poverty, giving the working poor access to capital that allows them to be more productive. For instance, our loans allow FINCA borrowers to buy rice in bulk at wholesale prices, and resell at retail prices. They can buy a used refrigerator to keep produce fresh. They can purchase a sewing machine instead of stitching by hand. And as they become more productive, our clients accumulate savings that allow them to make other investments, most notably the nutrition, health and education of their children.

Countries of Operation

Mexico, Guatemala, El Salvador, Nicaragua, Ecuador, Haiti, Honduras, Congo, the Democratic Republic of the, Uganda, Tanzania, United Republic of, Zambia, Malawi, Georgia, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Kyrgyzstan, Afghanistan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, Russian Federation