How the Center Works

Private Sector Portal. The private sector is the major provider of financial services worldwide and has enormous potential to make the inclusive finance vision a reality. The microfinance community has deep knowledge of and commitment to low-income clients. To succeed, they need to work with each other, and the Center acts as a portal for such collaboration. The Center’s Advisory Council – made up of leaders from microfinance, the private sector and academia – is one of the many vehicles through which a variety of perspectives drive the Center’s work.

Active Collaboration. The Center seeks to operate on behalf of the industry as a whole, aiming to be a resource where all players feel welcome and find value. In addition to programmatic partnerships with a wide-variety of institutions and the Advisory Council, the Center’s Fellows Program – comprised of senior business professionals, social entrepreneurs, recent MBAs, and others – reflects the Center’s collaborative nature.

Outcome Focused. The Center continually holds itself and its partners accountable for bringing about changes that are financially and socially sustainable. Convening events and research will not be treated as ends in themselves, but steps toward the realization of effective solutions that are applied in the field. The Center pursues efficient vehicles for measuring its impact results.

Relationship to ACCION. The Center for Financial Inclusion aims to operate on behalf of the industry as a whole, seeking to become a resource where all contributors feel welcome and find value. Legally, it is a division of ACCION, which provides operational services and core financial support. The Center also carries out some functions on behalf of ACCION, such as maintaining the organization’s widely respected publications.