The Network of Indian Professionals of North America (NetIP) is both honored and proud to announce its support for Grameen Foundation at the North America (NA) level.  NetIP has pledged to raise funds through various programs, events and fundraising efforts between 2009 and 2010 through its 24 chapters.  NetIP has been at the forefront of community support through various programs both at its national and local chapter level. This community Service initiative is a key component of NetIP’s community service pillar, one of 4 foundations that the organization hosts all its events on. The initiative is led by NetIP North America’s External Affairs Team.

“We evaluated various not-for-profit organizations that we’d like to support through our North American initiative. Grameen Foundation stood out given its mission and shared vision with our goals to use innovation & technology as a driver for social empowerment. We are honored to be associated with such a dynamic organization, and excited to use NetIP’s success to help drive support for our communities through the Grameen Foundation,” said Sundip Arora, NetIP’s vice president for external affairs and President-elect for 2010. NetIP’s membership consists of young South Asian Professionals. This demographic gives the organization its unique characteristics and ability to strategically place them as a premier networking organization in North America. With its diversity in programming and events, NetIP assures its members an all inclusive networking avenue for all their needs.

“Grameen Foundation has been supporting microfinance’s expansion in South Asia since 2000 and we are pleased to have been chosen by NetIP as its 2009 Community Service organization,” said Sandra Adams, Grameen Foundation’s vice president for external affairs. “Diaspora organizations can play an important role in advancing development in their home countries and we would like to applaud NetIP for supporting our efforts to give millions of poor women and men in the region the opportunity to build new lives.”

Grameen Foundation uses microfinance and technology to help the poor, especially the poorest, create a world without poverty. Microfinance helps these individuals by giving them collateral-free loans, savings, and other financial services to support small businesses. As each loan is repaid, the money is redistributed as a loan to another person, thereby multiplying the impact of the funds. Professor Muhammad Yunus, founder and managing director of Grameen Bank, is a founding member of its board of directors and currently serves as member emeritus of its board. He is the recipient of several awards including the 2009 Presidential Medal of Freedom from President Barack Obama and the 2006 Nobel Peace Prize, which he shares with the Grameen Bank.

Together, both organizations hope to create an impact on poverty in South Asia as well as to encourage young South Asians in North America to make a difference. A small donation is enough to make a big change for someone needy. Each individual contribution makes an actual effort due to the small scale loans that are involved in microfinancing.