Additional Resources

A Billion Bootstraps: Microcredit, Barefoot Banking, and the Business Solution for Ending Poverty - by Eric Thurman, Phil Smith
Explores how small loans empower those living in poverty to start small businesses, in turn allowing them to support their families and improve local economies. Also explains how to get involved.

Banker to the Poor - by Muhammad Yunus
An inspiring memoir of the birth of microcredit, written in a conversational tone.

Dead Aid: Why Aid Is Not Working and How There Is a Better Way for Africa - by Dambisa Moyo
Moyo, an economist native to Zambia, critiques the West’s approach to aid in Africa, advocating solutions like microfinance as an alternative.

Give Us Credit - by Alex Counts
A book that chronicles the growth of the microfinance industry following Muhammad Yunus' plans for microcredit institutions.

Good News to the Poor: Sharing the Gospel through Social Involvement - by Tim Chester
Argues that evangelism and social action are both essential to the church’s mission.

Portfolios of the Poor: How the World's Poor Live on $2 a Day - by Daryl Collins, Jonathan Morduch, Stuart Rutherford, Orlanda Ruthven
A compilation of financial diaries of poor households, it provides insight into how the poorest people manage money effectively. It emphasizes that in a poor country an income is variable and unpredictable. It advocates for the necessity of more complex financial strategies.

Rich Christians in an Age of Hunger - by Ron Sider
Provides insight into the necessity of working diligently to live simply so that Christians can give liberally to those less fortunate all over the world. The book explores themes such as the root of poverty, illiteracy, health care, starvation, market economies, international trade, debt, and other topics.

The Economics of Microfinance - by Beatriz Armendáriz and Jonathan Morduch
A comprehensive survey of microfinance placing increased emphasis on new developments in theories of contracts and incentives. It explains why microfinance works and when it doesn't work, the flaws and quirks, difficulties, best practices, etc.

The Poor and Their Money: Microfinance from a Twenty-First Century Consumer’s Perspective - by Stuart Rutherford
Emphasizes the key role that saving plays in the lives of the poor, while exploring the ways microfinance has developed in the 21st century.

The Poor Will Be Glad - by Peter Greer and Phil Smith
Co-written by HOPE's president, Peter Greer, this book combines personal experience and tested methods to help Christians carry God's justice, mercy, and compassion to the hurting people in our world.

Walking with the Poor - by Bryant L. Myers
Theology, economics and other social sciences – synthesizing book on how Christian mission can contribute to overcoming poverty and dismantling systematic social evil. Explores Christian views of poverty, its causes, and how it is experienced differently in different cultures. This book includes a scriptural index as well.

CGAP
An independent policy and research center dedicated to advancing financial access for the world's poor.

Heritage Foundation Economic Freedom Index
The Index of Economic Freedom is an annual guide published by The Wall Street Journal and The Heritage Foundation.

Microcredit Summit
Brings together a broad range of people and organizations involved with microcredit to promote best practices and ensure that 175 million of the world's poorest families receive microcredit by 2015.

Microfinance Gateway
A service of CGAP, this site has a plethora of information on microfinance.

MiFi Report
A microfinance site that includes articles, interviews, editorials, and microfinance discussion threads.

The Chalmers Center for Economic Development
Resource for studying all aspects of microfinance in the developing world.

The MIX Market
The MIX Market is a global, web-based, microfinance information platform. It provides information on MFIs and seeks to develop a transparent information market to link MFIs worldwide with investors and donors and to promote greater investment and information flow.

Tufts University: The Fletcher School
Provides information about working in the field of microfinance.