User:Vipul/Root Capital

Root Capital is a non-profit social investment fund operating in poor rural areas of Africa and Latin America. According to its website, Root Capital "seeks to maximize the positive social and environmental impact of [its] work through a three-pronged strategy: finance, advise, and catalyze."

Operations
Root Capital claims to follow a three-step approach towards making a positive impact in the poor rural areas of Africa and Latin America where it operates. The three steps are:


 * Finance: This involves making loans to rural small and growing businesses, including both short-term and long-term loans.
 * Advise: This involves delivering financial training to current and prospective clients.
 * Catalyze: This involves innovating on their own methodology to increase their own impact.

According to its impact page, Root Capital has disbursed $436 million USD between 1999 and 2012 and reached 2.6 million household members.

Funding
Root Capital seeks funding from both individual donors and foundations. Foundations that have funded Root capital include Mulago Foundation, Jasmine Social Investments, and Peery Foundation.

External reviews
Charity Navigator has given Root Capital a four-star rating (its highest possible) in its review of the organization.

Charity evaluator GiveWell had a conversation with the CEO of Root Capital in September 2011, and plans to publish a detailed review of Root Capital in 2013.