Useful Leads

The agencies of the AKDN are private, international, non-denominational development organisations. They work to improve the welfare and prospects of people in the developing world, particularly in Asia and Africa. Their areas of activity include environment, health, education, architecture, culture, microfinance, rural development, disaster reduction, the promotion of private-sector enterprise and the revitalisation of historic cities.

Ashoka is the global association of social entrepreneurs. Since 1981, they have elected over 2,500 social entrepreneurs as Ashoka Fellows, providing them with living stipends, professional support, and access to a global network of peers in 70 countries.

The Africa Commission in 2009 called for the establishment of an African Guarantee Fund (AGF) for SMEs. The African Development Bank, the Danish Government (Danida) and the Spanish Government (AECID) are currently implementing this initiative. The AGF will be a permanent regional conduit for channelling guarantees and technical assistance to financial institutions in Africa with the aim of stimulating the SME sector.

The African Development Bank (AfDB) has launched a two-year technical assistance programme, the African Carbon Support Programme, which is being implemented by its Energy, Environment and Climate Change Department. The programme, launched on 4 November 2010, is geared toward assisting Bank clients in regional member countries to access carbon finance in order to ensure the viability of their investments.

The African Development Fund (ADF) is part of the African Development Bank (AfDB) Group. Established in 1974, the ADF contributes to the promotion of economic and social development in 40 least developed African countries by providing concessional funding for projects and programmes, as well as technical assistance for studies and capacity-building activities.

The Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (SIDA) says their B4D programme is aimed at companies that are committed to sustainable development - economic, social and environmental. Through the B4D projects, SIDA claims collaboration can become more strategic and co-ordinated, which contributes to making development assistance and companies' own investments more efficient.

The Compass Network is a global group of 750 members who communicate on issues of sustainable development: from recycling to renewable energy, conservation to corporate responsibility, transport to fair trade. Members include marketers, PR and advertising professionals, businesspeople, civil servants, campaigners, local government employees and CSR consultants.

The Caribbean Development Bank intends to be the leading catalyst for development resources into the Region. The Basic Needs Trust Fund (BNTF) programme is a targeted poverty reduction programme of the Caribbean Development Bank.  Its mission is "To be a community development programme that supports health, education, water and sanitation, access and economic activities through skills training, organisational development and infrastructure and services".

http://finance.groups.yahoo.com/group/csrblokes/
CSR Chicks and Blokes is a global network for people working or wanting to work in corporate social responsibility. CSR Chicks is one of the largest and most active communities of people working on corporate responsibility and sustainable development. There are two different news groups. Blokes for males and Chicks for females. The Chicks group is a lot bigger then the blokes but everyone is allowed to join either of the groups. Members: Chicks: 6300, Blokes: 2000

Cordaid, a Dutch NGO, combines more than 90 years' experience in emergency aid and structural poverty eradication. They are one of the biggest international development organisations with a network of almost a thousand partner organisations in 36 countries in Africa, Asia and Latin America.

CGAP is an independent policy and research centre dedicated to advancing financial access for the world's poor. It is supported by over 30 development agencies and private foundations who share a common mission to alleviate poverty.

This is a forum for the exchange of CSR ideas and information including: best practices, case studies, conference announcements, courses, research findings, public reports, corporate reports and job advertisements. Postings are moderated to ensure relevance - both in terms of CSR content and international (rather than only local or national) focus.

The UK's Department for International Development (DIFD) has launched a US$2.5m (£1.5 million) 'Prosperity Fund'. It's open to bids from sustainable businesses all over the world. The goal of the Prosperity Fund is to invest money in low carbon and other sustainable projects that can demonstrate raising incomes of the poor.

The World Bank's Development Marketplace provides early stage grant funding to support testing and development of new initiatives. The Development Marketplace is primarily looking for projects with scalability and financial sustainability, and aims to connect social enterprises with providers of growth finance.

ENP is a Canadian organisation providing grants and technical assistance to non-profits. ENP focuses mainly on Canada but does provide resources for overseas organisations. Available on its website is a free downloadable copy of the Canadian Social Enterprise Guide and a calendar of upcoming conferences and events. 

Human Impact + Profit (HIP) was invented by CEO and Founder R.Paul Herman in 2004 with the aim of connecting for-profit investors with companies where social and environmental concerns are integral to their operations.   HIP creates scores for ethical companies for potential investors to gauge how successful they are at combining profit with green and social dividends.

