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SP Initiatives

A number of complementary social performance initiatives are underway. Please click here to read a joint letter from the Social Performance Task Force, Smart Campaign, and the Seal of Excellence for Poverty Outreach and Transformation, explaining how these three initiatives are aligned and complement each other.

The list below provides additional information on several of the more prominent social performance initiatives:

  • MFTransparency: Promotes transparent pricing standards and prices of microfinance products. Publishes interest rates and materials to increase understanding of pricing.
  • Microfinance Information eXChange (MIX): Collects and validates financial, operational, product, client, and social performance data from MFIs around the globe.  These data provide the basis for many of the benchmarks and standards that the industry is currently developing.
  • Principles for Investors in Inclusive Finance (PIIF): These principles, designed by and for investors, prescribe how to expand poor and underserved people’s access to financial products in a way that protects client interest.  The principles fully incorporates the CPPs, but also set principles for behavior in other areas (e.g., range of services, environmental impact).
  • Seal of excellence for poverty outreach and transformation: The State of the Microcredit Summit Campaign Report 2011 announced the development of a Seal of Excellence for Poverty Outreach and Transformation in Microfinance.  The concept remains under development, but is currently envisioned as a seal to recognize institutions that fulfill all of the following criteria:
    • meet the CPPs
    • meet the Universal Standards for Social Performance
    • demonstrate excellence in the specific area(s) of poverty outreach and/or transformation

Click here and refer to the middle of the article to read more from Microcredit Summit on the seal of excellence and to download the draft concept note.

  • Smart Campaign: Developed and promotes six client protection principles (CPP).  In the area of pricing, coordinates with the work of MFTransparency.

If you would like further information on any of the initiatives listed above, or would like to share information on a different initiative, please email This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. .