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Microenterprise Innovation Project
The Microenterprise Innovation Project is the US Agency for International Development's (USAID) initiative to support technical and financial assistance, research and training on best practices in microenterprise development and finance. The components of USAID's microenterprise program are: Microenterprise Best Practices (MBP); Assessing Impact of Microenterprise Services (AIMS); Implementation Grant Program (IGP): Technical Assistance to USAID Missions (MicroServe); and Program for Innovation in Microenterprise (PRIME Fund).
MIP's goal is to provide microentrepreneurs, particularly women and the very poor, with greater and more reliable access to financial and business development services to improve enterprise performance and household income. The objective of the MIP is to assist organizations that provide services to the microenterprise sector to increase their capacity, outreach, scale, sustainability, and service quality.
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Virtual Library: Microfinance
The Virtual Library on Microcredit (formerly the Informal Credit Homepage) is a library, journal and think tank rolled into one. It contains tools, in the form of practical ideas, guides, strategies, courses and methodologies; success stories, in the form of case studies, comparisons, inspiring ideas, and best practices; articles, in the form of theoretical and practical analyses of the issues of interest; and resources, in the form of organizational and operational information on current policies, programs, projects and other initiatives.
The concept of "Microcredit" is as much about money as it is about information. With sustainability and non-dependence on external resources being key to the growth of microcredit programmes, the Homepage focuses on providing pertinent and timely information in the form of strategies, tools, ideas and guides, to grassroots and intermediary organizations, and at the same time, educating the larger public on broader issues related to microfinance and microcredit.
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The NGO Cafďż˝
Realizing the growing importance and voice of NGOs in development in general, the NGO Cafďż˝ was set up on the internet as a meeting place for NGOs to discuss, debate and disseminate information on their work, strategies and results.
The basic objectives of the Cafďż˝ are to assist NGOs in enhancing and improving their programmes and activities; to effect a better understanding of NGOs in general; and to enable NGOs to network at local, regional and international levels.
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Directory of Development Organizations
Guide to Microfinance Institutions, Small Enterprise Development Organizations, NGOs/PDOs, Development Agencies, International Organizations, Private Sector Institutions, Banks, Government Ministries, Universities and Development Consulting Firms.
The Directory of Development Organizations 2001 has been prepared to facilitate international cooperation and knowledge sharing in development work, both among NGOs, research institutions, governments and private sector organizations. The Directory is a compilation of contact data of the main sources of assistance available for private sector development and poverty alleviation, with particular attention to the development of (non-)financial markets for micro and small enterprises. A wide range of organizations are included in the Directory: microfinance institutions, small enterprise development organizations, NGOs/PDOs, development agencies, international organizations, private sector institutions, trade promotion organizations, banks, government ministries, development consulting firms and research and training institutions. Many of the organizations included in the Directory promote both economic and social development, including: microfinance, business development services, small enterprise development, appropriate technology, community development, environmental protection, research, training and education.
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United Nations Capital Development Fund (UNCDF)
Established in 1966 as a special purpose fund primarily for small-scale investment in the poorest countries, the United Nations Capital Development Fund (UNCDF) has come in recent years through intense, necessary and far-reaching changes. Today, UNCDF works to help eradicate poverty through local development programmes and microfinance operations. Through its focus on two areas of concentration, UNCDF has strengthened its identity and competence. That was the principal conclusion of the 1999 external evaluation of the Fund, subsequently endorsed by its Executive Board in September 1999. UNCDF is a member of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) group, and reports to UNDP's Executive Board. As such, UNCDF works in close partnership with UNDP in areas ranging from joint programming to administrative and logistical support. The UNDP Resident Representative represents UNCDF at the country level.
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