Washington, D.C., April 7, 2014 – Bankers without Borders®, a Grameen Foundation initiative, today released its “Five Year Impact Report” highlighting key insights and lessons learned since its inception five years ago. The report also includes recent independent research conducted on the outcomes of the program for the volunteers, corporations, and social enterprises involved. More than 80 percent of volunteer participants reported gaining expanded networks, improved communication skills, increased awareness of wider social issues, and new market intelligence as a result of their participation in Bankers without Borders.
Launched in 2008, with support from inaugural sponsor J.P. Morgan, Bankers without Borders is a leader in the field of using skilled volunteerism to drive change.
"J.P. Morgan congratulates Bankers without Borders on its fifth anniversary and numerous accomplishments aimed at lifting millions of people out of poverty,” said Daniel Pinto, CEO, J.P. Morgan Corporate & Investment Bank. “We’re proud of what Bankers without Borders achieved since our inaugural sponsorship."
In celebration of its five year anniversary celebration, Bankers without Borders also announced the five winners of its Skillanthropy Giveaway, which recognizes organizations utilizing skill-based volunteerism to make a positive impact in the world. Each organization will receive Bankers without Borders’ proprietary technology solution Skillanthropy™, which helps organizations streamline volunteer recruitment efforts, more efficiently manage and monitor projects, better understand their impact, and evaluate their outcomes. The winners are:
Atlas Service Corps addresses critical social issues by developing leaders, strengthening organizations, and promoting innovation through an overseas fellowship of skilled nonprofit professionals;
Echoing Green has provided nearly 600 promising social entrepreneurs working in over forty countries with $33 million in start-up funding, customized support services, and access to our global network of champions;
Project Concern International (PCI)’s mission is to prevent disease, improve community health and promote sustainable development worldwide;
PYXERA Global leverages the unique strengths of corporations, governments, social sector organizations, educational institutions, and individuals to enhance the abilities of people and communities to solve complex problems and attain mutually beneficial goals; and
Trócaire, the official overseas development agency of the Catholic Church in Ireland, works with some of the world’s poorest people, supporting communities and delivering long-term change to people’s lives.
"At Echoing Green, skills-based volunteerism is a core expression of our mission. We have no shortage of highly capable volunteers, but with a small staff our capacity to scale the skills-based volunteer support to our Fellows is limited,” said Lily Mandlin, Echoing Green Social Investment Council Manager. “Skillanthropy has the potential to transform our volunteer management operations and increase the frequency, quality, and efficiency of volunteer engagements. With this tool, we will enhance our ecosystem’s collective social impact."
To learn more about how the Skillanthropy Technology Solution can support your organization, please visit: //bankerswithoutborders.com/content/skillanthropy-technology-solution.
About Bankers without Borders®
Established in 2008 by Grameen Foundation, Bankers without Borders® is on a mission to end abject poverty around the world by powering a global "skillanthropy" movement. Bankers without Borders harnesses the skills and services of the world’s brightest minds and institutions to accelerate the progress of social entrepreneurs dedicated to connecting the poor to their potential. Bankers without Borders offers pro bono consulting, employee engagement opportunities, fellowship and internship programs, and volunteer management services. Visit our website at www.bankerswithoutborders.com or follow us on Twitter @GrameenBwB.
About Grameen Foundation
Grameen Foundation is a global nonprofit organization that helps the world's poorest people achieve their full potential by providing access to essential financial services and information on health and agriculture that can transform their lives. Founded in 1997, it delivers solutions that respond to the needs of the poor, as well as tools that help poverty-focused organizations become more effective. It focuses on initiatives that can achieve widespread impact and uses an open-source approach that makes it easy for other organizations to adopt them broadly. Nobel Laureate Dr. Muhammad Yunus, founder of Grameen Bank and the Grameen family of companies, is an inaugural member of its Board of Directors, and now serves as director emeritus. Grameen Foundation is headquartered in Washington, D.C., with offices in the U.S., Asia, Africa and Latin America and the Caribbean. For more information, please visit www.grameenfoundation.org or follow us on Twitter @GrameenFdn.