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Innovators Face Challenges in Breaking Down Barriers to Capital for Underserved Entrepreneurs

Sarah Trent

June 02, 2017 |

Locavesting |

Text |

1500-3000 Words

Response Location: United States, Cincinnati

Existing services and resources for entrepreneurs disproportionately do not help minorities and women, making it difficult for them to become successful. Programs such as MORTAR aim to help these under served entrepreneurs by providing capital to help their businesses take off.

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In Rural Uganda, Women Supporting Women

Riva Richmond

May 25, 2017 |

The Story Exchange |

Text |

800-1500 Words

Response Location: Uganda, Mityana, Mityana District

Though the overall poverty rate has been dropping in recent years, rural communities in Uganda still lack many basic resources, including access to healthy food, toiletries, and economic opportunity. The Network of Women in Agribusiness and Development was founded by women to empower and support their sisters through educational initiatives, agricultural training, and the provision of items such as pigs and fruit trees to help them break the cycle of poverty.

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Oklahoma City-Based International Development NGO Focuses On Women

Jacob McCleland

May 23, 2017 |

WMOT |

Radio |

Over 15 Minutes

Response Location: India, Madhubani, Bihar

In many rural villages in Northern India and Nepal, long-standing cultural norms have relegated women to subordinate positions in marriage and minimal educational opportunities, stifling the social, agricultural and economic development of entire communities. But with the NGO World Neighbors' work to increase female literacy and help initiate locally-controlled savings and credit groups, these areas' female residents have become a more empowered component of local development and progressive change.

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In Kenya, Phones Replace Bank Tellers

Tina Rosenberg

May 09, 2017 |

The New York Times |

Multi-Media |

1500-3000 Words

Response Location: Kenya

Building on the widespread use of mobile phones in Kenya, applications have been developed to provide people with financial services. Through these applications people can securely receive money, save money, and make payments increasing their fiscal stability and their ability to access assistance when adverse events happen. The applications also create a record of financial transactions resulting in people being able to establish credit, receive loans, and access pay-as-you-go programs.

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How Rang De is using crowdsourcing to make micro loans cheaper

Anu Thomas

May 04, 2017 |

The Economic Times |

Text |

800-1500 Words

Response Location: India, Bengaluru, Karnataka

A husband and wife team in Bangalore (Bengaluru) have created a peer-to-peer, online micro-loan platform to help make poverty history by addressing credit needs of underserved communities. Lenders on the platform can choose the individuals and projects they loan to, and interest rates are kept low so as to be accessible for the recipients. The platform, Rang De, has seen great success and boasts a 93% repayment rate.

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How to Trick People Into Saving Money

Rob Walker

May 01, 2017 |

The Atlantic |

Text |

Over 3000 Words

Response Location: United States, Salem, Illinois

A large number of Americans are "unbanked or underbanked"—meaning they are not tied to traditional financial institutions to manage their money—which makes saving difficult. Walmart has managed to serve this population with a debit card program called MoneyCard that provides financial incentives to users to regularly put aside money into a "vault." This approach effectively takes into account behavioral economics in terms of how humans approach short- versus long-term rewards. Launching in August 2016, the program's membership had grown more than 130% and savings increased by 38% by December 2016.

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You Can Invest Directly Into Building Bike Paths, Better Schools

Oscar Perry Abello

April 25, 2017 |

Next City |

Text |

Under 800 Words

Response Location: United States, San Francisco, California

The startup Neighborly is making municipal bonds feel relevant. Rather than investing in a “muni” bond indirectly through a retirement fund, individuals can now directly purchase these bonds and target the money to areas they feel passionate about, whether that is building bike lanes in Vermont or investing in schools in Massachusetts. Neighborly is building renewed interest in the municipal bond market while generating more funding for important infrastructure projects.

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Public banking goes to pot

Jeremy Lybarger

April 19, 2017 |

High Country News |

Text |

1500-3000 Words

Response Location: United States, Sebastopol, California

California looks to the Bank of North Dakota as a model to launch a public bank for the cannabis industry. While the Bank of North Dakota is the only public bank in the country thus far, California's cannabis industry hopes to mirror this public financing method to reduce marijuana-related violence and theft throughout the state.

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The world's greenest island

Tom A. Peter

April 16, 2017 |

The Christian Science Monitor |

Multi-Media |

1500-3000 Words

Response Location: Denmark, Samso

Samsø, a small island in Denmark, has done what no other city has reached; energy independence. People on the island use a combination of wind, solar, and biomass, energy. How is such a large feat accomplished? Local leaders say it wasn’t because of technological breakthrough, but through collective action.

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Where Pregnancy Isn't A Death Sentence

Linus Unah

April 06, 2017 |

Bright Magazine |

Multi-Media |

800-1500 Words

Response Location: Nigeria, Ondo

In the Nigeria state of Ondo the maternal mortality rate fell by 40 percent after the state unrolled the Abiye vanguard program. Over 400 health vanguard’s were hired to ensure that pregnant women delivered their babies in healthcare facilities, rather than with traditional birth attendants. “94.7 percent of deliveries today are now handled by skilled attendants, compared to 38 percent nationwide.”

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