Investment Decisions Fall 2011

$1500- Shared Interest
Shared Interest works as a catalyst for social and economic change in South Africa. Since our inception in 1994, we have used loan guarantees to bridge the gap between South African banks and marginalized people, previously considered “unbankable” during apartheid.
As a 501(c)3 non-profit social investment fund, we raise capital in the U.S. from individuals, foundations and financial institutions to support micro-lending, agricultural cooperatives and small businesses in South Africa. Along with our South African partner, Thembani International Guarantee Fund, we have helped make the promise of economic human rights a reality for over one million South Africans.

$1500- INSOTEC
We work hard to ensure that we are reaching those left out of Ecuador's traditional banking system and our numbers prove it. 45% of our borrowers are women and 30% are indigenous. INSOTEC is currently undertaking a strategy of expanding further into rural and remote areas with half the portfolio dedicated to agriculture and livestock, and the remaining across commerce, services, and manufacturing.