New & Noteworthy

We’re hosting an interactive Financial Inclusion 2020 webcast with MasterCard June 11, 10am EST. The webcast will explore how rising incomes among the very poor affect financial inclusion – the topic of the second Mapping the Invisible Market report, to be released June 11. Register for the webcast here. 

The Universal Standards for Social Performance Management are relevant and achievable for MFIs, according to a new report from the Microfinance CEO Working Group. The Standards were beta-tested at roughly 20 MFIs over the past year. The new report, available here, and covered on our blog here, shares the results of this testing.

The Guardian is hosting a live web chat on banking the unbanked May 9, 8-10am EDT. Along with Beth, the chat’s expert panelists include Timothy Ogden of FAI, Brigit Helms of DAI, Betty Wilkinson of ADB, and Joanna Ledgerwood of the Aga Khan Foundation. Tune in to The Guardian’s chat webpage to join.

The guidelines provide practical guidance for addressing the special governance considerations that MFIs face. Now in its second version, the guidelines were originally published in 2005 and have since been widely consulted as a source for governance information within the microfinance industry. The guidelines are also available in English and Spanish.

Led by student-led organizations dedicated to client-centered microfinance, MoMF is a grassroots movement that seeks to explore trends in microfinance and facilitate connections between students and the microfinance community. CFI is a sponsoring partner this year, and will be sharing blog and Twitter content with the MoMF community throughout the month. Follow #2013MoMF on Twitter for more.

In the latest installment in the Microfinance Matters Interviews series, reporter Lucy Conger speaks with Anne-Marie Chidzero about her career in Africa’s microfinance industry, the developments it has undergone in recent decades, and the work of AfriCap, where she serves as CEO. 

Following the launch of Financial Inclusion 2020, CFI, Citi, and Visa hosted a webcast on February 7 to discuss the campaign’s global effort to achieve universal access to quality financial services and explore how everyone can get involved. Experts from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, CGAP, and Accion joined in the conversation as well. Watch the full webcast here.

Today, CFI, Citi, and Visa Inc. announced the launch of the Financial Inclusion 2020 campaign (FI2020). FI2020 is focused on the acceleration of financial inclusion by uniting the private sector, governments, NGOs, and other relevant parties to develop and advance a comprehensive strategy to achieve this aim. FI2020 is now working with more than 50 partners to develop a Roadmap to Financial Inclusion, which will be presented at the Financial Inclusion 2020 Global Forum. Read more.

The Smart Campaign has launched its Client Protection Certification Program. The program gives providers of financial services for low-income people the ability to demonstrate that they take adequate care to protect their clients. Also launched is a new certification section on the Smart Campaign website, which includes the full list of certified organizations as well as information on how financial institutions can get certified.

Applications are being accepted for the Harvard Business School-Accion Program on Strategic Leadership in Microfinance, open to senior executives of microfinance, banking, and other institutions interested in microfinance; or industry-related policymakers, regulators, and investors. The six-day program (April 1-6, 2013) offers leaders from around the world an opportunity to connect with peers while engaging with HBS faculty's foremost thinkers in business strategy and management. Final application deadline: January 31.