The International Finance Corporation, a member of World Bank Group, is one of the world's largest international sources of financing for private sector investment in developing countries. IFC has a mandate to reduce poverty by increasing the availability and affordability of financial services. In 2010 the organisation had an active portfolio of 238 projects in 68 countries, valued at almost $290 million.

Google Grants is a bit of a misleading description. It doesn't hand out money but is an in-kind  programme giving free AdWords advertising to selected charitable organizations. Google says it supports organizations "sharing our philosophy of community service to help the world in areas such as science and technology, education, global public health, the environment, youth advocacy, and the arts".

Green Power Conferences offer professional interactive conferences focusing on renewable energy, climate change and sustainability.  Each event is developed by a team of market research professionals.  With a global portfolio of more than 50 events, Green Power Conferences claims it has helped to accelerate the uptake of renewable energy, climate change mitigation projects and sustainable business practices worldwide.

If you are interested in latest developments in environmentally-kind technology, then GreenTech -  a subsidiary of TechCrunch - is the place to go. Commendably jargon-free, it carries a wide range of breaking news on green tech and innovation news stories - from dirty (i.e. hydrocarbon-guzzling)  IT companies to the latest big time investments in solar and wind-power.

For nearly two decades the Small Grants Programme, set up by The World Bank and co-financed by ten other development agencies and banks, has been working to combat the world's most critical environmental problems. Set up after the 1992 Rio Earth Summit, the programme has made more than 12,000 grants in 122 countries. The grants programme caters for non-governmental and community-based organisations in developing and transitional economies. To date the programme funding from the GEF has topped US$400 million.

IDE creates income opportunities for poor rural households, operating in eleven countries focussing on raising the income of poor rural households. Its policy is to support interventions that are 'environmentally sustainable and economically viable', designing projects such as low cost water access 'that fit within sustainable natural resource limits'.  Since 1983, IDE has worked with more than 3.8 million families, increasing - it claims - their aggregate income by over one billion dollars. Its funds come from the public, grant-makers such as the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, the Dutch and British development agencies and development NGOs, including Action Aid, Plan International and Oxfam.  Read IDE UK's CEO's blog Making Money on a Mountain.

Established in 1993, as part of the Inter-American Development Bank Group, the Multilateral Investment Fund (MIF) was created to develop effective approaches to increase private investment and advance private sector development and improve the business environment. Over the course of its 17-year history, the MIF has approved over 1,700 projects, committed over US$1.5 billion and mobilized a total of over US$2.7 billion in the Latin American and Caribbean countries, reaching over 4 million beneficiaries.

The Multilateral Investment Guarantee Agency (MIGA), a member of the World Bank Group, promotes foreign direct investment (FDI) in emerging economies to support economic growth, reduce poverty, and improve people's lives. The organisation's Small Investment Program is designed to drive investments into small and medium-size enterprises involved in the finance, agribusiness, manufacturing, and services sectors.

A social entrepreneurship blog for businesses and individuals managing social, economic and environmental outcomes of a project. The site acts as information portal and networking hub for groups interested in social return on investment with valuable links to other resources and websites.

Technology, Entertainment and Design (TED) is a non-profit organisation devoted to the sharing of expert knowledge and insight, which it terms 'Ideas Worth Spreading'. TED started in 1984 as a conference bringing together people from three the three worlds of technology, entertainment and design.

The Small Business Banking Network (SBBN) is a CapitalPlus Exchange Corporation initiative to help small banks serve the small businesses in their community. CapitalPlus states that SBBN aims to reduce poverty by increasing jobs and incomes through the expansion of small businesses and also "improve the inclusiveness of the financial sectors of developing and emerging economies more generally."

The World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD) is a CEO-led, global association of some 200 companies dealing exclusively with business and sustainable development. The Council provides a platform for companies to explore sustainable development, share knowledge, experiences and best practices, and to advocate business positions on these issues in a variety of forums, working with governments, non-governmental and intergovernmental organizations.

Ecobank is committed to providing the underbanked and the unbanked poor with access to finance in West Africa. In partnership with other stakeholders, Ecobank launched one of the biggest microfinance banks in Nigeria in 2007. With its partner ACCION, a global microfinance organisation, the bank plans to launch microfinance operations in 20 countries in the next five years.

