Rabobank Foundation presents a Study of Community Owned/Managed Microfinance Institutions in India
The study is based on six case studies of community owned institutions that list out the institutional aspects and the learning from these individual institutions.
Tweet-- Rabobank Foundation, the knowledge partner of the Microfinance India Summit 2009 along with ACCESS Development Services has commissioned the study, “Community-Owned Microfinance Institutions: Enabling double bottom-line impact”. The report was released today by Her Royal Highness and Special Advocate for Inclusive Finance for Development of UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon Princess Máxima of the Netherlands, in the Microfinance India Summit 2009. The study authored by Girija Srinivasan and N. Srinivasan, seeks to understand some of the Community Owned Microfinance Institutions (COMFI) that have been successful.
The study is based on six case studies of community owned institutions that list out the institutional aspects and the learning from these individual institutions. The report examined and documented the best practices, challenges and makes recommendations for future institutions that would come up in the community ownership space. The issues examined related to initial mobilisation, creation of suitable legal structure, leadership, management and governance, professionalising external linkages and sustainability.
Speaking on the occasion Pierre Hedel, Managing Director Rabobank Foundation said, “with a market share of 150 million farmers, the Indian microfinance sector is considerably more developed compared with other emerging countries. In the past couple of years, Rabobank Foundation and Rabo India Finance Limited have done considerable work in this sector. While Rabo India focuses on commercial funding to the large, well established microfinance institutions, Rabobank Foundation continues to focus on the budding community based microfinance organisations and farmers’ cooperatives. This study was commissioned with a view to understand the community ownership Rabobank Foundation presents a Study of Community Owned/Managed Microfinance Institutions in India The study was released in the Microfinance India Summit 2009 models in India and we are confident that this study will be of great help for those who seek to embark upon setting up COMFIs.”
Vipin Sharma, Chief Executive Officer ACCESS Development Services commented, ” community based microfinance organisations have a new meaning in the current sectoral context where's there's overdue emphasis on commercialization of the sector and rapid scale. “
Notes to Editor
About Rabobank
Rabobank Group is a full-range financial services provider founded on co-operative principles and awarded a Triple A credit rating from both Moody’s and Standard & Poor’s since 1981. Headquartered in Utrecht, The Netherlands, the Group employs more than 60,000 staff in 43 countries, servicing the needs of more than nine million clients worldwide. Rabobank Group’s operations include retail banking, wholesale banking, asset management, leasing and real estate. Food & Agribusiness is the international prime focus of the Rabobank Group. Rabobank International (“Rabobank”) is the Group’s wholesale bank and international retail bank, providing customised banking and finance solutions to businesses involved in all aspects of food and agribusiness.
About Rabobank Foundation
The Rabobank Foundation is committed to improving the lives of underprivileged and disadvantaged groups of people in society, by providing them with the opportunity to live full and independent lives. The support provided by the Rabobank Foundation reflects Rabobank’s unique history and roots and is consequently focussed first and foremost on enabling the development of small co-operatives located in rural regions. This support is provided through donations, loans, trade financing and technical assistance. In line with Rabobank’s own co-operative background, the Rabobank Foundation especially focuses on establishing and promoting co-operative savings and loan systems. The Rabobank Foundation was established in 1973 as an independent foundation. The organisation is funded by local member Rabobank and Rabobank Nederland, which donate a small percentage of their profits to the Rabobank Foundation. The key decision was made in 2007 to significantly enlarge the reach of the Rabobank Foundation by transforming it into a fund for the entire Rabobank Group, which includes the bank’s subsidiaries and affiliated institutions.
About Rabo India Finance Limited
Established in the year 1998, Rabo India Finance Limited is a 100% subsidiary of Rabobank International. Organised as a NBFC, Rabo India enjoys an AAA rating by CRISIL. Through a wide spectrum of fund and fee based products and ser vices, Rabo India offers sector specific knowledge - based customized solutions in the following core competencies in Corporate Banking; Corporate Advisory, Microfinance, Food & Agri Research Advisory and Renewable Energy & Carbon Credits. Rabo India’s wide spectrum of fund and fee based products and services are backed by a local pool of intellectual and monetary resources as well as by Rabobank's global network. Rabo India is committed to partnering with clients in creating and providing innovative solutions to their business needs.
