Penn Microfinance Club

1
Penn Microfinance Club

• Introductory Meetings
• September 10th, 2009
• September 14th, 2009

www.pennmfc.com
2
AGENDA

• What is MICROFINANCE?
• Club Overview
• Field-Based Project Teams
• Ghana
• Bali
• Bangladesh
• China
• Latin America
• Conference Team
• Research Team
• Microfinance Website Team
• Other Events
• Microfinance Movie Night
• BYOT Event Las Caszuelas
• Questions

3
Bali Microfinance Initiative

• Introduction
• This is will be our third year going to Bali, so
  we understand the environment
• Trip scheduled for Mid-May until Early June (2
  weeks)
• We are looking for mature, dedicated students
  from any background (the more diverse the better)
  and experience is not necessary!!
• Who were helping
• WKP the 3rd largest Microfinance Institute in
  Bali serving over 300,000 clients .
• THK works on sustainable environmental projects
  and helps the impoverished people of Bali through
  different projects.
• Goals
• Help WKP become more sustainable and refine the
  products provided to their clients
• Help THK how to best manage and foster their
  growth by helping them determine their most
  successful projects

4
Bali Microfinance Initiative

• Past Work
• 2007-2008 the team worked with WKP and delivered
• Client and Loan Officer Survey
• Loan Officer Training Guide
• Preliminary Insurance implementation research
• 2008-2009 the team worked with WKP and delivered
• Insurance Product Implementation
• Savings Account Product Implementation
• Employee Compensation Scheme
• 2008-2009 the team worked with Tri Hita Karana
  (THK)
• Financial Modeling for Mango and Cashew
  production
•  Business Plan for Mango and Cashew projects
• Organizational consultation to increase
  efficiency of THK board meetings
• Marketing Research and Consultation to increase
  client base for the Starfish Language center (to
  teach English to Balinese students and Balinese
  to Ex-Pats)

5
Ghana Microfinance Initiative

• Background on Ghana
• Partnering with Village Exchange Ghana (VEG)
• Very close relationship with the Director
• What I did there
• Loan Assessments
• Traveled to rural areas to spread knowledge on
  microfinance
• Consulted on how to reach sustainability
• Integrated myself into the Ghanaian culture and
  interacted with locals
• Teams
• Finance Team
• Fundraising Team
• Research Team
• Goals
• Complete business plan for VEG
• Raise lots and lots of money
• Travel to Ghana over the summer and implement
  what weve worked on!

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Ghana Microfinance Initiative

• More focused meeting in mid-September
• My contact cnaviroj_at_gmail.com

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Bangladesh Microfinance Initiative

• Introduction
• Birthplace of microfinance, Grameen Bank and
  Muhammad Yunus
• Trip scheduled for Mid-May until Early June (2
  weeks)
• 10-15 members (Leadership positions available)
• Looking for dedicated, passionate individuals
  with an interest to learn more about microfinance
• Every member will be held accountable, this is
  your trip, your voice will be heard
• Objective
• Work with MFIs and make real, tangible impact
• Utilize business skills to create value
• Experience microfinance first-hand by going on
  village visits, interacting with clients, etc
• Positions
• Logistics Chair (1), Fundraising Chairs (2),
  Research Chairs (2)
• Applications for leadership positions available
  by middle of September
• For more information contact Vivian Chen
  vivian.m.chen_at_gmail.com

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China Microfinance Initiative

• PlaNet Finance China
• During the semesters, the team will help local
  NGO MFIs in China with
• Business Plan Development
• Financial Statement
• Over the summer, it is possible for the team to
  visit the local NGO MFI
• Accounting Training
• Other small projects
• Business plan and financial statement could be
  used by PlaNet Finance China or the MFI to garner
  assistance and funding internationally
• Training will be provided by PlaNet Finance
  China
• Skills learnt could be helpful for a career in
  banking and some other fields
• Some knowledge of accounting will be helpful
• Roughly 50 of the team should be proficient in
  Chinese

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China Microfinance Initiative

• Wokai
• During the semesters, the team will help with
  Wokai in publicity and marketing efforts
• The team will have flexibility in shaping what
  the project entails during the semester and over
  the summer
• Knowledge of Chinese is not required
• CZWSDA
• During the semesters, the team will help with
  translation work
• Possible to have small community service project
  in the summer
• Proficient written and spoken Chinese is
  required
• Please indicate your order of organization
  preference during sign-up.
• For more information contact Jacky Chau
  yuenkit_at_sas.upenn.edu

10
Latin America Initiative

• Overview
• An exciting new opportunity!
• Why Latin America?
• Potential 2 week trip (mid/end of may or june)
• Who should join the team?
• About 15 members (leadership positions)
• Guidance given, but individual direction too
  (projects, individual time)
• Knowledge of Spanish preferred (all levels
  welcomed), but not requirement
• Passion for microfinance, innovation, and
  research
• Objective
• To start a new partnernship with an MFI in Latin
  America
• To determine what constitutes a good MFI
• To successfully start a project and
  determine/meet clients needs
• To see microfinance in action the workings on
  a MFI on the ground
• Deadline
• Applications for general members leadership
  positions (available mid September)
• For more information contact Cindy Berman
  (cberman_at_sas.upenn.edu) or Anandi Malik
  (anandim_at_sas.upenn.edu)

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Conference Team

• The largest microfinance conference in the U.S
  with over 400 students and professionals who
  attended last year.
• Past Speakers
• Alex Counts, the President and CEO of the
  Grameen Foundation
• Matthew Flannery and Premal Shah, the CEO and
  President of Kiva
• Rupert Scofield, the executive director of FINCA
• Mary Ellen Iskenderian, the President and CEO of
  Womens World Banking
• Robert Annibale, the Global Director of
  Microfinance for Citigroup
• Christoph Kneiding, Market Intelligence Officer,
  World Bank's CGAP
• Jonathon Morduch, Professor, New York University

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Research Team

• Objective
• Needs for more research in microfinance, a
  relative recent emerging concept
• Hope to build a research community and promote
  research in the area of microfinance at Penn
• Potential Work
• Learning microfinance through research and
  presentation
• Internal research support for our project teams
• External research support for MFIs
• Providing input to the student microfinance
  portal that is being set up
• Independent research
• Time commitment is pretty flexible.
• For more information contact Jacky Chau
  yuenkit_at_sas.upenn.edu

13
Student Microfinance Website

• Looking for people who are entrepreneurial to
  join a venture project that our club has started
  last year to build a microfinance portal and
  network site for undergraduate students
• Work may include
• Publicity and Marketing of Website
• Liaison with other Clubs and Organizations
• Technical Optimization of Website
• Content Input and Management
• For more information contact Jacky Chau
  yuenkit_at_sas.upenn.edu

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Events

• Upcoming Events
• Movie Night (Sept. 17th)
• BYOT- Restaurant Event (Oct. 1st)
• Future Events
• Speakers
• Wine Cheese Event (Nov.)
• Student Internships in Microfinance Panel
• Future BYOBs
• Suggestions?

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QUESTIONS?Visit us at www.pennmfc.comor email
us atpennmfc_at_gmail.com