Global Brigades USA

Business Brigades at University of Maryland

University of Maryland is a chapter of Global Business Brigades, an international movement of university students and professionals building economic opportunities in the developing world. We work alongside promising entrepreneurs and experienced year-round staff to create financial opportunities in remote, rural, and under resourced areas of Honduras and Ghana. We work with communities to build community-owned banks to provide access to loans, savings accounts and financial literacy for community members. Volunteers assist in consulting micro-enterprises, assessing loan capacity payments and providing financial literacy workshops to families. nnIn conjunction with our Business Program, Global Brigades also supports communities with healthcare, sanitation and clean water projects, and uniquely implements these programs in a holistic model to meet a community’s health and economic goals. Our model systematically builds community ownership and collaboratively executes programs with the end goal of sustainably evolving to a relationship of impact monitoring. To learn more, please visit www.globalbrigades.org.

5 Members of this chapter

Business Brigades at University of Arizona

University of Arizona is a chapter of Global Business Brigades, an international movement of university students and professionals building economic opportunities in the developing world. We work alongside promising entrepreneurs and experienced year-round staff to create financial opportunities in remote, rural, and under resourced areas of Honduras and Ghana. We work with communities to build community-owned banks to provide access to loans, savings accounts and financial literacy for community members. Volunteers assist in consulting micro-enterprises, assessing loan capacity payments and providing financial literacy workshops to families. nnIn conjunction with our Business Program, Global Brigades also supports communities with healthcare, sanitation and clean water projects, and uniquely implements these programs in a holistic model to meet a community’s health and economic goals. Our model systematically builds community ownership and collaboratively executes programs with the end goal of sustainably evolving to a relationship of impact monitoring. To learn more, please visit www.globalbrigades.org.

7 Members of this chapter

Microfinance Brigades at City of Boston

Northeastern University is a chapter of Global Business Brigades, an international movement of university students and professionals building economic opportunities in the developing world. We work alongside promising entrepreneurs and experienced year-round staff to create financial opportunities in remote, rural, and under resourced areas of Honduras and Ghana. We work with communities to build community-owned banks to provide access to loans, savings accounts and financial literacy for community members. Volunteers assist in consulting micro-enterprises, assessing loan capacity payments and providing financial literacy workshops to families. nnIn conjunction with our Business Program, Global Brigades also supports communities with healthcare, sanitation and clean water projects, and uniquely implements these programs in a holistic model to meet a community’s health and economic goals. Our model systematically builds community ownership and collaboratively executes programs with the end goal of sustainably evolving to a relationship of impact monitoring. To learn more, please visit www.globalbrigades.org.

16 Members of this chapter

Microfinance Brigades at Saint Louis University

Saint Louis University is a chapter of Global Business Brigades, an international movement of university students and professionals building economic opportunities in the developing world. We work alongside promising entrepreneurs and experienced year-round staff to create financial opportunities in remote, rural, and under resourced areas of Honduras and Ghana. We work with communities to build community-owned banks to provide access to loans, savings accounts and financial literacy for community members. Volunteers assist in consulting micro-enterprises, assessing loan capacity payments and providing financial literacy workshops to families. nnIn conjunction with our Business Program, Global Brigades also supports communities with healthcare, sanitation and clean water projects, and uniquely implements these programs in a holistic model to meet a community’s health and economic goals. Our model systematically builds community ownership and collaboratively executes programs with the end goal of sustainably evolving to a relationship of impact monitoring. To learn more, please visit www.globalbrigades.org.

0 Members of this chapter

Microfinance Brigades at Portland State University

Volunteers on a Microfinance Brigade spend seven days in a rural community of Honduras. Prior to the brigade, GB staff trains community leaders who act as the executive board members of the community bank called the Caja Rural. Throughout the brigade, volunteers divide into groups where they visit several families in their homes. During the community visits, volunteers develop an understanding of the families’ ways of life, aspirations, and financial literacy. Following the visits, the students hold a community meeting about the Caja Rural focused on topics such as budgeting, savings incentives programs, and loans. At the end of week, students determine how they will allocate their CIF(community investment fund), whether it may be to an individual family or a lump sum donated to the Caja. One of the major advantages of the GB microfinance model is that the Cajas Rurales are entirely owned and operated by the communities. Therefore, all of the community members have the opportunity to benefit collectively, and the students work directly with individuals empowering them to become more financially stable and establish economic growth within their communities

