MISSION

Unitus, an international nonprofit organization, fights global poverty by accelerating the growth of microfinance—small loans and other financial tools for self-empowerment—where it is needed most.

More than 2.5 billion people survive on less than $2 a day. In places such as Sub-Saharan Africa, the total living below this line approaches 75 percent. For millions of families in need, microfinance offers the hope for a successful small business and more: increased economic stability, better healthcare and housing, the opportunity for education, and ultimately, the real possibility of self-sufficiency.

Unitus is not your traditional nonprofit. Beyond on-the-ground microfinance expertise, we bring executive experience from banking, technology, and corporate consulting backgrounds to employ market-driven solutions to age-old problems of financial exclusion and poverty. Our model focuses on helping high-potential microfinance institutions (small banking organizations that serve the poor, often called MFIs) build capacity, attract capital, and unite with our network to achieve rapid, sustainable growth.

Additionally, the poor require a wide range of poverty-focused financial products and services beyond credit. Access to a safe place to save, manage, and grow assets can be especially critical for people living with unpredictable and inconsistent incomes. In support of needs that push the boundaries of existing microfinance, Unitus is now exploring initiatives to catalyze innovative social entrepreneurship, leverage technology to reach new populations, and help develop groundbreaking pathways to financial access.

Unitus works with microfinance partners and other emerging enterprises in India, Southeast Asia, East Africa, South America, and Mexico. Our MFI partners are growing 7 times faster than their peers, demonstrating the strength of their leadership and the promise of our approach. In less than a decade, we’ve helped our partners serve more than 12 million families.