U.S. Microfinance – A Few Updates
November 16, 2010 § Leave a Comment
Photo: renjith krishnan / FreeDigitalPhotos.net
Though I’ve been keep an eye, and a Google Alert, on the topic, I’ve not written about microfinance in the United States in some time. As there continues to be daily interest on this blog, no doubt prompted in a part the slow recovery in the job market, I thought I’d share a sampling of the more informative and promising pieces that I’ve come across. If you have any of your own, I’d love to hear from you.
In no particular order:
Kiva: Visa has donated $1 million to Kiva to “Expand Opportunities for U.S. Businesses to Benefit from the Power of Microloans,” serviced by ACCION Texas-Louisiana.
Suite 101: “Domestic Microfinance Organizations Help Small Businesses in U.S.” by Christine Welter, Feature Writer, Poverty/World Development.
Creating a World Without Poverty, A Grameen Foundation Blog: “The Dog Whisperer, Microfinance in NYC” by Christopher Kellen, Bankers Without Borders volunteer.
The Financial Women’s Association’s Microfinance Initiative: On November 9th, hosted The Rise of Microfinance in the United States event in New York.
The Washington Times: “Micro-finance: Let’s get it going in the U.S.,” by Making Change contributor, Donna Rae Scheffert.
YourNabe.com: “Citi touts microloans in Jackson Heights,” by Rebecca Henely.
And, although it’s off-topic, I’m including the links to two pieces from Sunday’s New York Times:
“Can Microlending Save Haiti?” in the Business section.
Nicholas Kristof’s Op-Ed, “Here’s a Woman Fighting Terrorism. With Microloans.” Both speak to the power of microfinance to change and potentially save lives.
Small business create the majority of jobs in America. As banks continue to hold onto their wallets, microfinance increasingly seems like a viable alternative, in my humble opinion.
