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In: Stories

Unilever, with support from NGOs, helps rural India through Project Shakti

Project Shakti is unleashing the potential of rural India and thus changing lives. It is ushering in prosperity and, more importantly, self-respect.

In: Stories

ConocoPhillips worked with NGO to support financial services in Venezuela

In 2006, ConocoPhillips worked with Fundefir, an organization with wide experience in developing bankomunales- small neighborhood banks in low-income areas where there are no formal financial services.

In: Stories

HSBC Turkey partnered with three Turkish NGOs to disburse microcredit loans

HSBC Turkey, the Turkish arm of the global bank HSBC, allocated USD 5 million to micro-credit loans between 2008 and 2010 in Turkey.

In: Stories

In partnership with Hope worldwide, Walmart brings opportunity to local communities in India and Kenya

Factory workers and their families in Kenya and India are getting help improving their lives through Walmart’s partnership with global non-profit Hope Worldwide.

In: Stories

Merrill Lynch and Greenlining Institute announced a $159 million economic partnership for Southern California

In 2000, Merrill Lynch and The Greenlining Institute announced a $159 million three-year initiative to encourage new investments, economic opportunities and home ownership in Asian Pacific, Latino and African-American communities in Southern California and the San Francisco Bay area.

In: Stories

Merrill Lynch and the Greenlining Institute announce a $500 million initiative for under-served California communities

In 2003, Merrill Lynch and the Greenlining Institute announced a $500 million initiative to expand small business lending and promote economic opportunities in Asian Pacific, Latino and African-American communities throughout California.

In: Stories

Starbucks and Fairtrade partner in Rwanda

Starbucks, Fairtrade organisations join in sustainable development efforts in Rwanda; new Rwanda Fairtrade Certified Coffee coming to UK Starbucks in 2010; business forum explores entrepreneurial spirit focusing on responsible capitalism.

In: Resources

GSK, Nestlé, Coca-Cola & Dabur top up effort to tap rural consumers

Consumer product makers such as GlaxoSmithKline, Nestlé, Coca-Cola, PepsiCo, Hindustan Unilever, Marico, Godrej and Dabur are rushing to the bottom-of-the-pyramid market with custom-made products six years after management guru CK Prahalad said consumers with incomes less than $2 a day can be a...

In: Resources

A Fresh Start: Asian villages carve out a new life

In 2004, the Wildlife Conservation Society, which credits itself with having saved the American bison a century ago, set up the Tmatboey Ibis Ecotourism Project to lure bird-watchers. During the most recent peak season, November 2008 to May 2009, services provided to bird-watching visitors brought...

In: Stories

Adidas is to make €1 trainers for millions of people around the world who cannot afford to buy shoes

Reebok International is working to develop a "sustainable business model" as part of its German parent Adidas AG's plans to sell "one dollar shoes" in India. After conducting a pilot test for 5,000 pairs of shoes of an existing design of Reebok in three villages in Bangladesh last year, the firm...

In: Stories

New fund launched in Vietnam for business projects that benefit the poor

The Vietnam Challenge Fund (VNCF) Project is supported and financed by the Ford Foundation and is managed by the Enterprise Development Foundation (Vietnam Chamber of Commerce and Industry). VNCF provides non-refundable grants to enterprises to finance parts of their innovative projects in order to...

In: Resources

Polycentric Innovation: A New Mandate for Multinationals

What do John Deere, Cisco, and Obopay have in common? All three companies form a new breed of enlightened Western firms that have embraced "polycentric innovation." Polycentric innovation is an emerging business practice that consists of networking international talent, capital, and ideas to meet...

In: Resources

Tatas going global with low-cost housing

The Tatas are giving a global perspective to their successful affordable housing model, which was launched in Mumbai. Mr Ratan Tata, Chairman of Tata Sons, said that Tata Housing has got enquiries for replicating the Mumbai housing model from other countries and is likely to start out from...

In: Stories

Danone focuses on providing and promoting affordable dairy products in India

Since 2009, Groupe Danone, the $18-billion French dairy company, has been developing strategies for India by leveraging on its experience, involving easily affordable dairy products, in Bangladesh.

In: Resources

Doing business with the poor - a field guide

The Guide explores the way in which several leading companies, including Shell, Coca Cola and Procter and Gamble, are developing inclusive business models designed to assist them to create new revenue streams while serving the needs of the poor through sound commercial operations. The companies are...

Mix Market

The Mix Market is a global, web-based, microfinance information platform. It provides information to sector actors and the public at large on microfinance institutions (MFIs) worldwide, public and private funds that invest in microfinance, MFI networks, raters/external evaluators, advisory firms,...

In: Resources

From Challenge to Opportunity: The role of business in tomorrow's society

From Challenge to Opportunity: The role of business in tomorrow's society, a paper from the Tomorrow's Leaders group of the World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD), presents a fresh perspective on the role of business in society. The paper sets out a model through which companies...

Interserve International

Through its offices in 17 different countries/regions, Interserve International sends Christian volunteers to work in the developing regions of Asia (South, Central and East) and the Arab World. In general, Interserve supports both long and short term volunteers in areas such as administration,...

In: Resources

Business Call to Action

The Business Call to Action (BCTA) is a focal point for mobilising the efforts of companies to contribute to the MDGs through their core business expertise. A key aspect of this initiative is to encourage companies dealing with developing countries to adapt their business models to help improve the...

In: Resources

Make Poverty Business

This book provides methods of bridging the gap by constructing a rigorous profit-making argument for multinational corporations to do more business with the poor. The book should be read by international business managers seeking to increase profits and decrease risk in developing countries, and by...