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History & Society
FINCA International
nongovernmental organization
Category:
History & Society
- In full:
- Foundation for International Community Assistance
- Date:
- 1985 - present
- Headquarters:
- Washington, D.C.
- Areas Of Involvement:
- insurance
- microcredit
- Village Banking
FINCA International, nongovernmental organization (NGO) that provides financial services for the world’s poorest populations. FINCA International offers banking services, insurance, and small loans to poor individuals at relatively modest interest rates and fees (microcredit). FINCA was founded in 1985 by American economist John Hatch and began by offering small amounts of working capital to low-income women entrepreneurs in El Salvador. The organization later expanded its operations to other countries in Central America, Africa, and Asia. FINCA lends primarily to women, in part because women constitute a majority of the world’s poor. FINCA pioneered the Village Banking method, which is a ...(100 of 226 words)