Outside the U.S.

Seikatsu Club Consumers’ Co-operative Union

In August 2012, a delegation of the Seikatsu Club Consumers’ Co-operative Union toured co-ops in Cleveland, Ohio; Iowa; and Washington, D.C. (where this interview was conducted). Founded in 1965 as a buying club by 200 housewives in Tokyo, today the Seikatsu (“lifestyle” or “living”) co-ops have over 340,000 members. Together, network enterprises have an annual turnover of US $1 billion. Today, over 600 worker co-ops employ over 17,000 people in such businesses as food distribution, food preparation, catering, recycling, childcare and education.
Read more about Seikatsu Club Consumers’ Co-operative Union ...

Foundation for International Community Assistance

http://www.villagebanking.org

The Foundation for International Community Assistance (FINCA) is an organization dedicated to fighting poverty through the creation of micro-credit programs known as “village banks,” or peer groups of approximately 50 persons who receive capital loans for self-employment. Read more about Foundation for International Community Assistance...

Cooperative League of the USA (CLUSA)

http://www.ncba.coop/ncba-clusa/home

The Cooperative League of the USA (CLUSA) is the international arm of the National Cooperative Business Association, which provides technical assistance to develop cooperatives internationally. Since 1953, CLUSA has managed over 200 projects in 53 countries and has performed over 1,000 short-term consultancies in 79 countries. Read more about Cooperative League of the USA (CLUSA)...

Accion International

http://www.accion.org

Acción International is the non-profit umbrella organization for microfinance institutions across the U.S. and Latin America, providing technical assistance, planning, policy research and analysis, and publications to their international network of microfinance affiliates. Read more about Accion International...

World Council of Credit Unions

http://www.woccu.org

The World Council of Credit Unions is a representative organization for credit unions around the world. Through publications, meetings, and technical assistance, WCCU works to extend credit unions as viable tools of economic development. Read more about World Council of Credit Unions...

The Working World

http://www.theworkingworld.org

The Working World is a U.S.-based nonprofit organization that was established to support the growth of worker cooperatives in Argentina. Since 2004, the organization has made 73 "micro" loans and disbursed a total of more than $500,000 in loan financing (1.65 million Argentine pesos) to support the operations of dozens of Argentine worker cooperatives. Read more about The Working World...

Women's World Banking

http://www.womensworldbanking.org

The Women's World Banking network aims to have a major impact on expanding the economic assets, participation and power of low income women as entrepreneurs and economic agents by opening their access to finance, knowledge and markets. Their web site includes information about the program, publications, and contact information for national affiliate members. Read more about Women's World Banking...

U.S. Overseas Cooperative Development Council

http://www.ocdc.coop/index.html

OCDC is a coalition of eight cooperative development organizations that use successful American-based cooperative strategies to assist low-income areas in developing nations.  These members use their knowledge and resources in numerous long-term projects in over 70 countries worldwide to bring about economic growth and peace in conflict-affected states. Read more about U.S. Overseas Cooperative Development Council...

United Nations Development Programme

http://www.undp.org

UNDP is the UN's global development network, an organization advocating for change and connecting countries to knowledge, experience and resources to help people build a better life. UNDP operates in 166 countries and is helping support global and national efforts to reach the international Millennium Development Goal of cutting the world's rate of poverty in half by 2015. Read more about United Nations Development Programme...

United Nations, International Year of Microcredit 2005

http://www.yearofmicrocredit.org

The international growth of micro-credit finance has been so great that the United Nations has declared 2005 to be the International Year of Microcredit. The web site includes articles on microfinance, lists of additional suggested books and data sources, and links to international development organizations. Read more about United Nations, International Year of Microcredit 2005...

Root Capital

http://www.rootcapital.org

Targeting small grassroots businesses - those that tend to be deemed too risky by banks and too large for microfinance - Root Capital is working to create a new lending model that fills in this missing link and addresses this market failure. To date, Root Capital has provided financial training and $100 million in credit to 210 grassroots enterprises in 30 countries across Latin America, Africa and Asia with a 99% repayment rate. Read more about Root Capital...

Opportunities Without Borders

http://www.owob.org

Founded in 2006 as a result of experiences abroad by Colorado State business students, Opportunities Without Borders has aimed to leverage universities around the world focused on social entrepreneurship to provide on the ground assistance and education to micro-enterprises around the world on how to expand their sales and operational capability. Student teams partner with local organizations, university faculty, industry mentors, NGOs, and potential investors to assist micro-businesses to assess market opportunities. Read more about Opportunities Without Borders...

New Philanthropy Capital (London, England, United Kingdom)

http://www.thinknpc.org/

Through a combination of independent research, tools and consulting advice, New Philanthropy Capital provides a variety of services to funders, charities, and professional advisors to help them have a more significant impact in their fields. Launched in 2002 by former Goldman Sachs staff, NPC works within the United Kingdom and internationally to help improve the coordination and capacity of both funders and charities. Read more about New Philanthropy Capital (London, England, United Kingdom)...

National Cooperative Business Association, “CLUSA International Program”

http://www.ncba.coop/ncba-clusa/home

The Cooperative League of the USA (CLUSA) is the international arm of the National Cooperative Business Association, which provides technical assistance to develop cooperatives internationally. Since 1953, CLUSA has managed over 200 projects in 53 countries and has performed over 1,000 short-term consultancies in 79 countries. Read more about National Cooperative Business Association, “CLUSA International Program”...

Living Knowledge, The International Science Shop Network

http://www.livingknowledge.org

The concept of the “science shop” originated in the Lowlands. Similar to university community partnership centers in the United States, science shops are organizations created as mediators between citizen groups (trade unions, pressure groups, non-profit organizations, social groups, environmentalists, consumers, residents association, etc.) and research institutions (universities, independent research facilities). The website contains papers from international conferences, back issues of the Living Knowledge journal, and back issues of the science shop network's bimonthly newsletter. Read more about Living Knowledge, The International Science Shop Network...

International Organisation of Industrial, Artisanal, and Service Producers' Co-operatives (CICOPA)

http://www.cicopa.coop

CICOPA is the international federation of worker cooperatives, representing worker co-ops in 39 countries. Its web site includes links to its member federations throughout the world. Read more about International Organisation of Industrial, Artisanal, and Service Producers' Co-operatives (CICOPA)...