Mark Schreiner and Janina León de Cermeño

(2002) Savings and Development , Vol. 26, No. 4, pp. 329–354.

This source book summarizes the state of the art in the field of microfinance for microenterprise, with a focus on examples from Latin America. It reviews lessons learned and offers practical guidelines for donors who want to use their resources wisely. The chief role for donors is to speed the evolution of the types of financial institutions and the types of financial services that microenterprises find useful. This husbandry encompasses three areas of action: improving the overall economic environment, reconciling the goal of financial self-sustainability with the goal of outreach to the poor, and encouraging experimentation with organizations and services.

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