The European Fair Trade Association (EFTA) is an association of ten Fair Trade importers in nine European countries (Austria, Belgium, France, Germany, Italy, The Netherlands, Spain, Switzerland and the United Kingdom). The aim of EFTA is to support its member organisations in their work and to encourage them to cooperate and coordinate. It facilitates the exchange of information and networking, creates conditions for labour division and identifies and develops joint projects. It also maintains a database of EFTA suppliers, called Fairdata, which contains details on suppliers and their products.

Since the United Nations declared that 2012 would be the International Year of Co-operatives, the global movement has a once-in-a-generation opportunity to help spread the growth of the cooperative sector around the world.

The Institute for Small Business and Entrepreneurship (ISBE) is the UK's largest and most well established network for individuals and organisations involved in small business and entrepreneurship research, enterprise support and advice, entrepreneurship education for those who formulate, deliver and evaluate policy in this area. As a charitable institute ISBE seeks to make a valuable contribution to, and engage with, all elements of the entrepreneurial community.

The Institute for Social Entrepreneurs is a for-profit consulting company. The Institute has mounted demonstration projects in nine cities that have helped more than 60 nonprofits change their organizational cultures and begin adopting entrepreneurial strategies.

The overall goal of the Programme is to promote social equity and the economic development of poor and/or marginalized groups. The Bank will finance small projects that provide financial, business, social and/or community development services to the target population in "an efficient and sustainable manner".

A special agency of the United Nations, established as an international financial institution in 1977 as one of the major outcomes of the 1974 World Food Conference. Since starting operations in 1978, IFAD has invested US$12.0 billion in 860 projects and programmes that have reached some 370 million poor rural people.

The ISEAL Alliance is the global association for social and environmental standards. Working with established and emerging voluntary standard systems ISEAL develops guidance and helps strengthen the effectiveness and impact of these standards.  They also work with companies, non-profits and governments to support their referencing and use of voluntary standards.

The Bank extends loans to its member countries for the financing of infrastructural and agricultural projects such as roads, canals, dams, schools, hospitals, housing, rural development, and so forth. Such loans, in conformity with Shariah, are interest-free and the Bank recovers its administrative expenses by levying a service fee.

The MasterCard Foundation advances microfinance and youth learning to promote financial inclusion and prosperity. Through collaboration with partners in 45 developing countries, the organisation aims to help people gain access to educational and economic opportunities.

The objective of the Nordic Development Fund's (NDF) operations is to help generate climate change investments in low-income countries. NDF grants are made in cooperation with bilateral and multilateral development institutions and mirror the Nordic countries' priorities in the areas of climate change and poverty reduction. The NDF has provided EUR 10 million for the ProClimate Facility (ProCF). The purpose of the facility is to support small and medium sized climate friendly investment projects that would not otherwise be realised due to lack of financing or their size.   

Started operations in August 1976 with an initial endowment of $800 million and within a year its resources had doubled. Since its creation, the fund has provided over US$13 billion in development assistance to 129 countries around the world. The Private Sector Facility complements the funds' traditional programmes in support of economic and social development and poverty alleviation.

The Skoll Centre for Social Entrepreneurship at the University of Oxford's Saïd Business School is a leading academic institution for the advancement of social entrepreneurship worldwide. The Skoll Centre fosters innovative social transformation through education, knowledge creation, and collaboration.

The SME Toolkit is a one-stop resource for small businesses, aimed at supporting Indian SMEs and helping them become globally competitive. It has free downloadable software tools such as the Business Plan Maker, the Website Builder and a large collection of 'How To' articles on a variety of topics such as Financial Accounting, Marketing, Technology and International Business. The SME Toolkit is a joint project between ICICI Bank and the International Finance Corporation, a member of the World Bank Group.

Stakeholder Forum is an international organisation working to advance sustainable development and promote democracy at a global level. They state that their work "aims to enhance open, accountable and participatory international decision-making on sustainable development through enhancing the involvement of stakeholders in intergovernmental processes." Stakeholder Forum is the organisation leading on global engagement and outreach towards the Rio Earth Summit in 2012 (www.earthsummit2012.org).

The Swedish International Development Agency have a brief to reduce poverty by developing new forms of collaboration with industry via the programme Business for Development (B4D). Sida's objective is to "contribute to reduce poverty and environmental impact, create more and better jobs and encourage growth".

