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Alterfin’s members confirm their support for fair trade

Alterfin wanted to reiterate its commitment to small producers in the South by joining forces with Fair Trade Week, which ran from 7 to 17 October in Belgium. Alterfin therefore offered a EUR 5 Oxfam gift voucher for every EUR 1,250 invested (or 20 shares) during this period. More than 350 gift vouchers were distributed between 1 and 20 October. As well as members who increased their investment, 19 new members took the opportunity to join us. A total of EUR 447,250 of additional capital was raised through this action, and will be used to develop our financing activities in the South. Thank

How do Alterfin shares add value?

‘Give more value to your money’: this is the message given by Alterfin for those who wish to invest their money ethically. But in what way do Alterfin shares add value? Alterfin currently deploys EUR 49 million of capital from more than 5,000 co-op members in Belgium. This capital is invested in microfinance and sustainable agriculture – two sectors that contribute to sustainable development for socially and economically disadvantaged communities in the South by giving them access to fair financial services. An investment that is above all ethical With the investments it makes in the South,

What ethical investors have to say

More than 5,000 people invest their money in Alterfin. Together, they contribute EUR 49 million of capital. 84% of this capital is held by individuals. Here are portraits of two of our members: Julien first heard about Alterfin in a publication. ‘For me, the combination offered by Alterfin – support for developing countries and the payment of a dividend – was immediately appealing. It wasn’t long before I became a member,’ he recalls. ‘Since I became a member (2009), my parents, my children and my wife have all followed my example. I have also managed to persuade some of my friends, but to be

Hand-picked partners

Once the capital has been raised, it needs to be invested into sustainable projects. Here is a step-by-step description of the process Alterfin uses to select its partners. Credit application and initial screening A potential partner submits its application for funding. Very often, contact is first established through Non Governmental Organisations (NGOs), through existing partners or through prospecting activity by our investment managers. Initial screening is performed to check the eligibility criteria. Analysis in the field If the initial screening is positive, an Alterfin Investment

Alterfin shares certified as ‘ethical’

Alterfin shares have been awarded the Financité & FairFin label for the second year running. This label certifies products that finance activities generating social and/or environmental utility, based on the assessment of five social criteria, including transparency, solidarity and social responsibility.

Season’s greetings!

The entire Alterfin team would like to wish you happy holidays and a fair and healthy 2016!

Chamroeun: access to credit for thousands of women in Cambodia

Chamroeun is a microfinance institution (MFI) in Cambodia. It grants micro-loans to about 50,000 people, 85% of whom are women. Chamroeun targets the most disadvantaged and issues tiny micro-loans: the average loan is EUR 160. The French non-profit organisation Entrepreneurs du Monde launched Chamroeun (meaning ‘progress’ in Khmer) in 2006 to promote access to financial services (credit, savings, health insurance, etc.) for poorly served communities in the Cambodian capital, Phnom Penh. The MFI also offers various training courses, ranging from financial education to dealing with domestic

When microcredit goes mobile

How can people gain access to credit when they live in remote areas of the country where no microfinance institutions (MFI) wish to set up a branch because the costs are too high? And for those living in urban areas, how do they avoid the long queues in a bank, only to be told that they are not considered creditworthy or that they will need to come back with additional documents? Is there a way of facilitating access to credit for these people who need financial resources in order to build a better future for themselves? Musoni, an MFI set up in Kenya in 2010, has the answer to all these

Alterfin Selected for the ImpactAssets 50

Impact Investing Showcase Features Fund Managers that Deliver Social, Environmental and Financial Returns Alterfin has been selected for the ImpactAssets 50 2015 (IA 50), a free, publically available online resource for impact investors and their advisors. The IA 50, now in its fifth year, is the first publically available database of private debt and equity impact investment fund managers. The objective of Alterfin is to help build a financial network that is accessible to groups of socially and economically disadvantaged people in developing countries who rarely have access to financial

Fefisol, a fund dedicated to Africa

The European Solidarity Financing Fund for Africa (Fefisol) was established in 2011 as the fruit of collaboration between Alterfin, a partner organization in France for international solidarity in development and investment, Sidi (Solidarité Internationale pour le Développement et l’Investissment) and Etimos (an Italian cooperative investment company). Although the capital of Fefisol mainly originates from private and public investors, including the European Investment Bank (EIB) and the French Development Fund, the three founding organizations are also co-owners of the fund. In operational

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