Since 1993, World Vision has been offering microfinance programmes to help the economically active poor. World Vision provides clients with:

• Microfinance services (small loans, savings and insurance)
• Business know-how (accounting and business management skills)
• Information (access to communication tools like computer and phones, enabling people to seek information from neighbouring villages)
• Technology (access to new crop varieties or irrigation techniques)
• Access to markets (helping to create or seek out new market opportunities)

In 2003, VisionFund International was established by World Vision as a wholly owned subsidiary to oversee World Vision’s microfinance work.

Now VisionFund builds a better world for children by providing financial services as part of World Vision’s integrated programmes that empowers the entrepreneurial poor to liberate their families and communities from poverty. VisionFund has been one of the most effective and sustainable programmes at World Vision because:

• VisionFund has 5,000 staff serving clients in 40 nations with more than 630,000 borrowers.
• VisionFund focuses on the well-being of children believing that ‘Life in all its fullness’ for children can be achieved by economically empowered parents who can provide food, healthcare, education, housing, clothing and the hope for a better future.
• VisionFund programmes have integrated with every part of World Vision’s development work: clean water, healthcare, education, food security, advocacy and other economic development programmes.

During the first quarter of the financial year of 2010, Vision Fund-affiliated microfinance institutions had an overall portfolio of US$341 million with more than 630,000 active borrowers in 40 countries with a loan repayment rate of 93.4%. In addition, over 2,600,000 children and 1,360,000 jobs have been positively impacted.