Service/ Partnerships/ Advocacy

Hope International/ Esperanza

As of September 2008, SBE’s Microfinance Initiative is 70% toward the completion of funding to form a new community bank in Puerto Plato on the Northern Coast of the Dominican Republic (one of the poorest nations in the Western Hemisphere).  The community bank will initially benefit a group of 30 women and their families. 

www.hopeinternational.com

 

Central African Republic (CAR) Microenterprise Development

Al Erisman, SBE Executive in Residence and John Terrill, recently appointed Director of the Center for Integrity in Business have co-led trips to the Central African Republic (CAR) each of the past three summers.  The trips involved graduate students from Intervarsity Christian Fellowship.  Working with Integrated Community Development International, the team conducted a feasibility study for Micro Enterprise Development/ Microfinance.  Read more about the trip in the Ethix magazine article.

MicroCredit Summit Campaign

SBE is a member of the campaign’s Council of Educational Institutions

www.microcreditsummit.org

Washington Cash

Students enrolled in the Winter, 2008 course engaged in various service-learning projects including outreach in the greater Seattle area and information clearing house projects.

SBE in conjunction with SPU’s Perkins Center sponsored a table at the May “Banking on Dreams” event and helped raise over $1500 (equivalent of three micro-loans).  www.washingtoncash.org

Others

We are also in the early stages of discussing potential partnerships with other institutions involved in microfinance delivery, financing, and/or advocacy.

Get Involved             

Kiva.org                            

Through this organization, you can become a direct micro-lender (without interest) to a micro entrepreneur with as little as $25.  This site has stories about micro-entrepreneurs and allows you to directly invest into their enterprises.              

Microplace.com                           

This organization is now owned by E-Bay and allows socially motivated investors to place funds in micro finance organizations by way of organizations such as Calvert Foundation and Oiko Credit.  This is an investment site (not charity) with interest paid on investments.

Vision Fund

Hope International

Global Partnerships

SPU Microfinance      

We are looking to complete funding of our own community bank sponsorship project with Hope International and Esperanza.  As of September, 2008, we are 70% toward our goal.  If this project is of interest to you, please contact Dr. Kenman Wong klwong@spu.edu to learn more.