Better Than Cash Alliance

Better Than Cash Alliance

Formation	September 2012
Type	Global partnership
Purpose	Accelerate the transition from cash to responsible digital payments
Headquarters	New York, US
Membership	80 members
Managing Director	Ruth Goodwin-Groen
Website	www.betterthancash.org

The Better Than Cash Alliance is a global partnership of 80 governments, companies, and International Organizations that accelerates the transition from cash to responsible digital payments to help achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). ^[1]

History, description and work

The Better Than Cash Alliance was created in September 2012. Its founding members were the governments of Colombia, Kenya, Peru, and the Philippines, as well as CARE, Concern Worldwide, Mercy Corps, United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and World Food Programme (WFP). ^{[2] [3]} The United Nations Capital Development Fund serves as the secretariat.

Based at the UN, the Alliance now has 80 members and is an implementing partner for the G20’s Global Partnership for Financial Inclusion (GPFI). The Alliance’s secretariat works closely with member governments, companies and other global organizations. According to its website its members are committed to digitizing payments in order to boost efficiency, transparency, women’s economic participation and financial inclusion, helping build economies that are digital and inclusive. Its website also states that "Members do not want to abolish physical cash, but rather want to provide responsible digital payment options that are 'better than cash'". ^{[4] [5]}

The Alliance Secretariat works with members on their journey to digitize payments by: ^[6]

• Providing advisory services based on their priorities.
• Sharing action-oriented research and fostering peer learning on responsible practices.
• Conducting advocacy at national, regional and global level.

The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Citigroup, the Ford Foundation, the Omidyar Network, the United Nations Capital Development Fund, the United States Agency for International Development (USAID),  and Visa Inc. were founding funders of the Alliance. ^{[7] [8]} Further current funders include the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ), the Mastercard Foundation, the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (Sida), and the Swiss State Secretariat for Economic Affairs (SECO). ^[9]

Members

Members ^[10]

Type	Name	Since	Note
Governments [11]	Afghanistan
	Bangladesh
	Benin
	Colombia
	Côte d'Ivoire
	Dominican Republic
	Equatorial Guinea
	Ethiopia
	Ghana
	Fiji
	Jordan
	Kenya
	India
	Indonesia
	Liberia
	Malawi
	Mexico	2016	[12]
	Moldova
	Nepal
	Pakistan
	Papua New Guinea
	Paraguay
	Peru
	Philippines
	Rwanda
	Senegal
	Sierra Leone
	Solomon Islands
	Sudan
	Uganda
	Uruguay
	Vietnam
International Organizations [13]	ACDI/VOCA
	Arab Monetary Fund (AMF)
	CARE
	Catholic Relief Services
	Chemonics International
	Clinton Development Initiative
	Concern Worldwide
	European Bank for Reconstruction and Development
	Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO)
	Grameen Foundation
	Inter-American Development Bank
	International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD)
	International Labour Organization (ILO)
	International Rescue Committee
	International Telecommunication Union (ITU)
	MEDA
	Mercy Corps
	Save the Children
	Self-Employed Women's Association (SEWA)
	The Global Fund
	United Nations Children’s Emergency Fund (UNICEF)
	United Nations Development Programme (UNDP)
	United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO)
	United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR)
	United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA)
	United Nations Secretariat
	Universal Postal Union
	UN Women
	Women's World Banking
	World Food Programme
	World Savings Banks Institute
Companies [14]	Ethical Tea Partnership (ETP)
	Gap Inc.
	Grupo Bimbo
	H&M
	Inditex
	Marks & Spencer
	PVH
	The Coca-Cola Company
	Target
	Unilever
	World Cocoa Foundation

References

1. "Better Than Cash Alliance". Better Than Cash Alliance. Retrieved 2021-05-28.
2. "Better Than Cash Alliance: Empowering People One Transaction at a Time". www.gatesfoundation.org. Retrieved 2021-05-28.
3. "Ruth Goodwin-Groen Named as Managing DirectorRuth Goodwin-Groen Named as Managing Director". Better Than Cash Alliance. Retrieved 2021-05-28.
4. "Better Than Cash Alliance". Better Than Cash Alliance. Retrieved 2021-05-28.
5. "Implementing Partners | GPFI". www.gpfi.org. Retrieved 2021-05-28.
6. "Better Than Cash Alliance". Better Than Cash Alliance. Retrieved 2021-05-28.
7. "Digital initiative aimed at helping world's poor". phys.org. Retrieved 2021-05-28.
8. "Better Than Cash Alliance". USAID . 2012-09-25. Archived from the original on 2021-05-25. Retrieved 2021-05-28.
9. "Resource Partners". Better Than Cash Alliance. Retrieved 2021-05-28.
10. "Our Alliance". Better Than Cash Alliance. Retrieved 2021-05-28.
11. "Members:governments". Betterthancash.org. Archived from the original on 5 August 2020. Retrieved 25 September 2019.
12. "Mexico joins Better Than Cash Alliance". Finextra.com. 24 June 2016. Retrieved 25 September 2019.
13. "Members:international organizations". Betterthancash.org. Archived from the original on 5 August 2020. Retrieved 25 September 2019.
14. "Members:companies". Betterthancash.org. Archived from the original on 18 June 2020. Retrieved 25 September 2019.

External links

• Official website