This programme is run through the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development. The complementary TurnAround Management (TAM) and Business Advisory Service (BAS) Programmes provide micro, small and medium-sized enterprises with direct assistance from experienced business advisors and consultants, helping them to adapt to the demands of a market economy.

The Social Investment Manual provides an overview of the social investment landscape, offering advice on identifying and approaching the right investors for social enterprises. The manual also outlines best practices for having a successful due diligence process and for negotiating a mutually beneficial long-term social investment arrangement. The manual was created with the research support of the Technical University of Munich and with the help of a task force led by Andreas Heinecke, Schwab Social Entrepreneur and CEO / founder of the Dialogue for Social Enterprise.

UK Sustainable Investment and Finance (UKSIF) is the membership network for sustainable and responsible financial services. They promote responsible investment and other forms of finance that support sustainable economic development, enhance quality of life and safeguard the environment. They also seek to ensure that individual and institutional investors can reflect their values in their investments.

Keep up-to-date with all the latest UN news from their conferences and overseas offices right here.

UnLtdWorld is a social networking site that connects social entrepreneurs to the people, tools and information they need. It is a place where you can find and share resources, events, services and network with others interested in or working in the social enterprise sector.

The World Future Council brings the interests of future generations to the centre of policy-making. Its up to 50 eminent members from around the globe have already successfully promoted change. The Council addresses challenges to our common future and provides decision makers with effective policy solutions. With its Future Policy Award the Council celebrates the world's most exemplary national policies that create better living conditions for current and future generations. In close cooperation with civil society, parliamentarians, governments, business and international organizations the World Future Council identifies future just policies around the globe

Based in Orissa and founded in the 1970s by student volunteers, the currently serves more than 3,52,453 people in 1090 habitations of 24 districts in the Indian state.

GrantSpace, a service of the Foundation Center, offers information and resources that are specifically designed to meet the needs of grant-seekers. The website aims to help projects gain the knowledge and skills they need to get grants, manage their non-profit, and improve their community.

HBS Working Knowledge is a forum for innovation in business practice, offering readers a first look at new thinking from the HBS faculty, and the opportunity to both influence and use these concepts before they enter the mainstream.

SEKEM, founded in 1977, is an Egyptian foundation that aims to contribute to the "comprehensive development of the individual, society and environment". In 2007 the group established EcoTec Holding, which invests in ecological technologies and green business.

AusAID, the Australian Agency for International Development, is responsible for the management of the official Australian Government overseas aid program. Their work includes supporting financial services for the poor and in 2011-12, Australia's investment in education is expected to be $842 million (19 per cent of total Overseas Development Assistance).

ADA is the operational unit of the Austrian Development Cooperation and Cooperation with Eastern Europe (ADC). The ADA is responsible for the implementation of all bilateral programmes and projects in the ADC partner countries and organises the corresponding budgets. The Agency focuses on private sector development and through it's business partnership scheme can help with funding up to $290,000.

Bank Andara was created with the objective of reducing poverty through the formation of a wholesale banking institution supporting the Indonesian microfinance industry. The bank was designed to provide for and promote the wide scale use of mobile financial services for poor populations that lack access to financial institutions.

Banyan Global is a development consultancy firm that works in five continents. Through market-driven business approaches, the company improves livelihoods, builds markets, and promotes efficient resource allocation in developing and transitional economies. It operates with four practice areas: microfinance, enterprise development, health sector and financial sector.

The Belgian government, as represented by the DGDC, establishes the general framework for the activities in collaboration with the partner country. This encompasses projects, training programmes, technical assistance, financial cooperation and debt reduction. They help co-finance NGOs in 18 partner countries, often in assossiation with an approved Belgium charity or NGO.

BIO is a development finance institution established in 2001 as a public-private partnership between the Belgian Government and the Belgian Corporation for International Investment. BIO's mission is to support a strong private sector in developing and/or emerging countries, to enable them to gain access to growth and sustainable development with the aim to achieving the Millennium Development Goals.

