Owl Microfinance

Rice University's Student Organization
Tagline: The Envision Grant given by Leadership Rice helped Owl Microfinance launch its fund raising campaign and assisted the organization to progress towards its goal of eliminating poverty through Microloans.

Microfinance, or the provision of banking services to those traditionally not served by the commercial banking sector, has become a popular method to tackle the problems of poverty, health, and education around the world. Owl Microfinance is dedicated to giving students education and experience in microfinance and other poverty related issues, as well as providing loans and other services to the world's working poor and underserved. As a non-profit organization, Owl Microfinance wants to expand its loan portfolio and create a network of donors to help finance its loans. In addition, to make its fund raising and growth more sustainable, Owl Microfinance would like to fund raise more creatively, through a new tutoring program that directs funds directly to loans, and other unconventional methods. 

  The envision grant helped us launch our 2009 fundraising campaign by providing us with funds to have a dessert gala and silent auction. At this event, we raised over $2500 for our loan initiatives. We sent out over 150 invitiations, bought different types of desserts, brought a speaker from San Antonio, and decorated the Rice Memorial Center's grand hall in order to put on this event. All of this was provided by the Envision Grant. By providing us with the money to hold a fundraiser, our organization was able to know that even though we received a grant to enable us to fundraise, we still were going through the process of fundraising ourselves. This was an important lesson in marketing, leadership, and management for all of us.