What is Bankers without Borders?
Bankers without Borders, Grameen Foundation’s volunteer initiative, is a reserve corps of over 16,000 skilled professionals from a variety of countries and industries who contribute their time, skills, and experience to support microfinance institutions and other poverty focused social enterprises worldwide.
Whether working on-site or remotely, whether consulting or training, Bankers without Borders volunteers help increase the scale, sustainability, and impact of Grameen Foundation supported programs.
Bankers without Borders, Grameen Foundation’s volunteer initiative, is a reserve corps of over 16,000 skilled professionals from a variety of countries and industries who contribute their time, skills, and experience to support microfinance institutions and other poverty focused social enterprises worldwide.
Whether working on-site or remotely, whether consulting or training, Bankers without Borders volunteers help increase the scale, sustainability, and impact of Grameen Foundation supported programs.
Do I have to be a banker to volunteer?
No. We seek all types of dedicated, skilled, and committed professionals and academics with expertise that can advance poverty focused social enterprises. This includes finance, marketing, technology, design, human resources and other disciplines. Please see current volunteer opportunities to review current skill needs.
Volunteering with Bankers without Borders provides valuable skill development for high-performing employees who are destined for leadership in an organization. Participation enhances cross-cultural skills, international experience, and global perspective – factors that are critical for success in today’s world. Bankers without Borders can help your corporation make a tangible difference in the lives of the world’s poorest, while also significantly increasing your own recruitment success, productivity, and profitability.
What kind of work do volunteers do?
Projects will vary based on volunteer skills and needs of the client institutions. Assignments might include key elements of strengthening a microfinance institution’s risk management policies, internal audit and controls procedures, market research methodologies, or analysis. Assignments could also include marketing and brand management, electronic and print publications, online and new media, legal services, human resource planning, training, and leadership development.
Where will I volunteer?
Volunteers can support projects at social enterprises abroad in Africa, Asia, Latin America and the Carribean, and the Middle East and North Africa, or at Grameen Foundation offices in Washington, DC and Seattle. There are also many opportunities to volunteer remotely. Each volunteer project description will indicate its location or if it is virtual.
How long is each project?
Bankers without Borders provides volunteer opportunities to fit any schedule. Projects vary from just a few hours a week to possibly weeks or months full-time, depending on the location and scope of work. Projects are structured in a way to accommodate currently employed working professionals, although opportunities exist for longer term engagements.
What do you look for in volunteers?
Typical volunteers are seasoned professionals who are committed to Grameen Foundation’s mission, vision, and values. They have technical skills and expertise appropriate for the project, and they are effective working in a consultative way. For assignments abroad, volunteers should be comfortable working in a developing country and with various cultures, religions, and traditions.
How do I volunteer?
Register with Bankers without Borders and complete your Volunteer Profile, including your availability for the volunteer opportunities of interest. Bankers without Borders will try to match your skills with the skills required for specific projects, but we also encourage you to check the current list for projects of interest. Shortlisted volunteers are interviewed and selected by project managers, who are either Grameen Foundation staff or the employees of our partner organizations.
What can I expect to gain from volunteering for Bankers without Borders?
Volunteers comment that projects have presented life-changing personal and professional growth experiences. They express a sense of achievement and of satisfaction that they have contributed time and expertise towards the larger goal of alleviating poverty.
Do I need to be fluent in the language of the country in which I am volunteering?
Not necessarily. However, there are language requirements for particular projects.
Does Grameen Foundation maintain the confidentiality of volunteers’ personal information?
Yes. We only share information with other Grameen Foundation employees and/or microfinance institutions with a project that meets your skill set.
How are volunteer assignments developed?
Grameen Foundation or a client institution will identify a project need, the volunteer’s role, project deliverables, and the expected project outcomes. This information is entered into the Bankers without Borders database so Grameen Foundation can match volunteers' skills and expertise with the project needs.
How do I know what projects are available?
You will automatically notified when projects meeting your skill set become available. All volunteer opportunities are also listed here and are updated frequently.
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