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Making Microfinance More Effective

Harvard Business Review

A major challenge for international development efforts is determining which financial tools provide durable buffers against such setbacks. The Grameen model of microfinance gained a great deal of attention in the international development field after early data showed that it was associated with high repayment and low default.

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How to Create Youth Jobs After Conflicts

Harvard Business Review

Across most developing countries, there is a model for job training where youth are assisted to acquire basic skills. Upon graduation, the governments, nonprofits, or (more recently) microfinance companies give them loans to buy tools and opens shops. Dropout rates are high; repayment rates are low.

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Making Sense of the Many Kinds of Impact Investing

Harvard Business Review

Currently, impact can mean anything from venture investments in new health technologies to microfinance loans in Peru; from affordable housing in the US to renewable energy in India; from social impact bonds to private equity funds that create jobs. Ultimately, asset managers can develop a matrix with financial asset classes (e.g.,

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