Walking the talk on the triple
bottom line. First, do no harm.
But don’t stop there.

Advancing social and environmental performance management for inclusive finance.

Cerise+SPTF is a joint venture of two leading global organizations dedicated to social and environmental performance management—a way of doing business that puts people and the planet at the center of every decision. Our signature product, the Universal Standards for Social and Environmental Performance Management, has defined best practices since 2012. All of our tools—audits and self-assessments, data and benchmarking, technical assistance financing, working groups, and more—reflect the real-world perspective of inclusive finance stakeholders. Cerise+SPTF believes in the power of getting started. Wherever you are on your social and environmental performance management journey—curious, unsure where to start, stuck on a certain point, or determined to grow from good to great— we will meet you where you are. And we will bring the tools you need to succeed.

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Front Page News

Below are a few highlights of the many activities Cerise+SPTF has been busy with. To view all our latest news and events, check out our newsletters page and our events page.

African Microfinance Week (SAM)

Hosted by ADA
October 16-20 – Lomé, Togo

What a week in Togo! Cerise+SPTF was delighted to help put on several events, panel discussions, and training sessions at the SAM. Topics included our work on the Digital Financial Services Standards, evaluating and improving environmental performance, client protection, measuring the real impact of sustainable inclusive finance, and more.

Workshop on the Digital Financial Standards Pilot

Hosted by Cerise+SPTF
December 14 – Online

This webinar was the culmination of two years of work, summarizing feedback from the field after pilot testing our draft management standards for financial service providers who want to offer digital financial services in a responsible and inclusive way. Pilot testing was conducted with about 25 DFS providers in Africa, Asia, and Latin America.

UPCOMING!

Our 2024 Annual Meeting

Hosted by Cerise+SPTF and MCPI
June 4-7 — Manila, Philippines

Save the date! This event — our biggest in-person gathering each year — is always a phenomenally energizing and inspirational experience. Our 2024 meeting theme is “Building Responsible Finance Ecosystems: A Summit on Responsible Finance in Action.”

Presenting the 2023 Annual Report

As we reflect on another transformative year, it is with great enthusiasm that we share our activities in 2023. In the past year, we focused on:

harnessing the new digital age and its unparalleled opportunities to shape the future of finance — including launching our new online platforms and the standards for responsible digital finance
building the solid infrastructure required to support a sustainable financial ecosystem — by following a market-systems approach in developing and disseminating standards, tools, and resources for all stakeholders
leveraging human connections in the pursuit of responsible finance — including running our investors working groups, our SEPM Pros Network, and other platforms for industry collaboration

There has been much exciting progress, and we are so grateful to all our partners who assisted us in making these strides toward a future where finance serves as a catalyst for positive change!

Filling needs for clear standards and practical support

Need 1

Financial service providers seek real-world guidance

They are challenged to manage their businesses in ways that meet social strategies

What are we doing about it

Universal Standards, Client Protection Pathway, Working Groups, technical assistance, co-financing, communities of practice

Need 2

Donors and impact investors need assurance

They are mandated to ensure that their funding advances social and environmental strategies and customer outcomes

What are we doing about it

Data and benchmarking, ALINUS, and related tools

Need 3

Missing guardrails

Many purpose-driven organizations work in markets with loose regulations and weak infrastructure

What are we doing about it

Collaboration with policymakers’ associations and regulators

Need 4

General public is unaware or skeptical

Other stakeholders and the general public need education on the effectiveness of social and environmental performance management

What are we doing about it

Show, don’t tell. We use our global collective voice to inform and inspire, with data-backed evidence.

Testimonials

Financial service providers, impact investors, researchers, and thought leaders are all part of the global movement for social and environmental performance management. Read what they have to say about the work of Cerise+SPTF.

If you’re about a social mission, measure it. Look at it. Think about how your changes affect your social outputs.

John de WitSmall Enterprise Foundation

We don’t think of social performance as a trade-off in any way. Social performance, when it’s done well, makes good business sense, because you know your clients

David DewezIncofin

The success of the Universal Standards in the Philippines is an example of self-regulation influencing national policy. It has shaped the entire market system by providing the blueprint for the regulatory framework governing microfinance NGOs in this country.

Allan SicatMicrofinance Council of the Philippines, Inc. (MCPI)

We use the Universal Standards with our investees because they are specific and operational and not just principles.

Lone SøndergaardNordic Microfinance Initiative

You can’t just assume that because people are repaying their loans, that means you’re doing great and you don’t actually need to follow up and see how those people are doing.

Refilwe Mokoene