Savings Groups at the Frontier

Savings Groups reach those rarely served by mainstream financial institutions. At weekly meetings, members deposit savings and take loans, and in the process build commitment, discipline and mutual assistance. Maximum transparency, a profitable structure for saving, access to small loans and an annual lump sum of capital are the hallmarks of the Savings Group methodology. The outcome: empowered groups, made up mostly of women, who manage themselves as tiny financial institutions. Today there are Savings Groups in 60 countries with more than 6 million members, the result of initiatives carried out by dozens of international and local NGOs.