“Under the circumstances, we really don’t know what we are talking about when we talk about microcredit. I think it is time we classify microcredit programs according to clear, consistent categories.” – Muhammad Yunus in Creating a World Without Poverty

Last month I heard Dr. Yunus speak at George Washington University. He talked about creating social businesses and microcredit. His speech was well timed – It just so happens I am working with a small team to build a Microfinance Resource System for lenders.

With over 3,000 microcredit organizations, investors face a bewildering variety of options. A lender may want to focus his efforts on a specific country, concentrate on female borrowers, or loan to only the most destitute. He may want his contribution to be tax-deductible or may require his capital be repaid over time with interest while avoiding usurious organizations who exploit borrowers under a ruse of generosity. We hope to solve these problems and the challenges raised by Dr. Yunus in his book.

We recently submitted this project to Dell’s Social Innovation Competition. Voting ends today at 5PM CST. We were ranked as high as #4 out of 500+ projects but have slipped due to a flurry of last minute voting. We need to get back in the top 25 to advance to the next round. Please read our 250-word project description, register (takes 1 minute), and vote now.

Thanks OmniNerd.