Double Bottom Line

As microfinance widens to become inclusive finance, maintaining the social bottom line becomes central to the industry’s success. The Center’s Double Bottom Line initiatives focus on outcome-oriented activities that address consumer protection, social performance monitoring and the impact of microfinance services on clients. We aim to keep the social mission front and center as microfinance expands its reach.

Projects & Activities

Beyond Codes in Consumer Protection

Many organizations embrace praiseworthy consumer protection codes. But how can we tell whether a financial institution measures up to the principles it affirms? The collaborative action research project – Beyond Codes – aims to create a body of knowledge about how to operationalize consumer protection codes inside microfinance institutions (MFIs) by working with 12 MFIs in four regions. This knowledge is a necessary prelude to developing a certification process for MFIs, which will allow them to establish their pro-consumer credentials and help guide the decision making of clients, investors and other stakeholders.

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The Smart Campaign

The Center for Financial Inclusion at ACCION International, CGAP, and many industry players recognize the need to protect microfinance clients, both for their benefit and the benefit of the industry as a whole. The Center for Financial Inclusion is serving as interim host for The Smart Campaign, a collaborative initiative endorsed and led by leaders in the financial services industry.
 
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