What is Opportunity International?
Does Opportunity International make a profit?
What is Opportunity International’s vision/mission?
Why are 84 percent of Opportunity clients women?
What is Opportunity’s history?
How is Opportunity funded?
What countries does Opportunity serve?
What is microfinance?
What is a Trust Group?
Does Opportunity offer training in business practices?
Are Opportunity clients charged interest on their loans?
How can I make a donation?
Can I donate to a specific entrepreneur of my choice?
How are the entrepreneurs who receive my donation chosen?
How does the money contributed by donors get to the entrepreneur?
Can I donate if I reside outside the United States?
How do I use/redeem a gift card?
Can I donate in the name of a friend?
Does Opportunity mail physical gift cards to recipients?
Do gift cards expire? What happens the money when gift cards expire?
How can I get involved with Opportunity?
How can I apply for an internship, volunteer position or training program at Opportunity?
Do you have a Facebook Page or can I follow you on Twitter?
Is my gift to Opportunity International tax deductible?
What if my question wasn’t addressed in the FAQs?
What is Opportunity International?
Opportunity International is a microfinance organization that provides small business loans, savings, insurance and training to over two million people working their way out of poverty in the developing world. Clients in over 20 countries use these financial services to start or expand a business, provide for their families, create jobs for their neighbors and build a safety net for the future. Opportunity serves all people regardless of race, religion, ethnicity or gender.
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Does Opportunity International make a profit?
Opportunity International is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, incorporated and registered in Illinois.
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What is Opportunity International’s vision/mission?
Our vision is a world in which all people have the opportunity to provide for their families and build a fulfilling life. Our belief is that small-scale entrepreneurs can be big change agents in overcoming global poverty. Our mission is to empower people to work their way out of chronic poverty, transforming their lives, their children’s futures and their communities. Our method is to provide microfinance services, including lending, savings, insurance and transformational training, to people in need. To do this, we build and work through sustainable, local microfinance institutions. Our motivation is to respond to Jesus Christ’s call to love and serve the poor.
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Why are 84 percent of Opportunity clients women?
While women represent an estimated 70 percent of all those living on less than $2 a day, they also are an underutilized resource for economic growth. Women do 66 percent of the world’s work and receive only 10 percent of its pay. They comprise the majority of victims of forced labor, gender violence, and legal and cultural inequities. Despite these realities, women have consistently shown inspiring resilience and determination to change their own world and create a better future for their children. Numerous studies, as well as Opportunity’s experience working with women clients, support the prevailing view that women and girls create more developmental change for each dollar invested in them. Opportunity’s innovative microfinance programs and unique banking model have helped millions of women create or grow small businesses. While microfinance is available to both men and women entrepreneurs equally, the gains that women achieve are three times more likely to be invested in their children–providing a powerful generational multiplier that accelerates economic growth.
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What is Opportunity’s history?
To learn more about Opportunity’s history, click here.
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How is Opportunity funded?
Opportunity raises funds from many sources, some traditional and some unique for nonprofits. From traditional sources, Opportunity receives charitable contributions and government grants, which it sends to our local microfinance institutions (MFI) in the form of grants, loans and equity investments. A portion of these funds is also used for fundraising and general and administrative expenses. In addition to these sources of funds, Opportunity raises equity and debt from third parties that are directly invested in our MFIs.
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What countries does Opportunity serve?
Opportunity International serves clients in more than 20 countries. Click here to learn more about where we work.
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What is microfinance?
Click here to learn more about microfinance.
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What is a Trust Group?
Click here to learn more about Trust Groups.
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Does Opportunity offer training in business practices?
Each week, as Trust Groups gather to repay their loans, Opportunity provides educational sessions to develop business skills and enhance personal growth. Training is also provided to individuals as they access larger loans. Last year, nearly 1.2 million clients received transformative training on a wide gamut of topics.
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Are Opportunity clients charged interest on their loans?
Like nearly all microfinance organizations, Opportunity International charges interest in order to cover its costs and achieve operational sustainability. As the Consultative Group to Assist the Poor (CGAP) explains, “Administrative costs are inevitably higher for tiny microlending than for normal bank lending. For instance, lending $100,000 in 1,000 loans of $100 each will obviously require a lot more in staff salaries than making a single loan of $100,000.” Interest rates vary greatly around the world and reflect a variety of factors, such as prevailing inflation rates and the local costs of borrowing.
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How can I make a donation?
There are a number of ways to donate to Opportunity International. At opportunity.org/give, you can fund the loan for an entrepreneur in the country of your choosing, give a gift card, start or join a fundraiser, or create an ongoing giving plan. It is also possible to donate via telephone, fax or mail; however, donating via opportunity.org/give is the fastest and most efficient way.
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Can I donate to a specific entrepreneur of my choice?
Go to opportunity.org/give to view profiles of entrepreneurs and personally select one to support in the form of a loan to start or expand a business.
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How are the entrepreneurs who receive my donation chosen?
All entrepreneurs are screened and approved for a loan by an Opportunity International microfinance institution and a local loan officer on staff.
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How does the money contributed by donors get to the entrepreneur?
The money is wired to the local microfinance institution (MFI) which disburses the loan to the chosen entrepreneur. The MFI also receives the loan repayments and provides you with updates.
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Can I donate if I reside outside the United States?
Donations can be made through Opportunity offices in the U.S., Canada, Australia, Germany and the United Kingdom.
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How do I use/redeem a gift card?
Gift cards are redeemed at opportunity.org/redeem to fund a loan to clients profiled on the site. Gift cards cannot be redeemed or refunded for cash.
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Can I donate in the name of a friend?
Click here to make an honorary donation in the name of a friend or relative.
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Does Opportunity mail physical gift cards to recipients?
When you purchase a gift card at opportunity.org/giftcard, you can print it from the website, email it or physically mail it to the recipient of your choice.
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Do gift cards expire? What happens to the money when gift cards expire?
Gift cards expire 12 months from the purchase date. If a gift card is not used within a 12-month period, the balance amount will be treated as a donation and used to help support our microfinance programs.
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How can I get involved with Opportunity?
Click here to explore the many ways you can participate with us beyond making a donation.
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How can I apply for an internship, volunteer position or training program at Opportunity?
Click here to learn more about available opportunities.
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Do you have a Facebook page or can I follow you on Twitter?
To visit our Facebook page, click here. To follow us on Twitter, click here.
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Is my gift to Opportunity International tax deductible?
Your gift to Opportunity is tax deductible to the extent allowable by law. Please consult your tax advisor regarding the deductibility of any specific gift.
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What if my question wasn’t addressed in the FAQs?
If you have any additional questions, please email us at getinfo@opportunity.org.
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