The WLF/TIAW Microbank Program in partnership with The International Alliance for Women (TIAW) has sponsored two microbanks.
WLF established its first microbank in 2008 in the community of Tula Hidalgo, Mexico. In February of 2009, WLF received a generous donation from an anonymous Coachella Valley donor to sponsor a second bank. This new bank funded “microloans” from $250-$550 for 17 local women in the municipality of San Pedro La Laguna, Guatemala.
Women Leaders Forum has put the Microbank Program on hold to focus its primary resources on WLF’s main mission of developing leadership skills in adult women and high school students in the Coachella Valley.
What is a Microbank? A $5,000 donation establishes a 'bank' in an underdeveloped country. The bank's purpose is to provide small - or "micro" - loans to local citizens; thus fostering their economic empowerment and advancement. These small loans provide citizens with working capital to create and sustain income-generating microenterprises.
