Global Partnerships (GP), a microfinance organization with offices in the United States and Nicaragua, recently reported to MicroCapital that it made debt investments worth USD 1 million to microfinance institutions (MFIs) in El Salvador and Mexico.

In El Salvador, Enlace, an MFI that was established in 1998, received a USD 500,000 loan from the Global Partnerships Social Investment Fund (SIF) 2010, a microfinance investment vehicle managed by GP. Enlace’s mission is to improve the quality of life of poor people through access to financial services. As of 2009, Enlace reported to the Microfinance Information Exchange (MIX), the US-based nonprofit data provider, total assets of USD 7.1 million, a gross loan portfolio of USD 6.6 million, return on assets of 2.33 percent and return on equity of 4.58 percent.

Cafe y Desarrollo of Mexico, also received a USD 498,000 loan from GP SIF 2010. Information regarding Cafe y Desarrollo is not available.

By Julie Moksim, Research Associate

About Global Partnerships (GP): Global Partnerships (GP) raises capital through a microfinance investment fund strategy. The company has staff based in Seattle, in the US state of Washington and Managua, Nicaragua. As of June 30, 2010, GP invests in 27 microfinance institutions that serve a total of 845,000 borrowers in seven Latin American countries.

About Global Partnerships Social Investment Fund (2010): Social Investment Fund 2010 (SIF 2010) is a USD 20 million, five-year debt fund created by Global Partnerships (GP), a microfinance organization based in the United States, which aims to provide affordable loan capital to up to 20 microfinance institutions in Latin America. The goals of the fund are to increase access to microcredit for people living in poverty in Latin America; to support the growth and development of microfinance institutions (MFIs) that are achieving exceptional levels of social impact; and to return capital to investors with fixed-income returns. Forty-one investors are participating in SIF 2010, including the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) and Overseas Private Investment Corporation (OPIC); foundations including Linked Foundation, Perls Foundation and the Brown Family Private Foundation; Seattle University; faith-based institutions such as the Mercy Partnership Fund; and 23 accredited individual investors.

About Enlace: Enlace is a microfinance organization that was established in El Salvador in 1998. The organization’s mission is to improve the quality of life of poor people through access to financial services. As of 2009, Enlace reported to the Microfinance Information Exchange (MIX), the US-based nonprofit data provider, total assets of USD 7.1 million, a gross loan portfolio of USD 6.6 million, return on assets of 2.33 percent and return on equity of 4.58 percent.

Sources and Additional Resources:

Information provided to MicroCapital by Global Partnerships

MicroCapital.org Brief, April 7, 2010: Global Partnerships Social Investment Fund (SIF) 2010 Loans $3m to Sartawi, FONDECO of Bolivia and Espoir of Ecuador for Microfinance, http://www.microcapital.org/microcapital-brief-global-partnerships-social-investment-fund-sif-2010-loans-3m-to-sartawi-fondeco-of-bolivia-and-espoir-of-ecuador-for-microfinance/

MicroCapitals Microfinance Universe Profile: Global Partnerships (GP)

http://www.microcapital.org/microfinanceuniverse/tiki-index.php?page=Glo…

MicroCapital’s Microfinance Universe Profile: Global Partnerships Social Investment Fund (2010)

http://www.microcapital.org/microfinanceuniverse/tiki-index.php?page=Glo…

MicroCapital’s Microfinance Universe Profile: Enlace

http://www.microcapital.org/microfinanceuniverse/tiki-index.php?page=Enlace

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