Global Brigades USA

Business Brigades at UMD

Business Brigades at University of Maryland is a discipline of Global Brigades, the world's largest student-led global health and sustainable development organization. The UMD chapter systematically works with more than 300 other university groups around the world to deliver and implement one of nine skill-based programs that benefit more than 130,000 Honduran and Panamanian community members annually. Business Brigades empowers rural communities in Panama, without access to financial services and business guidance, by providing micro-enterprise consulting, financial planning assistance and strategic investment.

4 Members of this chapter

Business Brigades at University of Arizona

Business Brigades at University of Arizona is a discipline of Global Brigades, the world's largest student-led global health and sustainable development organization. This chapter systematically works with more than 300 other university groups around the world to deliver and implement one of nine skill-based programs that benefit more than 130,000 Honduran and Panamanian community members annually. Business Brigades empowers rural communities in Panama, without access to financial services and business guidance, by providing micro-enterprise consulting, financial planning assistance and strategic investment.

1 Members of this chapter

Business Brigades at City of Boston

Volunteers on a Microfinance Brigade spend seven days in a rural community of Honduras. Prior to the brigade, GB staff trains community leaders who act as the executive board members of the community bank called the Caja Rural. Throughout the brigade, volunteers divide into groups where they visit several families in their homes. During the community visits, volunteers develop an understanding of the families’ ways of life, aspirations, and financial literacy. Following the visits, the students hold a community meeting about the Caja Rural focused on topics such as budgeting, savings incentives programs, and loans. At the end of week, students determine how they will allocate their CIF(community investment fund), whether it may be to an individual family or a lump sum donated to the Caja. One of the major advantages of the GB microfinance model is that the Cajas Rurales are entirely owned and operated by the communities. Therefore, all of the community members have the opportunity to benefit collectively, and the students work directly with individuals empowering them to become more financially stable and establish economic growth within their communities.

7 Members of this chapter

Microfinance Brigades at Portland State University

Volunteers on a Microfinance Brigade spend seven days in a rural community of Honduras. Prior to the brigade, GB staff trains community leaders who act as the executive board members of the community bank called the Caja Rural. Throughout the brigade, volunteers divide into groups where they visit several families in their homes. During the community visits, volunteers develop an understanding of the families’ ways of life, aspirations, and financial literacy. Following the visits, the students hold a community meeting about the Caja Rural focused on topics such as budgeting, savings incentives programs, and loans. At the end of week, students determine how they will allocate their CIF(community investment fund), whether it may be to an individual family or a lump sum donated to the Caja. One of the major advantages of the GB microfinance model is that the Cajas Rurales are entirely owned and operated by the communities. Therefore, all of the community members have the opportunity to benefit collectively, and the students work directly with individuals empowering them to become more financially stable and establish economic growth within their communities

1 Members of this chapter

Business Brigades at Saint Louis University

SLU GBB volunteers will spend 8 days in the rural community of Panama to help provide solutions to the community’s economic needs. The target beneficiaries have been previously excluded from formal financial institutions & therefore lacked access to savings and credit opportunities. Beneficiaries tend to have a low level of income, lack of collateral, & low level of education. During the brigade, volunteers divide into small groups to conduct household visits in which they get to know the family, assess each household’s level of financial competency and entrepreneurial aspirations. After the assessments the volunteers provide educational and technical assistance in the form of workshops. Topics range from personal finance to basic accounting and business planning. Additionally, SLU GBB invests in the community savings and loan (S&L) cooperative by providing seed capital. In turn, the seed capital provides loans to a small business to either expand current operations or pursue a new entrepreneurial opportunity. Working side-by-side with community members affords volunteers the opportunity for cultural exchange, micro-finance, and consulting experience. The households benefit by learning personal financial and business skills and gain access to credit and savings opportunities. Community businesses benefit from the consulting and loans. The community benefits because the profits earned by the S&L stay in the community to be used by the community!

