MCE Social Capital

Announcing MCE’s 2023 Impact Report! 2023 was a year of growth at MCE as we increased our portfolio by 20% and deepened our impact by reaching 34% more stakeholders. This growth was a result of many exciting developments, which you can read about in the report along with key insights and learnings from the year. We are proud to share the amazing impact stemming from our portfolio companies–impact that YOUR support makes possible. Thank you! #ImpactReport #ImpactInvesting

We are so proud to be “one of the most impactful investments” of long-time supporter Toni Schwarz. We congratulate you on an incredible 10 years of impact investing!

MCE is #hiring for a Business Development & Communications Analyst to join our team in the US! We are looking for an early-career rockstar with a strong customer service orientation, high attention to detail and a passion for impact investing. Ideally based on the East Coast. Take a look at the job description and please share widely with your networks! #impactinvesting

MCE is #hiring! We're looking for a FULL-TIME #paralegal to join our Operations team. This person should have experience working with NY law documentation within banking and finance or corporate teams. They'll be a part of a hybrid team working out of our DC hub. Help us find our next teammate by sharing within your network! #impactinvesting #legal

As we build out our vision for the new year, MCE has been reflecting on some of 2024’s exciting accomplishments. We are proud to share that we once again finished last year with our highest-ever portfolio of $95.9M, in part due to a record-breaking $52M+ in disbursements in 2024 alone. This capital went to high-impact long-standing partners as well as 13 new companies added to MCE’s portfolio, all of which is invested in uplifting the economic and environmental health of communities in emerging markets. We were also excited to add two new investment team members based in Nairobi, Kenya and Quito, Ecuador, deepening our impact expertise within those regions and beyond. Thank you to our Investment Team members for your tireless work and commitment to the companies and people we serve! Abel Cuadrench i Tristany, Renaud Duverger, CFA, Mónica Furuya, Newton Nthiga, Lamia Ouederni, Elena Pons, Jimena Quiroz, CFA, Maria Oliva Farriol, Evrim Kirimkan, Wairimu Miano and Maria Raurell Carulla #2024Highlights #ImpactInvestment #InclusiveFinance

Maria Oliva Farriol, MCE’s Impact Manager, was honored to speak on a panel at the FLII conference in San Jose, Costa Rica last month. She and her fellow panelists shared about the challenges, opportunities and tools available to improve access to climate resilience finance and opportunities by vulnerable populations. They also shared about their respective organizations’ impact objectives, investment criteria and impact measurement approach around climate resilience. #ImpactManagement #ClimateResilience #ClimateFinance

MCE is excited to add a new SGB to our portfolio, Ethical Apparel Africa (EAA), a Ghana-based garment manufacturer committed to ethical and sustainable operations. They employ over 400 full-time staff, 70% of which are female, who are paid twice the country’s minimum wage. The company sources apparel from partner factories, and it also started producing garments in its own 100% solar-powered factory in 2021. MCE disbursed $750K to EAA this month, representing our re-entry into Ghana, our first investment in the sustainable garment industry, and the addition of a client with a tremendous commitment to sustainable livelihoods, particularly those of women. MCE’s Investment Manager Renaud Duverger, CFA and Impact Manager Maria Oliva Farriol had the opportunity to visit EAA on due diligence in August, pictured below. #SmallBusiness #SustainableFashion #AfricaInvestments

Congratulations to Agora Microfinance Zambia (AMZ) and MiCrédito Nicaragua for receiving a 60 Decibels Social Impact Award based on their top performance in the 2024 Microfinance Index, where they ranked in the top 3 out of all participating financial service providers in their regions. MCE is proud to call them partners within our FSP Portfolio; MiCrédito since 2019 and Agora Microfinance since 2022. This recognition is based on interviews with over 35,000 microfinance clients globally, revealing powerful insights grounded in customer voice. Key findings include: - 89% of clients report improved quality of life—the highest in three years  - 26% remain vulnerable to unexpected expenses, though additional services like training, savings, or insurance are helping bridge this gap - Group loans are effectively reaching historically excluded populations such as female and rural borrowers: 85% of group borrowers are women - Women are more likely to use loans to invest in businesses, enhancing financial resilience MCE is a proud partner of the report, alongside other industry leaders like Kiva, Ceniarth, Accion, BRAC, Opportunity International, Abler Nordic, Global Partnerships, Incofin Investment Management, and more. Full report: https://lnkd.in/egqYZCYC Social Impact Award Winners: https://lnkd.in/dqvWtWfu

MCE added a new company to our Small and Growing Business (SGB) portfolio recently with a $500K disbursement to Cooperativa Laguna de los Condores (Coop. LDC) in Peru. Coop. LDC is a vital resource for coffee farmers in the remote and underserved Amazonas region. As one of the largest cooperatives in the area, Coop. LDC works with over 800 farmers providing fair pricing and technical support to improve livelihoods in a region where poverty rates exceed 30%. The cooperative’s business model, which includes both local and international sales, offers stable incomes and sustainable farming practices for coffee producers. The cooperative holds several international certifications, including Fair Trade and Rainforest Alliance. In addition, Coop. LDC ensures that 90% of its coffee supply is shade-grown, a practice of growing coffee plants under the canopy of surrounding trees which preserves the natural ecosystem and enhances crop resilience and soil quality. Coop. LDC’s dedication to building a reputation for high-quality, sustainable coffee not only benefits the farmers but also strengthens the broader coffee value chain in the Amazonas region. Investment Manager Renaud Duverger, CFA is pictured below with a Coop. LDC coffee farmer while on due diligence earlier this year. #NewPortfolioCompany #SmallBusiness #ImpactInvestment #SustainableAgriculture #SustainableCoffee #Amazon #Peru

MCE staff Catherine Covington and Emma Rucker had a great time last week at the Resource Center for Religious Institutes (RCRI) conference in Orlando, Florida. We tabled a booth as exhibitors where we got to connect with current and prospective supporters in the Catholic religious community who care as deeply as we do about unlocking capital in support of sustainable livelihoods in underserved communities. We were also honored to present about MCE to a group of 50 at a breakfast hosted by current investor Religious Communities Impact Fund, Inc (RCIF)! We are so grateful to RCIF, our conference hosts and the inspiring group of people we had the privilege of connecting with throughout the week. #ImpactInvesting