Aspects of outreach: a framework for discussion of the social benefits of microfinance

Abstract

Wide agreement about the goal of microfinance-to improve the welfare of the poor-has not led to wide agreement about how best to achieve that goal. To aid discussion, I propose a framework for outreach-the social benefits of microfinance-in terms of six aspects: worth, cost, depth, breadth, length, and scope. The framework encompasses both the poverty approach to microfinance and the self-sustainability approach. The poverty approach assumes that great depth of outreach can compensate for narrow breadth, short length, and limited scope. The self-sustainability approach assumes that wide breadth, long length, and ample scope can compensate for shallow depth. I show how to use the framework for BancoSol of Bolivia. Copyright © 2002 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

The Impact of Entrepreneur-CEOs in Microfinance Institutions: A Global Survey

“…Considering the claimed development effect of microfinance, growth in the portfolio and especially growth in the number of clients are important indicators for assessing an MFI's social performance (Schreiner, 2002). Though not a perfect indicator, average loan size is the most used proxy for a MFI's social performance among microfinance donors and investors, as well as being commonly applied in academic research (e.g., Cull et al, 2007).…”

Performance and trade‐offs in Microfinance Organisations—Does ownership matter?

“…To allow a comparison of NGOs and SHFs we use Schreiner's (2002) highly conceptual terms to discuss the performance of MFOs. Schreiner's framework is also used by USAID when evaluating MFOs' performance (Woller, 2006).…”

Female Leaders and Financial Inclusion. Evidence from Microfinance Institutions

“…MFIs also accept deposits and offer various kinds of insurance. Schreiner (2002) divides outreach into depth and width dimensions. The MFI's portfolio can be written as follows:…”

“…In line with Schreiner (2002), we consider two dimensions to outreach, the width and depth. The depth concerns the poverty of the clients and the width is the number of clients reached.…”