The SEEP Network
| Non-profit organization | |
| Founded | 1985 |
| Headquarters | Arlington, VA, USA |
Number of employees | ~ 30 (2010) |
| Website | www.seepnetwork.org www.seepcommunity.com |
The SEEP Network (The Small Enterprise Education and Promotion Network) is a non-profit organization that acts as a network for practitioners working in microenterprise development and microfinance fields. Founded in 1985 by Elaine Edgcomb and Candace Nelson and sponsored by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, Ford Foundation,[1] Citi Foundation,[2] USAID, and Omidyar Network,[3] The SEEP Network since then has developed into a global learning community of 124 member organizations.
Initiatives
Global Learning Exchange
SEEP documents and gathers the experience of practitioners through its Working Groups, made-up of self-selected individuals, they serve as the vehicle for SEEP members to engage in participatory research, applied learning, documentation, and training on a particular topic. Some of the working groups include: Poverty Outreach Working Group, Social Performance Working Group, Consumer Protection Working Group, and Market Facilitation Initiative. The research accumulated through the Working Groups is disseminated via various publications, training tools, as well as SEEP Communities of Practice. Each Community of Practice provides practitioners an opportunity to collaborate on particular areas of shared interest while ensuring cross-collaboration between Communities where priorities or programs overlap and align. Currently there are three overlapping Communities of Practice: Financial Services, Enterprise Development, and Associations along with many cross-cutting initiatives.[4]
The Practitioner Learning Program (PLP)
PLP was developed by the SEEP Network to engage practitioners in a collaborative learning process to document and share findings and help identify effective and replicable practices and innovations. The PLP is a process oriented program rather than an output oriented program as it emphasizes on the lateral learning opposed to producing documents or deliverables. The outputs produced are practically written, as peer-to-peer “how-to” guides, technical notes, case studies, and even a periodic newsletter to maximize their effectiveness with practitioners and the industry at large. The PLP’s comparative advantage – practicing locally, sharing globally – is based on working with on-the-ground organizations to test strategies in institutional settings common to many practitioners. Furthermore, this model of “learning by doing” has the added benefit of more institutionalized knowledge, because when practitioners learn from their own experiences, mistakes and discoveries, the learning itself is often more sustainable.
Network Development Exchange
Microfinance associations play a powerful role in advancing the industry. The SEEP Network provides strategic framework for strengthening the microfinance sector through association leadership by implementing institutional strengthening activities and developing practical tools and resources in four areas: Organizational Effectiveness, Membership Services, Standards and Indicators, and Global Community. The SEEP Network currently has 38 network member organizations.[5]
Value Initiative
The Value Initiative advances urban value-chain development to help millions of people work their way out of poverty. Funded by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, the Value Initiative is in the third of four years of learning with urban value-chain development program partners in India, Kenya, Jamaica, and Indonesia. The project includes:
- an on-line community, Enterprise Development Exchange, where practitioners can post their profile, opportunities and documents, and participate in on-line conferences;
- the “Global Enterprise Development Network,” which is an open, online platform on the Enterprise Development Exchange to bring together different stakeholders to advance sustainable enterprise development; and
- two Practitioner Learning Programs (PLP) on “urban Value Chain Development (uVCD)” and “Business Planning for Sustainability and Scale-up.”
The Value Initiative and partner ACCESS Development Services of India produced a 2009 video baseline survey of the initial stages of the ACCESS JJADE project, which supports artisans and microenterprises from the Jaipur jewelry industry with training and services to improve their income and quality of life.
SEEPCommunity
SEEPCommunity is the latest initiative of The SEEP Network that aims to foster online dialogue among microenterprise practitioners by leveraging social networking technology. As of right now there are over 1400 members on SEEPCommunity representing SEEP member organizations as well as various independent stakeholders in microenterprise and microfinance industries. An integral part of SEEPCommunity is online collaboration between the Working Groups that features online discussions, podcasts, and webinars.
