Global Brigades USA

Business Brigades at Carnegie Mellon University

Global Business Brigade at Carnegie Mellon University is a chapter of Global Brigades, the world's largest student-led global health and sustainable development organization. The CMU 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. Global Business Brigade (GBB) provides business consulting and strategic investment to support under resourced microenterprises in developing countries while respecting local culture and improving the environment. GBB focuses on remote and rural communities in Panama where we partner with other local development organizations to assess, implement and monitor sustainable development.

16 Members of this chapter

Business Brigades at Centenary College of Lousiana

Business Brigades volunteers work with community bank loan officers to consult potential borrowers on improving financial sustainability through a 8 day Business Brigade in Panama or 10 day brigade in Ghana. Student volunteers can either join an existing Business Brigades chapter on their campus or create their own chapter and recruit other volunteers. Volunteers provide rural communities with the educational, financial, and organizational resources necessary to sustainably drive their own economic development. The business brigade volunteers serve as a catalyst to loan borrowers, providing consulting methodologies, financial workshops and donating a “capital investment” to the community bank to back the loan.

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

Business Brigades at College of Charleston

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 trip we will empower communities and help low income villagers in Honduras 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.

44 Members of this chapter

Business Brigades at Columbia University

Business Brigades is a discipline of Global Brigades, the world's largest student-led global health and sustainable development organization. The Columbia 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 provides business consulting and strategic investment to support under resourced microenterprises in developing countries while respecting local culture and improving the environment. Business Brigades focus is in remote and rural communities in Panama where we partner with other local development organizations to assess, implement and monitor sustainable development projects.

9 Members of this chapter

Business Brigades at Cornell University

Microfinance Brigade at Cornell is a chapter of Global Brigades, the world's largest student-led global health and sustainable development organization. The Cornell 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 trip we will empower communities and help low income villagers in Honduras 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

Business Brigades at CU Boulder

Business Brigades is a discipline of Global Brigades, the world's largest student-led global health and sustainable development organization.  The CU Boulder 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 counseling, financial planning assistance and strategic investment.

1 Members of this chapter

Business Brigades at DePaul University

Business Brigades is a discipline of Global Brigades, the world's largest student-led global health and sustainable development organization. The DePaul 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. Global Business Brigades (GBB) provides business consulting and strategic investment to support under resourced microenterprises in developing countries while respecting local culture and improving the environment. GBB focus is in remote and rural communities in Panama where we partner with other local development organizations to assess, implement and monitor sustainable development projects.

38 Members of this chapter

Business Brigades at Drexel University

Business Brigades volunteers work with community bank loan officers to consult potential borrowers on improving financial sustainability through a 8 day Business Brigade in Panama or 10 day brigade in Ghana. Student volunteers can either join an existing Business Brigades chapter on their campus or create their own chapter and recruit other volunteers. Volunteers provide rural communities with the educational, financial, and organizational resources necessary to sustainably drive their own economic development. The business brigade volunteers serve as a catalyst to loan borrowers, providing consulting methodologies, financial workshops and donating a “capital investment” to the community bank to back the loan.

2 Members of this chapter

Business Brigades at Duke University

Business Brigades is a discipline of Global Brigades, the world's largest student-led global health and sustainable development organization. The Duke 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. Global Business Brigades provides business consulting and strategic investment to support under resourced microenterprises in developing countries while respecting local culture and improving the environment. Focus is in remote and rural communities in Panama, where we partner with other local development organizations to assess, implement and monitor sustainable development projects.

8 Members of this chapter