Organisation

Organisation general information
Organisation name: 
Oikocredit
Founding year: 
1975
Country: 
Netherlands
Total number of staff: 
275
Resources dedicated to microfinance: 
260
Percentage of microfinance activities: 
Between 70 and 100%
Type of organisation: 
For profit
 
Financial institution, Investment fund
Organisation's contact person
Contact person: 
Ms. Kawien Ziedses des Plantes
Address: 
Berkenweg 7
NL-3818 LA
Amersfoort
Netherlands
Phone: 
+31 33 422 40 40
Organisation summary
Mission: 

Oikocredit challenges all to invest responsibly. It provides financial services and supports organizations to improve the quality of life of low-income people or communities in a sustainable way.

Type of intervention: 
  • Equity
  • Loans
  • Guarantees
  • Subsidies / donations in money
  • Subsidies in staff time (e.g. research / information dissemination)
  • Subsidies in staff time (e.g. networking/ donor / coordination)
Countries of intervention: 
Africa
Asia
Europe
North America
South America
Oceania
Areas of intervention: 
  • Macro level: Interest rates and rate caps, Client protection, Supporting networks and associations, Capacity building (focused on all MFIs)
  • Intermediate level: Community-based finance solutions, Rural finance, Microfinance investment vehicules, Social impact/performance, Gender
  • Micro level: Capital/equity investments, Financial product development and innovation, Performance (financial and social), Ratings and external audits, Risk management
  • Other themes: Impact and performances studies, Sector mapping
Main competences: 

The company’s vision is to be a highly respected and leading provider of opportunities for socially responsible investments and credit for development. Guiding principles on which we base our work are Sharing, Ecumenical spirit, Grassroots, People, Integrity and Creation. Oikocredit is one of the world’s largest sources of private funding to the microfinance sector. We lend working capital to MFIs all over the world. We also provide credit to trade cooperatives, fair trade organisations and SMEs in the developing world. We aim to offer a dual return to our investors: financial and social. In addition to earning modest financial returns, investors are secure in the knowledge that their money is being used to fight poverty, promote fair trade and respect our planet's natural resources.

The cooperative has a long history as a social and ethical investment fund, dating from 1975, when microfinance was in its infancy. Specific know-how and expertise has been developed over time in supporting financial institutions involved with agricultural finance, housing loans, SME, wholesale etc. In addition, Oikocredit has built up expertise in other forms of social enterprise finance such as fair trade producers, agricultural cooperatives in the south, hospitals and universities. Oikocredit has country and regional offices with local staff, functioning as a decentralized organization. Since the last five years, Oikocredit has deepened its expertise in areas of social performance management, equity investment, local currency lending to name but a few.