The SEEP Network

Last updated
The SEEP Network
Founded1985
Type Non-profit organization
PurposeEconomic Development; Financial Inclusion; Market Systems Development; Market Resilience; Women’s Economic Empowerment; Savings Groups; Consumer Protection
Location
Employees
~ 15 (2019)
Website seepnetwork.org

The SEEP Network, also known as SEEP, is a member-based, nonprofit organization with headquarters in Arlington, Virginia.

Contents

Background [1]

In 1985, a group of U.S. based NGOs pioneered new strategies for enterprise development and microcredit, seeking to promote economic opportunities for the world's poor. With support from USAID's Office of Private and Voluntary Cooperation, they formed the “Small Enterprise Evaluation Project” (SEEP) to champion the importance of impact assessments and develop evaluation methods that would inform practice.

Membership

SEEP members represent a diverse mix of over 100 organizations active in 150 countries in Africa, Latin America, Asia, and the Middle East. Members include international development organizations and consulting firms; relief and humanitarian aid organizations; research, monitoring and results measurement agencies; and microfinance associations. [2]

Thematic Areas

SEEP's work in the economic development sector is focused on five thematic areas with a variety of initiatives within each :

Agriculture & Food Security [3]

This involves improving the productivity and resilience of small scale farmers is essential to address poverty and hunger worldwide. Projects in this area include:

Resilient Markets [5]

Programming in this area enables market systems to build long-term resilience increases household and community capacity to prepare, cope, and recover from disasters. Programs and activities include:

Responsible Finance [8]

This includes promoting strong local member-based associations to act as champions of transparency and consumer protection leads to more ethical and fair treatment of clients of financial services. Programs and activities include:

Savings Groups [12]

Savings Groups promote financial inclusion and build resilience in marginalized communities. Programs and activities include:

Women’s Economic Empowerment [18]

This involves supporting women's ability to succeed and advance economically leads to healthy and productive households, growing businesses, and the well-being of communities and nations. Programs and activities include:

Closure

On December 13th, 2021, SEEP publicly announced to its members that it would be closing in the next 12-18 months due to financial pressures caused by the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Microcredit</span> Small loans to impoverished borrowers

Microcredit is the extension of very small loans (microloans) to impoverished borrowers who typically lack collateral, steady employment, or a verifiable credit history. It is designed to support entrepreneurship and alleviate poverty. Many recipients are illiterate, and therefore unable to complete paperwork required to get conventional loans. As of 2009 an estimated 74 million people held microloans that totaled US$38 billion. Grameen Bank reports that repayment success rates are between 95 and 98 percent.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Microfinance</span> Provision of microloans to poor entrepreneurs and small businesses

Microfinance is a category of financial services targeting individuals and small businesses who lack access to conventional banking and related services. Microfinance includes microcredit, the provision of small loans to poor clients; savings and checking accounts; microinsurance; and payment systems, among other services. Microfinance services are designed to reach excluded customers, usually poorer population segments, possibly socially marginalized, or geographically more isolated, and to help them become self-sufficient. ID Ghana is an example of a microfinance institution.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mercy Corps</span> Non-governmental humanitarian aid organization

Mercy Corps is a global non-governmental, humanitarian aid organization operating in transitional contexts that have undergone, or have been undergoing, various forms of economic, environmental, social and political instabilities. The organization claims to have assisted more than 220 million people survive humanitarian conflicts, seek improvements in livelihoods, and deliver durable development to their communities.

Danish Committee for Aid to Afghan Refugees (DACAAR)(Danish: Den danske komité for hjælp til afghanske flygtninge) is a non-political, non-governmental, non-profit humanitarian and development organization working to improve the lives of the Afghan people since 1984.

Opportunity International is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization chartered in the United States of America. Through a network of 47 program and support partners, Opportunity International provides small business loans, savings, insurance and training to more than 14 million people in the developing world. It has clients in more than 20 countries and works with fundraising partners in the United States, Australia, Canada, Germany, Switzerland, Singapore, Hong Kong and the United Kingdom. Opportunity International has 501(c)(3) status as a tax-exempt charitable organization in the United States of America under the US Internal Revenue Code.

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Self-help group (finance)</span> Small financial intermediary structure

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Financial inclusion is defined as the availability and equality of opportunities to access financial services. It refers to a process by which individuals and businesses can access appropriate, affordable, and timely financial products and services. These include banking, loan, equity, and insurance products. Financial inclusion efforts typically target those who are unbanked and underbanked, and directs sustainable financial services to them. Financial inclusion is understood to go beyond merely opening a bank account. It is possible for banked individuals to be excluded from financial services. Having more inclusive financial systems has been linked to stronger and more sustainable economic growth and development and thus achieving financial inclusion has become a priority for many countries across the globe.

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">International Growth Centre</span> Economic research centre of London School of Economics

The International Growth Centre (IGC) is an economic research centre based at the London School of Economics, operated in partnership with University of Oxford's Blavatnik School of Government.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">United Nations Environment Programme Finance Initiative</span>

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sustainable Development Goals</span> United Nations 17 global goals for 2030

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References

  1. ↑ "Our Story". seepnetwork.org. Retrieved 2019-05-15.
  2. ↑ "Profiles". seepnetwork.org. Retrieved 2019-05-15.
  3. ↑ "Thematic Areas: Agriculture & Food Security". seepnetwork.org. Retrieved 2019-05-15.
  4. ↑ "Thematic Areas: Agriculture & Food Security". seepnetwork.org. Retrieved 2019-05-15.
  5. ↑ "Thematic Areas: Resilient Markets". seepnetwork.org. Retrieved 2019-05-15.
  6. ↑ "Welcome to the MERS". mershandbook.org. Retrieved 2019-05-15.
  7. ↑ "Markets in Crises". seepnetwork.org. Retrieved 2019-05-15.
  8. ↑ "Thematic Areas: Responsible Finance". seepnetwork.org. Retrieved 2019-05-15.
  9. ↑ "Responsible Finance through Local Leadership and Learning". seepnetwork.org. Retrieved 2019-05-15.
  10. ↑ "Association Services". seepnetwork.org. Retrieved 2019-05-15.
  11. ↑ "Thematic Areas: Responsible Finance". seepnetwork.org. Retrieved 2019-05-15.
  12. ↑ "Thematic Areas: Savings Groups". seepnetwork.org. Retrieved 2019-05-15.
  13. ↑ "Savings-Led Working Group". seepnetwork.org. Retrieved 2019-05-15.
  14. ↑ "Savings Groups Evidence and Learning Initiative". seepnetwork.org. Retrieved 2019-05-15.
  15. ↑ "The MasterCard Foundation Savings Learning Lab". seepnetwork.org. Retrieved 2019-05-15.
  16. ↑ "Welcome To The Mango Tree - The Global Resource On Savings Groups". mangotree.org. Retrieved 2019-05-15.
  17. ↑ "SG2018-Home". mangotree.org. Retrieved 2019-05-15.
  18. ↑ "Thematic Areas: Women's Empowerment". seepnetwork.org. Retrieved 2019-05-15.
  19. ↑ "Women's Empowerment Working Group". seepnetwork.org. Retrieved 2019-05-15.
  20. ↑ "WEE Peer Learning Group". seepnetwork.org. Retrieved 2019-05-15.
  21. ↑ "Women's Empowerment Learning Series". seepnetwork.org. Retrieved 2019-05-15.
  22. ↑ "Thematic Areas: Women's Empowerment". seepnetwork.org. Retrieved 2019-05-15.
  23. ↑ "2017 WEE Global Learning Forum". 2017 WEE Global Learning Forum. Retrieved 2019-05-15.
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