10 Groundbreaking Microfinance Providers

1. ASA

Activists for Social Alternatives (ASA) was founded in 1986 to assist "the poorest of the poor" women in Tamil Nadu, India. It incorporated microfinance into its holistic approach to women's empowerment that includes not only loans, but also provides training, IT support, and encourages poor women to organize politically. The "Grama Vidiyal" microfinance project now reaches over 2.6 million women.

ASA is not to be confused with "Asa," which is another innovative microfinance NGO in Bangladesh that has rapidly and efficiently expanded streamlined microbanking services to over six million poor clients.

Pictured: ASA members at a rally in Tamil Nadu (Photo: Activists for Social Alternatives)