1 Members of this chapter

Microfinance Brigades at University of Michigan

University of Michigan is a chapter of Global Business Brigades, an international movement of university students and professionals building economic opportunities in the developing world. We work alongside promising entrepreneurs and experienced year-round staff to create financial opportunities in remote, rural, and under resourced areas of Honduras and Ghana. We work with communities to build community-owned banks to provide access to loans, savings accounts and financial literacy for community members. Volunteers assist in consulting micro-enterprises, assessing loan capacity payments and providing financial literacy workshops to families. nnIn conjunction with our Business Program, Global Brigades also supports communities with healthcare, sanitation and clean water projects, and uniquely implements these programs in a holistic model to meet a community’s health and economic goals. Our model systematically builds community ownership and collaboratively executes programs with the end goal of sustainably evolving to a relationship of impact monitoring. To learn more, please visit www.globalbrigades.org.

1 Members of this chapter

Business Brigades at Saint Louis University

SLU GBB volunteers will spend 8 days in the rural community of Panama to help provide solutions to the community’s economic needs. The target beneficiaries have been previously excluded from formal financial institutions & therefore lacked access to savings and credit opportunities. Beneficiaries tend to have a low level of income, lack of collateral, & low level of education. During the brigade, volunteers divide into small groups to conduct household visits in which they get to know the family, assess each household’s level of financial competency and entrepreneurial aspirations. After the assessments the volunteers provide educational and technical assistance in the form of workshops. Topics range from personal finance to basic accounting and business planning. Additionally, SLU GBB invests in the community savings and loan (S&L) cooperative by providing seed capital. In turn, the seed capital provides loans to a small business to either expand current operations or pursue a new entrepreneurial opportunity. Working side-by-side with community members affords volunteers the opportunity for cultural exchange, micro-finance, and consulting experience. The households benefit by learning personal financial and business skills and gain access to credit and savings opportunities. Community businesses benefit from the consulting and loans. The community benefits because the profits earned by the S&L stay in the community to be used by the community!

0 Members of this chapter

Microfinance Brigades at University of Rochester

University of Rochester is a chapter of Global Business Brigades, an international movement of university students and professionals building economic opportunities in the developing world. We work alongside promising entrepreneurs and experienced year-round staff to create financial opportunities in remote, rural, and under resourced areas of Honduras and Ghana. We work with communities to build community-owned banks to provide access to loans, savings accounts and financial literacy for community members. Volunteers assist in consulting micro-enterprises, assessing loan capacity payments and providing financial literacy workshops to families. nnIn conjunction with our Business Program, Global Brigades also supports communities with healthcare, sanitation and clean water projects, and uniquely implements these programs in a holistic model to meet a community’s health and economic goals. Our model systematically builds community ownership and collaboratively executes programs with the end goal of sustainably evolving to a relationship of impact monitoring. To learn more, please visit www.globalbrigades.org.

0 Members of this chapter

Microfinance Brigades at University of Washington

University of Washington is a chapter of Global Business Brigades, an international movement of university students and professionals building economic opportunities in the developing world. We work alongside promising entrepreneurs and experienced year-round staff to create financial opportunities in remote, rural, and under resourced areas of Honduras and Ghana. We work with communities to build community-owned banks to provide access to loans, savings accounts and financial literacy for community members. Volunteers assist in consulting micro-enterprises, assessing loan capacity payments and providing financial literacy workshops to families. nnIn conjunction with our Business Program, Global Brigades also supports communities with healthcare, sanitation and clean water projects, and uniquely implements these programs in a holistic model to meet a community’s health and economic goals. Our model systematically builds community ownership and collaboratively executes programs with the end goal of sustainably evolving to a relationship of impact monitoring. To learn more, please visit www.globalbrigades.org.

0 Members of this chapter

Microfinance Brigades at Duke University

Volunteers on a Microfinance Brigade spend seven days in a rural community of Honduras. Prior to the brigade, GB staff trains community leaders who act as the executive board members of the community bank called the Caja Rural. Throughout the brigade, volunteers divide into groups where they visit several families in their homes. During the community visits, volunteers develop an understanding of the families’ ways of life, aspirations, and financial literacy. Following the visits, the students hold a community meeting about the Caja Rural focused on topics such as budgeting, savings incentives programs, and loans. At the end of week, students determine how they will allocate their CIF(community investment fund), whether it may be to an individual family or a lump sum donated to the Caja. One of the major advantages of the GB microfinance model is that the Cajas Rurales are entirely owned and operated by the communities. Therefore, all of the community members have the opportunity to benefit collectively, and the students work directly with individuals empowering them to become more financially stable and establish economic growth within their communities.

0 Members of this chapter