FINCA International

FINCA International, Inc. (“FINCA”) was founded in 1984 on a radical notion: giving small loans to the poor has the power to transform entire communities in a sustainable way. As the founder and majority shareholder of FINCA Impact Finance—a global network of 20 community-based microfinance institutions and banks—FINCA International is enabling access to responsible and innovative financial services for over two million low-income clients in Africa, Eurasia, Latin America, the Middle East and South Asia.

To catalyze further economic growth and alleviate poverty in underserved markets, FINCA International is supporting the rise of social enterprises delivering basic service and financial innovation. As a pioneer in microfinance, FINCA International created a sustainable and scalable social enterprise. Because of this, the organization is uniquely positioned to help social enterprises grow faster and smarter, and reach a base of the pyramid (BOP) market more effectively and responsibly. Social enterprise programs include:

• BrightLife, a social enterprise in Uganda providing last-mile distribution and end-user financing for solar home systems, improved cookstoves and other basic service products. Through BrightLife, FINCA International pairs access to finance with access to energy to create pathways to financial inclusion for the unbanked.
• FINCA Ventures, an impact investing initiative that provides patient capital and pre- and post-investment support to early-stage social enterprises serving the BOP. Through FINCA Ventures, FINCA International supports innovative solutions in energy, water/sanitation/hygiene (WASH), education, health, agriculture and fintech.
• FINCA Forward, an innovation platform for early-stage fintechs to access financial institutions and pilot new products with an established customer base, and for microfinance institutions (MFIs) to test new fintech solutions in an affordable and systematic way. Through FINCA Forward, FINCA International runs a partnership lab for fintech innovations serving the BOP.

Combined, FINCA International’s work in microfinance and social enterprise catalyzes greater resilience and opportunity, and helps low-income families achieve a better standard of living. To ensure deep and meaningful impact for both microfinance clients and social enterprise customers, FINCA International’s research team uses a customer-driven research methodology to align programs with mission, and to provide useful intelligence for enhancing the organization’s work.

FINCA International (FI) is a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit corporation headquartered in Washington, DC and registered in the State of New York (Tax ID: 13-3240109). 

For more information, visit www.finca.org.