2010 Q4 Board Book (Staff)

The December 14th, 2010 Board of Directors Meeting focused on expanding access to both microfinance and youth learning, with a strong emphasis on Sub-Saharan Africa. The Foundation aimed to establish itself as a leader in the microfinance-youth learning nexus, while building its reputation and internal capacity.

Key strategies included the following:

1) Developing a unique brand identity and voice to support its work and create a strong external positioning.

2) Committing significant funds to strategic partnerships, including a $200 million Global Secondary Education program with the Institute of International Education (IIE), and a large expansion of its work with Equity Group Foundation in Kenya.

3) Scaling up proven programs, such as BRAC's "microfinance multiplied" approach in Uganda, and Fonkoze's CLM and Ti Kredi programs in Haiti.

4) Investing in youth employability initiatives, including partnerships with the International Youth Foundation in Egypt, YouthBuild in Haiti, and Education for Employment Foundation (EFE) in Morocco.

5) Enhancing the microfinance sector through support for organizations like CGAP, MIX, and ACCION.

6) Focusing on learning and evaluation, with a commitment to documenting program results and disseminating best practices.

The Foundation also addressed its disbursement quota obligations by developing strategies to accelerate its grant making and exploring legal options. Internally, the Foundation focused on building a high-performing team, developing evaluation frameworks, and strengthening its organizational capacity. The Foundation also engaged with thought leaders and the media to raise its profile and impact. Overall, the Foundation's work in 2010 showed a strong commitment to achieving large scale impact through innovative programs that directly benefit economically disadvantaged youth and communities.