Our History
40+ Years of Serving People in Poverty
FINCA was built on the belief that all people have the wisdom, talent, and work ethic necessary to create their own pathways out of poverty. What they need is access to capital.
When FINCA began, most low-income communities were excluded from the financial system altogether. Traditional banks offered loans that were too large, too expensive, and required collateral that many people, especially women, simply did not have.
In response, FINCA’s founders — John Hatch, Bob Hatch, and Rupert Scofield — introduced a new model to bridge this gap: If individuals formed groups to collectively receive loans and guarantee repayment, they could gain access to the funds they needed to invest in their small businesses and build their financial health. And so FINCA’s Village Banking was born in 1984.
What began as a radical idea quickly became a globally recognized tool to help people build their businesses, livelihoods, and communities. Since then, FINCA has expanded its operations across five continents, impacting more than 100 million people to date.
Today, FINCA’s work has evolved from microlending into a broad ecosystem of poverty eradication initiatives. Through financial empowerment and impact investing, FINCA continues to create opportunity for those overlooked by traditional financial systems, building on its legacy of driving innovation and impact around the world.
40 Years of Impact
