Mission
Truelift is a trust mark – in microfinance and beyond – to signify commitment to positive and enduring change for people living in poverty. The mark will accomplish this through benchmarking and sharing effective best practices and promoting a learning community among all stakeholders – differentiating those that are truly acting in the service of those living in poverty. Through its work, Truelift will renew focus on the pro-poor objective of microfinance.
Vision
The goal is to set a vision for the sector that prioritizes effective poverty outreach, quality data collection, and analysis through which we can learn and adapt. The Pro-Poor Principles advocate for measurement and data, and form a roadmap for microfinance organizations to develop models that assure sustainability and lead to enduring change in clients’ lives. Our aim is to encourage data-driven decision-making that creates positive change.
Measurement and reporting against standards can provide powerful motivation to the industry to more commit more seriously to poverty alleviation. Further, it is also essential to recognize successful efforts. Truelift identifies “beacon” MFIs to help other practitioners on the pathway toward being pro-poor providers. The Pro-Poor Seal of Excellence is the greatest recognition available from Truelift, and represents the big, bold vision of the movement. Its recipients are recognized as Leaders within the community of practice.
Truelift builds upon and reinforces the work of the Smart Campaign and the Social Performance Task Force, and focuses a lens of poverty on these initiatives. By collecting and sharing rigorous, objective, and concrete evidence of success, Truelift reinvigorates the role of financial services as a powerful tool and platform in the fight against poverty.
Values
Evidence
Truelift advocates for evidence-based methods. Truelift represents one of the first major initiatives to focus on client outcomes and aims to encourage data-driven decision-making.
Progress over Perfection
Truelift defines a pathway to better practice. By recognizing progress, we focus on growth instead of solely achievement.
Simplicity
While the Truelift mission is full of complex concepts, including social performance and definitions of poverty, we strive for simplicity.
Collaboration
Our work renewing focus on the pro-poor objective of microfinance is complementary to and creates a simple focal point for the efforts of Smart Campaign, SPTF, MIX Market, and others working on accountability in the industry.
Inclusiveness
By sharing effective best practices and promoting a learning community among all stakeholders, Truelift draws a roadmap for microfinance organizations to develop models that assure sustainability and lead to enduring change in clients’ lives. We understand that in order to realize this roadmap, stakeholders of all kinds must be involved in its construction.
Truelift 