GLS Microfinance Fund

The earthquake of April 16, 2016 that hit the Ecuadorian coast was a very tough test that made us at Fundación ESPOIR emerge from the downturn in a stronger position thanks to our great team of employees, the resilience of our clients in the affected areas and the invaluable support received from our international funders. FS Impact Finance played a very important role, not only because it invited all the lenders to reach an agreement and sign a memorandum of understanding, but also collected monetary support for our staff that suffered damages to their homes, in total 46 families working at ESPOIR benefited from it.

Throughout our business relationship, FS Impact Finance firmly demonstrated that it is not only our partner in fighting poverty through the provision of microcredit, but also in helping hands-on during the toughest moments.

We had a discussion with Utpal at FS Impact Finance for raising funds and also establishing a new relationship. Post liquidity crunch in India in late 2018, we were able to secure our first Rupee loan through FS Impact Finance which was of great support. Furthermore, we also concluded our first USD debt transaction with FS Impact Finance. I appreciate the simple documentation process.

Apart from timely debt fund support, the relationship with FS Impact Finance also adds value in terms of our internal capacity building of team members. Our product head and institutional head gained from the trainings of Frankfurt School as well as interaction and networking with other global MFIs and banks.

SMART CREDIT is a very development-orientated microfinance institution based in Ungheni, Moldova. For a young organization like ours that traditionally does not have access to the deep pockets of international shareholders, refinancing support at an early stage of the development is of utmost importance.

Luckily, I came across FS Impact Finance, that has an in-depth understanding of microfinance and the needs of institutions like SMART CREDIT. In a very professional manner, the whole FS Impact Finance team supported us as one of the first international lenders and enabled us to further grow our portfolio. Beyond their direct funding support, I was given useful insights for acquiring further refinancing. I can whole-heartedly recommend the entire FS Impact Finance team a as trustful partner for cooperation.

FS Impact Finance has been a reliable partner since setting up our Microfinance Fund in 2015. As Fund Manager they provide our investors a high investment ratio and an excellent portfolio quality – while always ensuring positive social impact.

As Germany’s leading social bank, we are very pleased working with a team that completely shares our mission and vision. I personally appreciate their integrity, sincerity and hands-on mentality. GLS Bank looks forward to many more years of successful cooperation.