0 Members of this chapter

Business Brigades at University of Rochester

Volunteers on a Microfinance Brigade spend seven days in a rural community of Honduras. Prior to the brigade, GB staff trains community leaders who act as the executive board members of the community bank called the Caja Rural. Throughout the brigade, volunteers divide into groups where they visit several families in their homes. During the community visits, volunteers develop an understanding of the families’ ways of life, aspirations, and financial literacy. Following the visits, the students hold a community meeting about the Caja Rural focused on topics such as budgeting, savings incentives programs, and loans. At the end of week, students determine how they will allocate their CIF(community investment fund), whether it may be to an individual family or a lump sum donated to the Caja. One of the major advantages of the GB microfinance model is that the Cajas Rurales are entirely owned and operated by the communities. Therefore, all of the community members have the opportunity to benefit collectively, and the students work directly with individuals empowering them to become more financially stable and establish economic growth within their communities.

0 Members of this chapter

Microfinance Brigades at Duke University

Volunteers on a Microfinance Brigade spend seven days in a rural community of Honduras. Prior to the brigade, GB staff trains community leaders who act as the executive board members of the community bank called the Caja Rural. Throughout the brigade, volunteers divide into groups where they visit several families in their homes. During the community visits, volunteers develop an understanding of the families’ ways of life, aspirations, and financial literacy. Following the visits, the students hold a community meeting about the Caja Rural focused on topics such as budgeting, savings incentives programs, and loans. At the end of week, students determine how they will allocate their CIF(community investment fund), whether it may be to an individual family or a lump sum donated to the Caja. One of the major advantages of the GB microfinance model is that the Cajas Rurales are entirely owned and operated by the communities. Therefore, all of the community members have the opportunity to benefit collectively, and the students work directly with individuals empowering them to become more financially stable and establish economic growth within their communities.

0 Members of this chapter

Microfinance Brigades at Pace University

Volunteers on a Microfinance Brigade spend seven days in a rural community of Honduras. Prior to the brigade, GB staff trains community leaders who act as the executive board members of the community bank called the Caja Rural. Throughout the brigade, volunteers divide into groups where they visit several families in their homes. During the community visits, volunteers develop an understanding of the families’ ways of life, aspirations, and financial literacy. Following the visits, the students hold a community meeting about the Caja Rural focused on topics such as budgeting, savings incentives programs, and loans. At the end of week, students determine how they will allocate their CIF(community investment fund), whether it may be to an individual family or a lump sum donated to the Caja. One of the major advantages of the GB microfinance model is that the Cajas Rurales are entirely owned and operated by the communities. Therefore, all of the community members have the opportunity to benefit collectively, and the students work directly with individuals empowering them to become more financially stable and establish economic growth within their communities.

0 Members of this chapter

Business Brigades @ Santa Clara University

Business Brigades at Santa Clara University is a discipline of Global Brigades, the world's largest student-led global health and sustainable development organization. The SCU chapter systematically works with more than 300 other university groups around the world to deliver and implement one of nine skill-based programs that benefit more than 130,000 Honduran, Panamanian, and Ghanaian community members annually. Business Brigades empowers rural communities in Panama, without access to financial services and business guidance, by providing micro-enterprise consulting, financial planning assistance and strategic investment.

2 Members of this chapter

Microfinance Brigades at USF

Microfinance Brigades is a discipline of Global Brigades, the world's largest student-led global health and sustainable development organization. The USF chapter systematically works with more than 300 other university groups around the world to deliver and implement one of nine skill-based programs that benefit more than 130,000 Honduran and Panamanian community members annually. Microfinance is the provision of financial services to low-income clients (in our case those in poverty), including consumers and the self-employed, who traditionally lack access to banking and related services. During the course of this Microfinance Brigade, we will empower communities and help low income Hondurans with opportunities to obtain low interest loans to invest in their farms or alternative income generating opportunities. Additionally, we will facilitate real micro lending transactions through community banks and microfinance institutions.

0 Members of this chapter