About Us Our Organisation
The Opportunity International Network globally provides 10 million families living in poverty with a bridge to financial inclusion and community development finance to help them live safe, healthy lives and send their children to school.
For more than 45 years, Opportunity has collaborated with visionary partners and supporters to provide small loans to families to grow businesses and agricultural loans to farmers to operate farms. Opportunity delivers health and education programs and is increasing digital inclusion via smart phones to help families access financial and information services wherever, whenever they choose.
The impact of giving families a hand up instead of a handout is illustrated by the 9.6 million families in 22 countries who are being empowered to break the cycle of poverty themselves because they have been given the tools to do so.
The Opportunity International Network is made up of over 40 organisations, the majority of which are microfinance institutions (program partners) operating in Africa, Eastern Europe, Asia and Latin America. These program partners provide loans and other support directly to families in need. Funds to support the work of program partners are raised through support members operating in Australia, Canada, Germany, United Kingdom and USA. These funds are provided to program partners as either equity, loans or grants. While program and support partners have close relationships, each operates as an independent legal entity. No program or support partner acts as agent for any other program or support partner, nor has authority to bind any other program or support partner.
Opportunity Inc – an Illinois not-for-profit corporation (‘Opportunity Global’) – establishes the overall strategy of The Opportunity International Network, supports implementation of the strategy and oversees Social Performance Management, program innovation, knowledge management and business intelligence.
You are reading the Opportunity International Australia website. The Opportunity Global board and leadership team works very closely with the Australian board and leadership team and the boards and leadership teams of the other support partners in setting and executing strategy.
To learn more about our structure and governance, please visit our Governance page.
We respond to Jesus Christ’s call to love and serve the poor. We seek to emulate the Good Samaritan, whose compassion crossed ethnic groups and religions. Read more.
We deeply value relationships. How we go about our work is fundamentally important to us. We strive to have our values reflected in all we do. Read more.
The Opportunity International network is a leader in measuring and reporting on the transformational outcomes of the families our programs serve. Learn more about how we measure impact.