The GiveWell Blog

Evaluating microsavings

We’re excited about the idea of microsavings as opposed to microlending. But it isn’t enough to see that an organization offers microsavings. We need to know: Are savings services being provided relatively efficiently? How many clients are served per dollar of operating expenses? Are clients able to access their funds when they need them? We…

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If microsavings is more needed, why does microcredit get more attention?

Portfolios of the Poor tells a story you won’t hear from a typical microfinance charity: Sankar was a landless, illiterate rickshaw driver, whose wife had Grameen membership. They had borrowed from Grameen Bank a few times – in fact one loan had helped him buy his rickshaw. Suddenly his wife told him they would have…

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