Small Money Big Impact: Fighting Poverty with Microfinance

Make your money make a difference--and enjoy attractive returns

Small Money, Big Impact explores and explains the globally growing importance of impact investing. Today, the investor's perspective has become as important as the actual social impact. Based on their experience with over 25 million micro borrowers, the authors delve into the mechanics, considerations, data and strategies that make microloans and impact investing an attractive asset class. From the World Bank to the individual investor, impact investing is attracting more and more attention. Impact investing is a global megatrend and is reshaping the way people invest as pension funds, insurance companies, foundations, family offices and private investors jump on board. This book explains for the first time how it works, why it works and what you should know if you're ready to help change the world.

Impact investing has proven over the last 20 years as the first-line offense against crushing poverty. Over two billion people still lack access to basic financial services, which are essential for improving their livelihood. Investors have experienced not only social and environmental impact, but have received attractive, stable and uncorrelated returns for over 15 years. This guide provides the latest insights and methodologies that help you reap the rewards of investing in humanity.

• Explore the global impact investing phenomenon
• Learn how microloans work, and how they make a difference
• Discover why investors are increasingly leaning into impact investing
• Consider the factors that inform impact investing decisions

Part social movement and part financial strategy, impact investing offers the unique opportunity for investors to power tremendous change with a small amount of money-- expanding their portfolios as they expand their own global impact. Microfinance allows investors at any level to step in where banks refuse to tread, offering opportunity to those who need it most. Small Money, Big Impact provides the expert guidance you need to optimize the impact on your portfolio and the world.

PETER A. FANCONI is the Chairman and former CEO of Swiss-based BlueOrchard Finance, one of the leading asset man- agement companies in impact investing. Peter demonstrated his entrepreneurial and social competences in various positions, including CEO of the Vontobel Private Bank, CEO of Harcourt Alternative Investments and managing partner at PwC. He also serves as Chairman of Swiss bank Graubündner Kantonalbank (GKB) and as board member of academic and charitable institutions worldwide. Peter is a renowned lecturer and published writer in the field of finance and impact investing.

PATRICK SCHEURLE is the CEO of Blue-Orchard Finance. Prior, he acted as COO and CFO at BlueOrchard. His broad experience in finance includes senior positions at Bank Vontobel and Credit Suisse. He further served with a leading management consultancy focusing on governance and value creation. Patrick holds a PhD in finance from the University of St. Gallen, Switzerland, where he also held an assistant professorship. He is the author of several well-known finance books and regularly publishes on developments and research in impact investing.