NetHope Welcomes FINCA International as the Newest Member of Their Information Technology Collaboration

Washington, DC, August 08, 2009 --(PR.com)-- FINCA International, a nonprofit providing financial services to the world's lowest-income entrepreneurs, has become the 27th member of NetHope, an information technology collaboration of leading nongovernmental organizations specializing in humanitarian development, emergency response, and conservation.

NetHope enables members to extend their communications infrastructure and Internet-based applications in developing countries around the world. Members share knowledge and collaborate on information and communications technology (ICT) solutions, leveraging their power for capacity-building and creating best practices in the field.

FINCA International President and CEO Rupert Scofield said, “Every day, technology is providing the tools necessary to more cost-effectively and efficiently fight the war on global poverty. NetHope provides the opportunity for NGOs to work together to solve problems, explore and share best practices in an open and collaborative environment, and develop technological tools and applications that will make it easier to alleviate poverty on a massive scale. We are pleased to become the newest member of NetHope.”

NetHope CEO Bill Brindley said, “We are pleased to welcome FINCA International into the NetHope family of ICT professionals – particularly with their focus on providing financial services to the world's lowest-income entrepreneurs. Their addition increases our members’ collective capacity, which will serve to enhance NetHope’s unique ability to deliver value to make the humanitarian sector more effective and productive as it serves those in greatest need.”

For more information about NetHope or FINCA International visit www.nethope.org or http://www.villagebanking.org

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About NetHope
NetHope, Inc., which started in 2001, is a new-generation collaboration of ICT professionals from 27 of the international community’s leading nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) representing over $33 billion (USD) of emergency relief, human development and conservation programs in more than 150 countries. Through member collaboration and by facilitating public-private partnerships with major technology companies, NetHope enables members to leverage their technology investments to better serve their end beneficiaries. For more information, visit www.nethope.org.

About FINCA International
FINCA is a leading international micro-finance organization that provides financial services to the world's lowest-income entrepreneurs so they can create jobs, build assets and improve their standard of living. For more than twenty years, FINCA has been committed to breaking the cycle of poverty by providing community-based credit and savings opportunities. Currently, FINCA operates with a distinctive, integrated business model that accepts donations and investment dollars, an approach that leverages available capital and promotes greater transparency, sustainability and higher standards of business practices. This has allowed FINCA to achieve balanced financial and social performance unmatched in its industry while opening the path to socio-economic development for the lowest-income citizens of the world. Based in Washington DC with local operations across 21 countries, serving more than 735,000 clients, FINCA's outreach is among the broadest and most comprehensive of today's microfinance networks. For more information, visit www.villagebanking.org.