The development policy of the Federal Republic of Germany is an independent area of German foreign policy. It is formulated by the Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development and carried out by the implementing organisations. Their priority areas are education, health, rural development, good governance and sustainable economic development, with 3,000 cooperation arrangements implemented in more than 70 developing countries on behalf of the BMZ over the last ten years. The develoPPP.de website is a portal onto their work in partnership with German organisations DEG, GIZ and Sequa, part of the Public-Private Partnership Programme. It aims to tackle obstacles to development, minimising risks and combining the resources of partners in areas such as vocational training and infrastructure. Together, they "implement prepared standards in a broad range of value chains and tap previously neglected markets".

The Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA) is the country's lead organisation that supports sustainable development activities in their countries of focus.  Their funding priorities are Increasing food security, Securing the future of children and youth, and Stimulating sustainable economic growth. CIDA maintains a searchable database of its approximately 3,000 projects through Project Browser.

For over 60 years, the CDC has been dedicated to protecting health and promoting quality of life through the prevention and control of disease, injury, and disability. They are committed to programs that "reduce the health and economic consequences of the leading causes of death and disability, thereby ensuring a long, productive, healthy life for all people". The CDC does not provide start-up funds or loans for health-related businesses or projects; however, the contracts portion of this website provides useful information on finding contract opportunities with the CDC. Additionally, the federal government provides assistance to entrepreneurs through the Small Business Administration

This organisation, based in London in the UK, aims to help social entrepreneurs raise capital and improve their core business skills. They help investors find new opportunities and introduce corporations to the social sector. You can see a short video on one of their social enterprise speed dating events on the Down to Business video page.

The Crédit Agricole Assurances' group is made up of Crédit Agricole Assurances and its subsidiaries and represents, in 2010, a income of ?30 billion and a contribution net income of ?984 million for the Crédit Agricole S.A. group. The organisation operates in two complementary business areas, banking and insurance.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs helps run the Danida Business Partnerships programme and the Global Green Growth Forum (3GF) in partnership with the South Korean and Mexican governments, business partners such as General Electric, Hyundai Motors, McKinsey & Company, Samsung, Siemens, Vestas, and institutional partners such as the OECD, the International Energy Agency (IEA), the International Finance Corporation (IFC), Climate Policy Initiative and the Global Green Growth Institute. The 3GF annual meeting will take place in Copenhagen this October.

DFID is the British government department responsible for promoting development and the reduction of poverty. You can find the organisation's funding opportunities here. These include the Civil Society Challenge Fund, The Responsible and Accountable Garment Sector Challenge Fund (RAGS), and the Global Poverty Action Fund.

GTZ has been operating as a service company in international development cooperation since 1975. The primary goal of GTZ's work is to improve the living and working conditions of people in the partner countries and sustain the natural basis for life.

Through partnerships for development, this organisation acts as the umbrella institution that brings together the OECD's main multilateral and bilateral aid agencies and tries to "help ensure better lives for people in the developing world by tracking development finance, making sure it is invested effectively and promoting good policy".

The DCED promotes economic opportunity and self-reliance through private sector development (PSD) in developing countries. It is the forum in which donor and UN agencies share their practical experience of PSD, and agree guidance on good practice. It is also a leading source of knowledge about PSD.

Belgian Technical Cooperation (BTC) is a founding member of Eunida, the European Network of Implementing Development Agencies. It is a grouping of European agencies with a mandate to develop, manage and implement development programmes. The Eunida secretariat is located at BTC's head office in Brussels. You can find a list of their ongoing projects and regional focuses here.

EUROPA.eu is the official website of the European Union. This link will take you to the Development section of this Gateway. More than half the money spent to help poor countries comes from the European Union and its member states, making it the world's biggest aid donor. EuropeAid is a new Directorate-General responsible for designing EU development policies and delivering aid through programmes and projects across the world - on their site you can find out about the EU's microfinance and private sector growth schemes.

The Ministry oversees the country's development spending in their partner countries as well as running Finnpartnership which includes a Matchmaking Facility where companies and organisations in Finland and in developing countries can seek out new cooperation opportunities and business partners.

The Global charitable trust business model generates economic benefits by supporting the development of micro-entrepreneurs and their communities in a complex economic situation, while at the same time fostering a responsible financial culture. It is committed in serving the poor towards development of Education, protecting Health and Human Rights. At the same time Global charitable trust has adopted a for-profit approach to create social returns by channelling funds from development institutions and commercial banks as collateral-free loans through Micro Credit.

