Author: Tom

Every year on Mother’s day, we take time out to recognize and appreciate the mothers who have given and nurtured life in all of us. However, this adoration should not be reserved to just one day. Around the world, especially in developing countries, women are often economically disenfranchised and are disproportionately affected by the burdens… Continue reading Mother’s Day Microfinance

As another month begins, we would like to take a moment to once again recognize another one of our wonderful donors, LeeAnn Glover.  A local Madisonian, Glover has the area firmly imprinted in her life. She grew up in Madison, then went on to attend the University of Wisconsin Madison and later received a master’s… Continue reading Donor Spotlight: LeeAnn Glover

Around the world, there are thousands upon thousands of charities doing wonderful work for worthy causes. There is never a shortage of need. In almost every community, both local and global, there is work that needs to be done. However, because of the ubiquity of need, there also tend to be similarities between the way… Continue reading Why I Believe in Microfinance

In this blog, we often write about the benefits that microfinance is able to offer to communities to fight poverty, balance gender disparities, avoid environmental degradation, etc. However, the logistics of how microfinance itself functions is sometimes lost in the margins. To understand any story, one must always start at the beginning. Microfinance was first… Continue reading Logistics of Microfinance: The How

Around 75% of the developing world’s poor still live in rural areas. However, urban growth in these same countries accounts for much of the United Nation’s predicted global population increases. Not only are these levels of urban migration increasing every year, but the rates are becoming more and more unsustainable. As these megacities continue to… Continue reading Overcrowding and Underfunding: Microfinance and Slowing Urban Concentration

One of the main pillars of microfinance is its focus on women. In terms of financial institutions, microfinance stands alone in its prioritization of the economic health of women. In fact, over 80% of all microloans are afforded to women. In a world where few options exist for women to lift themselves out of poverty,… Continue reading The Role of Microfinance in Mitigating Gender Inquality

As we begin to recognize more and more of our donors for the integral help that they provide in assisting our programs and our mission, we would like to recognize one person who has an intensely personal connection to Wisconsin Microfinance: Ruth Ohlrogge. A Madisonian through and through, Ruth grew up just outside of Madison,… Continue reading Donor Spotlight: Ruth Ohlrogge