The SEEP Annual Conference
The SEEP Annual Conference provides a forum in which practitioners can connect with each other; it is through the exchange of experiences and the interactive learning that conference participants strengthen their collective efforts to improve the lives of the most vulnerable people. The Annual Conference attracts a broad cross-section of key players in microenterprise and microfinance industries including NGOs, private sector firms, foundations, investment funds, and bilateral agencies. In 2009, more than 500 people representing 225 organizations and 56 countries participated. The SEEP Annual Conference consists not only of traditional plenary sessions, but also of workshops, two-days skill-building trainings, and Global Network Summit.[6][7][8]
Member organizations[9]
- Academy for Educational Development
- ACCESS Development Services
- Accion International
- ACDI/VOCA
- Action for Enterprise, Inc. (AFE)
- Affordable Housing Institute
- Aflatoun
- Africa Microfinance Network (AMFIN)
- Aga Khan Foundation
- Agency for Technical Cooperation and Development
- All India Association for Microenterprise Development (AIAMED)
- American Refugee Committee
- AMPATH
- Asociacion de Instituciones de Microfinanzas del Peru (ASOMIF)
- Association of Ethiopian Microfinance Institutions (AEMFI)
- Associations of Microfinace Institutions of Kenya
- Association of Microfinance Institutions of Kosovo
- Association of Microfinance Institutions of Uganda (AMFIU)
- Associations of Microfinance Organizations of Kazakhstan
- Association of Microfinance Organizations of Tajikistan
- Association of Professional Microfinance Institutions of Burkina Faso (APIM-BF)
- Azerbaijan Micro-finance Association (AMFA)
- Cambodia Microfinance Association (CMA)
- CARE USA
- Catholic Relief Services
- CEDPA
- Centre For Microfinance (CMF) Nepal
- CHF International
- ChildFund International
- Chinese Association of Microfinance
- Coady International Institute
- Coalition of Tanzania Microfinance
- Concern Worldwide USA
- Conservation International
- Consorcio ProMuc
- Consortium ALAFIA
- COPEME
- Credit and Development Forum (CDF)
- Développement International Desjardins (DID)
- ECDI Pakistan
- EcoVentures International
- EndPoverty.org
- Fair Trade Forum - India
- Fair Trade USA
- FAM-F Cape Verdean National Microfinance Network
- Federation Nationale des Associations de Microcredit (FNAM)
- Federation of Chambers of Commerce and Industry of Sri Lanka
- Financial Institutions for a Rural Development Association (FINRURAL)
- FINCA International
- Five Talents
- Freedom from Hunger
- Friendship Bridge (non-profit)
- Ghana Microfinance Institutions Network (GHAMFIN)
- Grameen Foundation
- Habitat for Humanity International
- Heifer International
- Hope International
- Indonesia Microfinance Association
- International Development Enterprises
- International Network of Alternative Financial Institutions / Latin America (INAFI-LA)
- International Rescue Committee
- IRIS Center at the University of Maryland
- Joint Consultative Council (JCC)
- Lanka Microfinance Association
- Malawi Microfinance Network (MAMN)
- Mambu
- Mennonite Economic Development Associates (MEDA)
- Mercy Corps
- Microfinance African Institutions Network (MAIN)
- Microfinance Centre (MFC) for Central and Eastern Europe and the New Independent States
- Microfinance Council of the Philippines, Inc.
- Microfinance Information Exchange
- Microfinance Opportunities
- Microfinance Pasifika Network
- Microfinance Transparency (MF Transparency)
- National Cooperative Business Association
- OIC International
- Opportunity International
- Organismo Cooperativo Microempresarial de Colombia "Emprender Colombia"
- Oxfam America
- Pact, Inc.
- Pakistan Microfinance Network (PMN)
- Plan (aid organisation)
- Population Council
- Practical Action
- Pro Mujer
- ProDesarrollo, Finanzas y Microempresa
- Reach Global
- Red Argentina De Instituciones De Microcredito - RADIM
- Red Centroamericana de microfinanzas (REDCAMIF)
- Red de Microfinancieras de Honduras (REDMICROH)
- Red Financiera Rural
- Red Katalysis
- Regroupement des Acteurs de Microfinance au Nord Kivu RAMIF-NK
- Relief International
- Reseau des Institutions de Microfinance au Burundi
- Russian Microfinance Center (RMC)
- Sa Dhan
- SANABEL - Microfinance Network of Arab Countries
- Save the Children
- ShoreCap Exchange
- South Asia Microfinance Network
- Swisscontact
- Street Kids International
- The Foundation for Development Cooperation
- The Palestinian Network for Small and Microfinance (Sharakeh)
- Trickle Up
- Union of Credit Organizations of the Republic of Armenia
- Unitus
- Water.org
- Women's World Banking
- World Concern
- World Council of Credit Unions
- World Relief
- World Relief Canada
- World Vision
- World Vision Canada
- World Vision Inc.
- Yemen Microfinance Network (YMN)
- Zimbabwe Association of Microfinance Institutions (ZAMFI)
See also
References
- ↑ "Ford Foundation Social Indicators Project." The SEEP Network. http://seepnetwork.org/Pages/initiatives/FordSIP.aspx
- ↑ "Citi-PMN’s Three-Year Microfinance Network Strengthening Program Completes Year One." Citibank. http://www.citi.com/pakistan/consumer/aboutus/press/current/23feb09.htm
- ↑ "SEEP Network." Omidyar Network. http://www.omidyar.com/portfolio/seep-network
- ↑ "SEEP Learning Initiatives." http://www.seepnetwork.org/Pages/Initiatives.aspx
- ↑ "Network Development Exchange." http://networks.seepnetwork.org/en/about
- ↑ "Blog Archives." Opportunity International. http://www.opportunity.org/blog/tag/2010-seep-conference/
- ↑ "Conference." The SEEP Network. http://www.seepnetwork.org/Pages/conference.aspx
- ↑ "Enterprising Ideas: The Microlinks Event Blog." Microlinks. http://microlinks.kdid.org/learning-marketplace/blogs?page=1
- ↑ "Members." The SEEP Network. http://www.seepnetwork.org/Pages/Members.aspx