The Grassroots Business Fund is a non-profit based in Washington, DC, with field offices in Ghana, Kenya, and India. Their mission is to build and support high-impact grassroots enterprises that provide sustainable economic opportunities. These grassroots business organizations in developing countries empower large numbers of the poor as "producers of income-generating commodities and products, as consumers of affordable goods and services, and as independent entrepreneurs."

Irish Aid is the Government of Ireland's programme of assistance to developing countries. Ireland has had an official development assistance programme since 1974. It has grown steadily over the years from modest beginnings to its current size (total ODA in 2010 is estimated to be $671.4 million). Approximately 80% of Ireland's Overseas Development Aid goes to Africa. Irish Aid's programme has always been completely untied, that is to say, it is not conditional in any way on the use of Irish goods or services. Consultation with the NGO community in Ireland resulted in the creation of three funding schemes to meet the needs of this diverse sector (Multi-Annual Programme Scheme (MAPS), Civil Society Fund and the Micro-Projects Scheme), ensuring a more systematic and structured working relationship.

Islamic Relief Worldwide (IR), an independent NGO founded in the UK in 1984, is an international relief and development charity that "envisages a caring world where people unite to respond to the suffering of others, empowering them to fulfil their potential". The organisation works especially on sustainable development, disaster relief, education, health and welfare, and water and sanitation.

The purpose of JBIC is to contribute to the development of Japan and the international economy and community through undertaking lending and other financial operations: for the promotion of Japanese exports, imports or Japanese economic activities overseas; for the stability of international financial order; and for economic and social development or economic stability in developing areas; in accordance with the principle that it shall not compete with commercial financial institutions.  

JICA is responsible for the technical cooperation aspect of Japan's ODA programs. Technical cooperation is aimed at the transfer of technology and knowledge that can serve the socioeconomic development of the developing countries. JICA carries out a variety of programs to support the nation building of developing countries through such technical cooperation.

MOFA is responsible for Japan's Official Development Assistance programs. The Non-governmental Organizations Cooperation Division, a unit that specializes in cooperation and partnerships with Japanese NGOs, has been established within the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Development Cooperation: Under the Financial Cooperation between the Federal Republic of Germany and developing countries KfW, on behalf of the German government, finances investments and project-related consultancy services to expand social, economic and industrial infrastructure and to protect the environment and natural resources. KfW appraises the eligibility of projects for financing according to development-policy criteria, assists the partner countries in implementing them, and evaluates their success after they are completed. KfW Entwicklungsbank and DEG both promote sustainable progress in developing and transition countries. KfW Entwicklungsbank promotes the partner countries' projects and programmes, while DEG supports the private sector as a driver of development.

Kiva Microfunds (commonly known by its domain name, Kiva.org) is an organization that allows people to lend money via the Internet to microfinance institutions in developing countries around the world, which in turn lend the money to small businesses and students. Kiva itself does not charge any interest; the loans made by Kiva members are passed interest-free to the independent field partner indicated for each loan.

The AfD is a financial institution and the main implementing agency for France's official development assistance to developing countries. The AfD is a Group comprised of the AfD, Proparco (which supports SMEs as well as administering the European Solidarity Financing Fund for Africa - Africa's First Microfinance Fund for Sustainable Farmers), the CEFEB, as well as 14 subsidiaries (banking, financial, real estate) operating in the overseas departments, territories and entities.

The mission of Lux-Development is to translate Luxembourg's official bilateral development policy - targeting poverty eradication - into concrete achievements. In developing countries, Lux-Development supports its partners' efforts towards sustainable development. The Agency concentrates mainly on 10 privileged partner countries, which is a list defined by the Luxembourg government primarily on the basis of the human development index (HDI) as published by the UNDP: Burkina Faso, Mali, Niger, Senegal, Cape Verde, Namibia, Laos, Vietnam, Nicaragua and El Salvador.

The Development Co-operation Directorate of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs represents Luxembourg in the DAC and its subsidiary bodies.  The Luxembourg Agency for Development Cooperation (Lux-Development) implements the majority of bilateral aid projects with partner governments in the developing countries.  However, the legal authority and administration of grants to non-governmental organizations is maintained by the Ministry.

MicroCredit Enterprises provides loans and guarantees to qualified MFIs. It launched its lending operations in 2006. It finds creditworthy, locally run and controlled microfinance programs around the world and provides these organizations with affordable, interest-bearing loans so that they can expand their operations.

