COLLABORATORS
BlueOrchard: BlueOrchard’s mission is to empower the poor worldwide and to improve their quality of life by promoting income-generating activities through private investments in microfinance. BlueOrchard provides innovative financial instruments and solutions for placements in microfinance, bridging the gap between capital markets and microfinance institutions. BlueOrchard generates profitable returns on investments while supporting the development of millions of promising small enterprises. In 2008, Grameen-Jameel and BlueOrchard jointly hosted the Arab Microfinance Investment Symposium, the first forum for both investors and microfinance institutions, in Dubai. www.blueorchard.org
Comité d’Echanges de Réflexion et d’Information sur les Systèmes d’Epargne-crédit (CERISE): Comité d’Echanges de Réflexion et d’Information sur les Systèmes d’Epargne-crédit (CERISE): CERISE is a knowledge exchange network for microfinance practitioners. Founded in 1998, CERISE is richly diverse, bringing together a variety of practitioners, researchers, donors and investors from the North and South. CERISE was founded out of the desire of its five members to share and learn from each other. In 2009 and 2010, Grameen-Jameel and CERISE collaborated on a series of Corporate Governance workshops provided to microfinance institutions in Morocco. Grameen-Jameel also updated and adapted CERISE’s Handbook for the analysis of the governance of microfinance institutions into a new text titled The Corporate Governance & Risk Management Handbook for Microfinance in the Arab World. www.cerise-microfinance.org
Consultative Group to Assist the Poor (CGAP): CGAP is a leading independent resource for objective information, expert opinion, and innovative solutions for microfinance. CGAP works with the financial industry, governments, and investors to effectively expand access to financial services for poor people around the world. Its mission is to help alleviate poverty by advancing access to finance. Grameen-Jameel partnered with CGAP and Sanabel to launch the Arabic Microfinance Gateway to facilitate the spread of information on best practices among microfinance practitioners. In 2010, Grameen-Jameel, CGAP, Deutsche Bank and Islamic Development Bank launched the Islamic Microfinance Challenge, a competition to develop a sustainable business model for the practice of sharia-compliant microfinance. www.cgap.org
Deutsche Bank: Deutsche Bank is a leading global investment bank with a strong private client’s franchise. Its businesses are mutually reinforcing. Deutsche Bank’s mission is to compete to be the leading global provider of financial solutions, creating lasting value for its clients, its shareholders, its people and the communities in which it operates. In 2010, Grameen-Jameel, Deutsche Bank, CGAP and Islamic Development Bank launched the Islamic Microfinance Challenge, a competition to develop a sustainable business model for the practice of sharia-compliant microfinance. www.db.com
Grameen Crédit Agricole Microfinance (GCAMF): The GCAMF provides financial support to MFIs through loans, guarantees or equity, and offers technical assistance adapted to their stage of development. It is geared to institutions that comply with best practices for governance, transparency and borrower protection. Priority is given to MFIs dedicated to agriculture and rural activities and those dealing essentially with women. The GCAMF also encourages and facilitates social business projects, i.e. businesses geared to facilitating access for the poorest segments of society to essential goods and services such as food, drinking water, energy, health care, education, communication, and whose shareholders assume the task of maximizing the economic and social impact of the project on local communities while protecting the environment. In 2010, Grameen-Jameel and GCAMF jointly provided a US$ 3 million guarantee to Lead Foundation in Egypt, which raised US $6 million in financing. www.grameen-credit-agricole.org
International Finance Corporation (IFC): IFC is a member of the World Bank Group. It fosters sustainable economic growth in developing countries by financing private sector investment, mobilizing capital in the international financial markets, and providing advisory services to businesses and governments. Grameen-Jameel and IFC have partnered on market studies on demand for microfinance services for both Lebanon and Syria. www.ifc.org
Islamic Development Bank: The Islamic Development Bank is an international financial institution established in pursuance of the Declaration of Intent issued by the Conference of Finance Ministers of Muslim Countries held in Jeddah in Dhul Q'adah 1393H, corresponding to December 1973. The purpose of the Bank is to foster the economic development and social progress of member countries and Muslim communities individually as well as jointly in accordance with the principles of Shari'ah i.e., Islamic Law. In 2010, Grameen-Jameel, Islamic Development Bank, Deutsche Bank and CGAP launched the Islamic Microfinance Challenge, a competition to develop a sustainable business model for the practice of sharia-compliant microfinance. www.isdb.org
Rockdale Foundation: The Rockdale Foundation is a private foundation that is both family led and professionally managed. Its purpose is to strengthen Arab microfinance and through microfinance, Arab micro entrepreneurs. It accomplishes this by supporting regional infrastructure and individual Arab MFIs. Most recently, Rockdale Foundation has supported Grameen-Jameel’s effort to introduce Mifos, the only open-source loan tracking system for microfinance, to its partner enda inter-arabe in Tunisia. In addition, Rockdale and Grameen-Jameel have partnered to support Sanabel’s first Arab Microfinance Investment Seminar in 2006 as well as a business planning workshop for CRS affiliate microfinance institutions in Egypt. http://www.rockdalefdn.org/
Sanabel Network: Sanabel was established in 2002 by 17 founding members in seven Arab countries as a membership-driven regional network for microfinance institutions (MFIs) in the Arab world. As of end 2009, Sanabel members increased to 75 of the leading MFIs in the region representing 12 Arab countries. Its members collectively serve more than 80% of the total active microfinance clients in the region. Grameen-Jameel was a Platinum Sponsor of the 7th Annual Conference of the Sanabel in June 2010 and has partnered with Sanabel and the Consultative Group to Assist the Poor (CGAP) since 2004 to launch the Arabic Microfinance Gateway in order to facilitate the spread of information on best practices among microfinance practitioners. www.sanabelnetwork.org