Grameen Bank of Bangladesh

Grameen Bank was started in 1976 by a young economics professor, Dr. Muhammad Yunus, when he discovered that poor women could break through poverty by taking tiny loans to start or expand tiny businesses. He launched his concept, microfinance, with the money in his pocket (equivalent to US$26).

Today, Grameen Bank serves over five million clients, with 10,000 families escaping poverty every month.Over the last two decades, Grameen Bank has loaned out over 5 billion dollars to the poorest of the poor, while maintaining a repayment rate consistently above 98 percent. 96 percent of its clients are women.Grameen Foundation sprang from this rich heritage and maintains an enduring relationship with the Grameen Bank of Bangladesh. Based in Washington, DC, we support programs that replicate the Grameen Bank microfinance model around the world.