Services and Benefits

Member Benefits: IAMFI members heighten their visibility in the sector, have direct access to timely information and interact more effectively with industry players.  Membership offers value to Limited Partner Investors, General Partner Investors and Industry Service Providers.  IAMFI has developed programs and services to meet members’ needs, such as the following benefits:

  • Access to a sophisticated, interactive web site providing a repository of third-party information and data      about microfinance investing, including a password-protected "members only" section (institutional members have access for up to 10 employees)
  • Scrubbed microfinance newsfeed delivered to members’ email inbox
  • Independent commentary on research and developments in the sector
  • Original research (investment performance, best practices, trend analysis, etc.)
  • Customized services to meet each member’s needs (introductions, meetings, joint activities)
  • Facilitation of speaking engagements and media opportunities for members
  • Educational activities (webinars, teleconferences, in-person meetings)
  • Issue-focused events for special interest groups within the membership
  • Discounts for international microfinance conferences and publications
  • Access to a voluntary Member Directory to facilitate networking
  • Participation in the establishment of criteria to advance best practices
  • Consensus-building on sector issues
  • Reference materials and tools for the industry
  • Investor-perspective input to industry organizations and their constituencies
  • Outreach to influencers to develop an enabling environment for microfinance investing

Research: IAMFI has produced 12 large and small pieces of proprietary research, including the industry’s first study on the incidence of default by MFIs to microfinance investment intermediaries (MIIs).  IAMFI maintains the industry’s only Microfinance Investment Database, gathering 20 data points on over 100 MIIs that are relevant to investors, such as asset size, return targets and performance, and fund expenses.  Other research topics include private equity investment, investment jurisdiction, Limited Partner investor due diligence, etc. Most IAMFI research is distributed to members and study participants only (may be made available for later purchase by non-members).  With Morgan Stanley’s sponsorship, the IAMFI Microfinance Lenders Working Group recently produced research on MFI workouts, including best practice recommendations and industry tools for the orderly restructuring of troubled MFI loans.  IAMFI has developed a robust research project list, based on member requests, which concentrates on building industry infrastructure to increase the sustainability of microfinance.

Events: Educational events include teleconferences, webinars and in-person meetings with industry leaders on topics such as industry trends, social performance measurement, debt and equity investment and risk management.  IAMFI hosts frequent educational and networking activities for members in the U.S. and Europe.  Its IAMFI Investor Network meetings adapt the venture capital pitch model to facilitate connections between fund managers and investors.  IAMFI’s events allow members to interact with each other and with IAMFI’s database of 1,200 names.  Please click herefor more information.

 

Parties interested in membership may contact Joan Trant, Executive Director, at +1.212.297.2137 or jtrant@iamfi.com.