BOSTON, MA, Nov. 22, 2006 - ACCION International, a Boston-based nonprofit and world pioneer in the field of microfinance, is among the 43 winners of the 2007 Fast Company / Monitor Group Social Capitalist Awards, marking the fourth consecutive year that ACCION has received the prestigious award.

The program honors nonprofits, or 'social entrepreneurs,' across the nation who combine creativity and ingenuity with business solutions to address social ills, ranging from poor healthcare in developing nations to unequal education access, homelessness, unemployment, substance abuse and global poverty.

ACCION's mission is to give people the financial tools they need, such as microenterprise loans, business training and other financial services, to help them work their way out of poverty. ACCION made its first microloan, in Brazil, more than three decades ago. Since then, it has consistently sought to implement leading-edge methods and technologies for alleviating poverty, helping to build sustainable institutions based on solid business and commercial principles. The microfinance organization currently works in 22 countries and, through the U.S. ACCION Network, in 35 U.S. cities and towns as well.

ACCION and the other 42 award winners--of which three engage in microfinance--will be featured in Fast Company's December/January 2007 cover story, appearing on newsstands from November 21, 2006 to January 16, 2007. (See complete list of winners below.)

"ACCION is extremely proud to be recognized with the Social Capitalist Award for a fourth straight year," said María Otero, president and CEO of ACCION International. "This honor affirms the key role microfinance plays in helping to address global poverty. Each day, ACCION enables sustainable social benefit by empowering microentrepreneurs, giving them the opportunity to afford running water, to pay for their children's education, to earn a living wage."

In order to participate in the evaluation process, Social Capitalist Award nominees were required to submit two years of operating and financial data, a statement of mission and objectives, and answers to a survey to assess strategy and activities. Winners were selected by an independent board.

Guiding Socially Responsible Investing

"We applaud the efforts and business acumen of ACCION which, well beyond its dedication to scalable solutions for poverty alleviation, is a business-oriented organization of vision worthy of imitation in both the nonprofit and for-profit sectors," said Mark Vamos, editor of Fast Company.

"By approaching social capitalism in a rigorous, data-driven fashion, our evaluation process reveals the truly amazing nature of ACCION--and of all of our winners," Vamos said. "And while rating non-profits is controversial, Fast Company thinks it is a necessary step for the sector to grow and improve. Frankly, it's a way to see that these excellent organizations get the recognition they deserve."

Fast Company partners with the Monitor Group, a global strategy-consulting firm, to select award winners. Monitor Group created the methodology used to compare nonprofits of different sizes and ages across social sectors. The Monitor Group also manages the evaluation process for the awards program and measures each organization's work in five categories: social impact, entrepreneurship, innovation, aspiration and growth and sustainability.

"Prior to the Social Capitalist Awards, no ranking process or 'seal of approval' existed as an authoritative standard for achievement among social entrepreneurs," said Mark Fuller, chairman and CEO of Monitor Group. "Our evaluation measures the impact and effectiveness of these non-profits, making it, among other things, an ideal investor's guide for those who want their charitable dollars to get the highest 'social' return possible."

ACCION and other award winners will be recognized at a ceremony in New York City, on Tuesday, January 9, 2007.

About ACCION International

ACCION International is a private, nonprofit organization with the mission of giving people the financial tools they need--microenterprise loans, business training and other financial services--to work their way out of poverty. A world pioneer in microfinance, ACCION was founded in 1961 and issued its first microloan in 1973 in Brazil. ACCION International's partner microfinance institutions today are providing loans as low as $100 to poor men and women entrepreneurs in 22 countries in Latin America, the Caribbean, Asia and sub-Saharan Africa, and in the U.S. In the last decade alone, ACCION partners have disbursed more than 14 million loans totaling more than $9.4 billion; 97 percent of the loans have been repaid. For more information, visit www.accion.org.

About Fast Company and Monitor Group

Fast Company, founded in 1996, is a magazine for and about the creative class. It is a journal of change and changemakers -- dynamic, compelling leaders in both the for-profit and nonprofit spheres who are making dramatic innovations to shape the future. Visit www.fastcompany.com for more information.

The Monitor Group is a family of professional services firms, linked by shared ownership, management philosophy and knowledge assets. Each entity in Monitor's global network is dedicated to providing products and services that fundamentally enhance the competitiveness of its clients. Visit www.monitor.com for more information.

The 2007 Social Capitalist Awards winners are:

ACCION International

ACCION International

ACCION International is a private, nonprofit organization with the mission of giving people the financial tools they need―microenterprise loans, business training and other financial services―to work their way out of poverty. A world pioneer in microfinance, ACCION was founded in 1961 and issued its first microloan in 1973 in Brazil. ACCION International's partner microfinance institutions today are providing loans as low as $100 to poor men and women entrepreneurs in 25 countries in Latin America, Asia, Africa and the United States. In the last decade alone, ACCION partners have disbursed more than 17.9 million loans totaling more than $12.3 billion; 97 percent of the loans have been repaid. Selected for the fourth consecutive year for its pioneering approaches to poverty alleviation, ACCION was among 43 organizations awarded the 2007 Social Capitalist Award by Fast Company magazine. ACCION has also been awarded Charity Navigator's highest rating―four stars―for efficiency and sound fiscal management. For more information, visit www.accion.org.

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