Manuals, guides, and curricula

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Tool description

A typology of relationships between savings groups and financial service providers

This learning brief proposes a typology to describe the types of relationships between Savings Groups and financial service providers, to ease discussion, facilitate research, improve comparisons across studies, and strengthen the language in contracts and other agreements.

A review of the literature concerning commercial relationships between savings groups and financial service providers

A comprehensive review of relevant and accessible literature on the facilitation of commercial relationships between Savings Groups and financial service providers, including research, project evaluations and policy materials.

Delivering formal financial services to savings groups:  A handbook for financial service providers

This handbook is a reference guide for financial service providers for the effective design and delivery of financial services for Savings Groups.

Managing your Money, Financial Literacy Training for Community Savings Groups

This financial education course was developed by MicroFinance Opportunities for USAID Tanzania and versions of it are used by CARE and others. While groups that are targeted for linkages need to have a base of understanding, this training is also broadly applicable for many other projects, whether or not  financial linkages are involved.

Principles, Checklists, and Frameworks

Name of tool

Tool description

CARE Principles of Linkages 

General guidelines proposed by CARE for linking SGs to financial institutions. 

Key Performance Indicators for Linkages

This is a checklist used by CARE to ascertain the credit-worthiness of Savings Groups. 

Transparency and Consumer Protection Tools

Name of tool

Tool description

SMART Campaign information

The SMART Campaign is designed to improve the client-friendliness of institutions that provide services to poor people, primarily credit. Since some financial linkages essentially turn Savings Groups into credit solidarity groups, the multiple SMART campaign tools and references might help protect SGs against possible abuses of commercial microfinance institutions.