MAIN is an international non profit-making association established in 1995 in Abidjan. MAIN is a network created by several institutions with experience in microfinance and/or promoting microenterprises in Africa. At present MAIN counts 90 members (French & English) from Africa, the Middle East and Europe.

The Microfinance Gateway is a comprehensive online resource for the worldwide microfinance industry. The website features research and publications, original articles, organisation and consultant profiles, and the latest sector news.

Founded in 2009, MicroVentures Marketplace has built a platform that gives start-ups and existing small businesses access to early-stage capital investment or micro investments. The company is one of the financial industry's first organisations to merge peer-to-peer lending with the venture capital industry. The Texas-based firm also provides an opportunity for investors to offer funding resources to entrepreneurs and start ups that need capital to grow their business.

The Millennium Challenge Corporation is a U.S. Government corporation whose mission is to provide assistance that will support economic growth and poverty reduction in selected developing countries that demonstrate a commitment to just and democratic governance, economic freedom, and investments in their citizenry. You can find their upcoming business opportunities page here.

The MFA is responsible for the Dutch Development Cooperation programme. The Netherlands contributes 4.6 billion euros per year towards the development of poor countries around the world and supporting partnerships with civil society organisations, businesses and educational institutions in rich and poor. The organisation's grant programmes focus strongly on women's education and rights.

The Ministry is responsible for the Norwegian International Development programme. The High North will be Norway's most important strategic priority area in the years ahead, but the country has also been instrumental in providing early-stage funding for global sustainable forestry and REDD projects and carbon financing.  

NORAD's purpose is to "assist developing countries in their efforts to achieve lasting improvements in political, economic and social conditions for the entire population within the limits imposed by the natural environment and the natural resource base". They provide funding over five thematic areas: Climate Change and the Environment, Health and AIDs, Macroeconomics and Public Finance, Energy, and Education and Research.

New Zealand's bilateral support for countries involves direct assistance on a country-to-country basis in the form of development projects and activities. The New Zealand Aid Programme's regional programmes aim to contribute to the reduction of poverty by focusing on key thematic issues such as growth and livelihoods, education, health and governance. You can read about their extensive funding opportunities here.

Root Capital is a non-profit social investment fund that provides finance for grassroots businesses in rural areas of developing countries. It provides capital, financial education, and market connections to small and growing businesses that build sustainable livelihoods and transform rural communities in poor, environmentally vulnerable places.

The Economic Development Cooperation division of SECO is the Swiss government's centre for sustainable economic development and the integration of developing and transition countries into the global economy. Its primary objective is the reduction of poverty. Its main activities are in the fields of macro-economic support, investment promotion, trade and environmental technology cooperation, development of basic infrastructure, and cooperation with multilateral development banks. Over the next few years the organisation increase it's focus on economic development in North Africa.

The Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC) is responsible for the following four areas of activities: bilateral development cooperation, multilateral development co-operation, humanitarian aid and technical cooperation with Eastern Europe. Working on 15 thematic areas, the organisation is involved in projects all round the world. The nearly CHF 1.2 billion deployed on agricultural development between 2003 and 2008 have helped to increase the production and the productivity of family-run agricultural enterprises, improve framework conditions for trade, and optimise the value chain between producers and consumers.

USAID is an independent federal government agency that receives overall foreign policy guidance from the Secretary of State. The agency works in six principal areas crucial to achieving both sustainable development and advancing U.S. foreign policy objectives: 1. Economic growth and agricultural development; 2. Population, health and nutrition; 3. Environment; 4. Democracy and governance; 5. Education and training; 6. Humanitarian assistance. Check out the Small and Disadvantaged Business Utilization and Minority Resource Center and the organisation?s available grants in their business section.

Wokai is a nonprofit organization that, through its website, connects contributors worldwide with entrepreneurs in rural China to help them start small businesses.  Based in California, Wokai has core operations in Beijing, and active chapters in San Francisco, Seattle and New York.  When a user contributes to a Chinese entrepreneur through Wokai, local MFIs lend out the money and manage its repayment.

WOCCU promotes the sustainable development of credit unions and other financial cooperatives around the world through the use of new technology, institutional strengthening, regulatory development and micro and agricultural finance development. WOCCU's recently released 2010 Statistical Report estimates 188 million people worldwide are served by 52,945 financial cooperatives.