Our Blog

International Volunteer Day

Thursday, December 5, 2013 - 12:29

One of the questions we hear most frequently is, “What do you look for in a volunteer?” The truth is, we aren’t necessarily looking for a certain type of education or specific number of years of experience. In fact, our volunteers come to us with a variety of skills, experience levels, and interests, and it’s this diversity that allows us to meet the range of challenges facing our client organizations. As one our volunteers puts it: I can’t fix cleft palates, design clean water systems or develop innovative agricultural techniques, but I’ve found that my banking and financial experience is... Read More

Reflections on the Transformative Nature of Volunteering

Wednesday, November 20, 2013 - 11:34

Volunteering can be an incredibly transformative experience. I know this because in 2009, I had the rare opportunity to volunteer for a small, community-based organization in South Africa.  It is difficult to find the words to describe just how impactful this experience was on my personal and professional development. Reflecting back on my time in South Africa, I can now genuinely appreciate that the experience did just as much (if not more) for me as my English lessons did for those vivacious, rowdy children I was teaching or the development projects I initiated did for the community with... Read More

BwB Skillanthropist Profile: Kacper Nowicki

Friday, November 8, 2013 - 10:31

As part of our 5th Year Anniversary Celebration, Bankers without Borders is recognizing some of our outstanding volunteers whose commitment and dedication helps us fulfill our mission to connect the world's poor to their potential. Kacper Nowicki joined Google in January 2007, as one of the first people in the Polish Engineering office. He is currently working on Google Infrastructure as an Engineering Director, leading teams in Warsaw and Krakow and collaborating with peers in the United States. Kacper graduated in Experimental Physics, and in his pre-Google life, he worked as a consultant... Read More

Visualizing BwB's Project Evolution

Wednesday, November 6, 2013 - 12:15

When I joined Bankers without Borders in 2009, our three-person team was focused on providing just one service: hands-on, experienced guidance to scope and manage impactful projects that would be carried out by our skilled volunteers. Four years later, we’ve grown tremendously. Today, the BwB team is present in every continent (except Antarctica) and our volunteer reserve corps has increased 50-fold!  Customized, client-focused projects are still at the core of our program and, as you can see from our open opportunities page, we're still going strong with this critical service offering. But... Read More

PPI Certification for the Small Enterprise Foundation

Thursday, October 31, 2013 - 08:47

In March 2013, I traveled to South Africa as a Bankers without Borders volunteer with the objective of assisting the Small Enterprise Foundation (SEF) with the certification of the correct use of the Progress out of Poverty Index (PPI), a poverty measurement tool developed by Grameen Foundation. PPI certification is recognized by industry bodies and investors alike, and will help SEF enhance transparency, gain recognition within the microfinance industry, and may even lead to receiving favorable terms from socially-focused investors. SEF is a microfinance institution headquartered in Tzaneen... Read More

BwB Skillanthropist Profile: Jennifer Rademaker

Friday, October 25, 2013 - 09:30

As part of our 5th Year Anniversary Celebration, Bankers without Borders is recognizing some of our outstanding volunteers whose commitment and dedication helps us fulfill our mission to connect the world's poor to their potential. Jennifer Rademaker leads the Core Products group for the MasterCard Europe region.  In this role, Jennifer is responsible for the management, development and commercialization of consumer and commercial products for Europe, including Debit, Credit, Commercial, Prepaid, and Loyalty. Jennifer brings over 20 years of global experience in Financial Services, with... Read More

BwB Turns 5! 5 Secrets to our Successful Growth

Monday, October 21, 2013 - 17:13

Birthdays can sneak up on you when you’re busy living your life. At Grameen Foundation, it took us a bit by surprise that our beloved Bankers without Borders was turning 5. We’ve been so focused on the efforts in front of us and planning for the future that we almost missed the opportunity to celebrate this major milestone.  Never fear, the Bankers without Borders team is anything if not nimble and creative. Today, we are inviting you to be part of our High-5 Celebration. For the remainder of the year, we plan to celebrate our success, show our appreciation to our volunteers, clients, and... Read More

BwB Skillanthropist Profile: Robert Rout

Monday, October 21, 2013 - 17:12

As part of National Pro Bono Week, Bankers without Borders is recognizing some of our outstanding volunteers whose commitment and dedication helps us fulfill our mission to connect the world's poor to their potential. A banker with over 35 years of experience, Robert “Bob” Rout is currently the Executive Vice President, CFO & Treasurer of a large bank in Pennsylvania. Bob is a long time friend of Bankers without Borders (BwB) and a dedicated volunteer. Since 2011, he has donated his time and expertise on seven volunteer consulting engagements including: ​Financial Training for an MFI in... Read More

Meet our Fellows: Hailey Hu

Monday, October 21, 2013 - 16:23

Hailey was born in China and grew up in sunny San Diego, California. After spending 7+ years in the Northeast, she was longing for a warmer locale and what better place than Kampala, Uganda! Hailey completed her undergraduate studies at the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania with a degree in Economics. Since graduating she has worked as a Management Consultant in NYC, focusing on advising clients on enterprise strategy, innovation, and customer experience across the healthcare, technology, and financial services sectors. Hailey's passions outside of work include travel, iPhone... Read More

Meet our Fellows: Tomas Flores

Monday, October 21, 2013 - 16:22

Tomas is a Mexican who has lived his last 11 years in Brussels, Belgium, so now he is a Belgican. While his true passion is Development he has found himself working mainly in the Banking sector for many years. During a career break, he had the opportunity to work and live in Cambodia and re-discover his passion for the social sector and since then he has focus on a career change and he is working on it. He has a Master degree in Development and a recent one in Microfinance. When not spending time with his wife and daughter, he enjoys: hanging-out with his friends, surfing the internet,... Read More