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ACCION USA
Scale-up Strategy:
| Expand and improve ACCION's use of strategic partnerships as a means of leveraging its now established capacity for Internet-based lending. Implementation of the strategy involved a two-step process: |
- Conducting market research to identify and better understand the needs and perspectives of various types of referral partners, and to build a database of qualified “leads” that are interested in partnering with AUSA.
- Based on this research, create improved criteria for partner selection, and various models for different types or levels of partnerships.
Progress Update as of May 2009: |
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Selected to be one of two domestic partners in a pilot program with Kiva.org (person-to-person microlending Web site).
- Accion USA and the National Credit Union Foundation (NCUF) worked together to develop relationships with active credit unions that were interested in microenterprise.
- 73 commercial brokers were enrolled into Accion USA’s broker referral program.
- Continued to increase their on-line presence by developing monthly articles on that are submitted to Univision.com and AOL Latino.
- Purchased a new systems platform to better support their on-line loan application system (OLA).
Background:
Entered market in 1991 with creation of affiliates; began direct lending as AUSA in 2000. Loan products now available nationwide through its on-line loan application.
Core Microenterprise Services: |
- Microenterprise loans between $500 and $25,000
- On-line business planning and management tools
- On-line financial education tutorials.
Highlights: |
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- On-line loan application launched in 2006.
- Since 1991, AUSA has lent nearly $115 million to over 18,500 entrepreneurs.
- AUSA current portfolio includes $15 million in loans and almost 3,000 borrowers.
- Renewed focus on portfolio quality will allow AUSA to generate quality contracts.
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Current Scale:
FY2005: 546 clients and loans
FY2006: 915 clients and loans
FY2007: 1,458 clients and 1,086 loans
FY2008: 1,900 clients and 1,383 loans
Learning Questions:
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Scale Projections:
FY2009: 732 loans
FY2010: 871 loans |
Partnership development: How are other organizations using partnerships to expand scale? What are their reactions to AUSA's market research tools and findings? What have others learned about what makes for successful partnerships?
Scaling up technical assistance products and programs: What are other grantees learning about how to scale-up technical assistance products? What is their experience with on-line services?
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