Publications
Publications
- Stanford Social Innovation Review
In Microfinance, Clients Must Come First
By: Srikant M. Datar, Marc J. Epstein and Kristi Yuthas
Abstract
In the debate over whether microfinance works, few microfinance institutions articulate what, exactly, their ultimate goals are and how, exactly, they will achieve them. The authors cut through the confusion by mapping a clear theory of change for microfinance. If the goal of microfinance is to alleviate poverty, they say, then MFIs should focus on helping their clients build successful enterprises, rather than on making more and bigger loans.
Keywords
Business Startups; Customer Focus and Relationships; Social Entrepreneurship; Microfinance; Goals and Objectives; Success; Social Enterprise; Poverty
Citation
Datar, Srikant M., Marc J. Epstein, and Kristi Yuthas. "In Microfinance, Clients Must Come First." Stanford Social Innovation Review 6, no. 1 (Winter 2008).