CGAP, the global microfinance center, is releasing new research and data to encourage telecom operators, financial institutions and governments to see the business potential in expanding access to financial services for poor people in developing markets. According to CGAP, "the current economic climate makes the need for widespread availability of safe alternatives to cash even more pressing." READ MORE »

The MasterCard Foundation has announced the launch of its Scholars Program by awarding grants totaling $600,000 to six leading microfinance training institutes. The foundation says its program will fund 200 scholarships for staff working in microfinance in Africa, Asia, Eastern Europe, Latin America and the Middle East to participate in management and professional development courses. READ MORE »

A new report from the global microfinance body CGAP predicts that, with the right market conditions, mobile banking could reach large numbers of poor people who are outside the formal financial system. READ MORE »

Krissah Williams reports for the Washington Post on microlending and microfinance - to entrepreneurs and small businesses in the USA - focusing primarily on the work of the Enterprise Development Group.