The Reponsibility is Ours: Pushing the Boundaries on Client Protection & Transparency

This Silicon Valley Microfinance Network (SVMN) meeting will take place on Monday, June 14th, 2010 and will feature Beth Porter of the United Nations Capital Development Fund and Chuck Waterfield of Microfinance Transparency. 

                                        Beth Porter                                          Chuck Waterfield

During this event, Beth and Chuck will closely examine the evolution of consumer protection, the drivers that lead to the global financial meltdown, and why transparent contracts and pricing within the microfinance industry is more crucial now than ever before.

In light of the financial crisis that is affecting organizations worldwide, it has become evident that players in the microfinance industry are responsible for maintaining ethical, transparent protection policies.  What are the challenges with implementing industry-wide client protection policies? How can MFIs reasonably operationalize client protection and transparency in a way that is not over-burdensome? How can investors be sure which firms are socially responsible institutions? What global efforts are underway to follow ethical, respectful and transparent practices? Finally, as consumers, what can we do to insure ethical practices are rewarded?

Beth Porter and Chuck Waterfield will bring their extensive knowledge of industry-wide policies and practices to the table to answer these questions and more.  Order your ticket now as seating is limited!

This event will be held in partnership with Omidyar Network and Women Advancing Microfinance (WAM).

   Omidyar Network is a philanthropic investment firm that creates opportunity for people to improve their lives. Established in 2004 by eBay founder Pierre Omidyar and his wife Pam, the organization has committed more than $330 million to for-profit companies and nonprofit organizations that foster economic advancement and encourage individual participation across multiple investment areas, including microfinance, property rights, and government transparency. To learn more about Omidyar Network, visit www.omidyar.com.

               Women Advancing Microfinance (WAM) was created to support women in the microfinance industry.  One of our speakers this evening, Beth Porter, is a founder of WAM and director of the Northern Califorinia chapter. The mission is to advance and support women working in microfinance through education and training, by promoting leadership opportunities, and by increasing visibility of their participation and talent while maintaining a work/life balance. WAM advances its values by serving as a network for women in microfinance all over the world and as a platform for communication and collective action. To learn more about WAM, visit www.waminternational.org.

Speaker Bios

Chuck Waterfield

Chuck Waterfield has 25 years experience in microfinance, with a mixture of practical field experience (six years starting MFIs in both Haiti and Bolivia) and experience leading network strategy development (serving as microenterprise director for both MEDA and for CARE International). He developed Microfin, the most popular financial planning software in the microfinance industry and teaches business planning courses around the world, with more than 3,000 microfinance professionals having been trained in his courses. Mr. Waterfield’s current work as an independent consultant includes clients across the industry.

Currently on faculty of Columbia University School of International and Public Affairs, Mr. Waterfield was formerly on the faculty of the Boulder Microfinance Training Program for ten years and Southern New Hampshire University’s Microenterprise Development Institute for eight years. In addition to Microfin, he has a broad range of products and publications including the SEEP FRAME Tool, the CARE Credit and Savings Sourcebook, and CGAP Handbook on Management Information Systems. In 2008, Mr. Waterfield founded MicroFinance Transparency and works part-time in the institution as he continues his other responsibilities.

Beth Porter

Beth Porter has over 20 years of experience in microfinance and organizational development in 30 countries in Africa, Asia and Latin America. Ms. Porter is Policy Coordinator for Financial Inclusion at UNCDF where she provides policy guidance to the regional offices and supports the UN’s Special Advocate for Financial Inclusion, HRH Princess Maxima of the Netherlands, in advocating for inclusive finance at the highest levels. 

She previously launched and directed an initiative at Making Cents International to build the capabilities of financial services providers and youth-serving organizations in the nascent sector of youth-inclusive financial services.  At Freedom from Hunger, Ms. Porter led development of program strategy and managed delivery of integrated microfinance services to 1.2 million women and their families in 16 countries.  Ms. Porter has provided extensive technical assistance and training in strategic and business planning, product design, and organizational effectiveness and operational efficiency, and is experienced in program appraisal, design and evaluation.  Ms. Porter worked as an independent consultant with numerous organizations and managed Save the Children/UK’s microfinance activities in Vietnam and Catholic Relief Services’ microenterprise programming in Senegal and Cape Verde.  Ms. Porter is Board Chair of the SEEP Network, on the board of Bolivian MFI CRECER, on the Steering Committee of the SMART Campaign in Microfinance, on the Advisory Committee of the Youth-Inclusive Financial Services Linkage Program of Making Cents International, and Chair of the Northern California Chapter of Women Advancing Microfinance.