Stuff #Socent Ppl Like

Stuff #Socent Ppl Like: Buzzwords. Yeah.

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Given that it is Sunday evening, and most of us are mentally prepping for the (*shudder*) work week ahead, here is your weekly TC-P round-up of stories and news you may have missed to get you caught up (it’s because we care):

Acumen Fund Goodness

• Acumen Fund just turned 10 years old! Whohoo! Here is Founder & CEO Jacqueline Novogratz’s post on the momentous occasion, about the pioneering nonprofit venture capital fund that has to date invested $60 million in 57 social enterprise companies worldwide.
• Acumen’s Search for the Obvious Campaign has launched a new challenge – how can you help the organization mainstream Patient Capital? Deadline for submissions is April 26th, click here for more information.
• Acumen investee and innovative for-profit social enterprise Ansaar Management Company (AMC) recently laid its first brick in Lahore. See here for Acumen fellow Bryan Farris’piece on the ceremony.
• The National Rural Support Programme (NRSP), the largest microfinance organization in Pakistan to focus on rural, agricultural markets, has launched a fully regulated, deposit-taking, privately-owned microfinance bank. NRSP Microfinance Bank was awarded a license by the State Bank of Pakistan, the Central Bank, to operate nationwide, and has partnered with Acumen Fund, International Finance Corporation and Kreditanstalt fur Wiederaufbau (KfW) as shareholders. Acumen Fund has made a $1.9 million investment in the bank, see here for more.

Speaking of Microfinance

• The world was shocked this week with news that Muhammad Yunus, the father of microfinance and founder of Grameen Bank, lost his final court appeal to stay on as the Bank’s Managing Director. Al Jazeera reports on the development here.
• David Bornstein writes on the Yunus developments for the NY Times in an article entitled, “Grameen Bank and the Public Good.”
• At Next Billion, Bryan Farris interviews Mary Ellen Iskenderian, President and CEO of Women’s World Banking on the microfinance model and the difference between microfinance and microcredit.

Jobs, Announcements & Other #Socent Stuff

• The Tides Foundation, as recommended by the Google Inc. Charitable Giving Fund, announced a $250,000 grant to P@sha to create a social innovation fund in Pakistan. Congratulations P@sha! (via Express Tribune)
• Echoing Green has a number of positions open on their staff. Click here for more information.
• Root Capital has opportunities available in their Cambridge, MA and Latin America offices. Click here for more information.
• Looking for a job in the socent space? Check out Next Billion’s Career Center for updates on job listings!

Was there a news story we forgot? Job listings or fellowships you’d like announced? Add it in the comments section or send us an email to thinkchangepakistan@gmail.com. Have a lovely week!