This month, we released our Spring Global Report. Read on for more information about our latest stats and reporting from the field. 

Opportunity's Global Momentum

You helped us reach more impoverished families with financial services. As of 12/31/14, nearly 12 million customers spanning 28 countries are using an Opportunity loan, savings account and/or insurance policy to improve their lives. You helped us respond to the urgent needs of entrepreneurs who invest their increased earnings back into their businesses and families.

You empowered women and families - 94% of Opportunity's loans are made to women. As of 12/31/14, 3.2 million women are focused on improving life quality for their families and driving economic growth within their communities through job creation.

You helped clients build their safety nets. In 2014, we more than doubled the number of families who have a secure place to save fto 4.1 million, up from 1.3 million in 2013. With balances averaging $55, families have proven they can and will save when given the opportunity.

2.2 million families in India are saving via loan officers who facilitate deposits through local bank partnerships. Also, Opportunity launched savings in DR Congo in 2014, helping 3,534 families open their first accounts. We tripled our savings outreach in Macedonia and achieved 5X growth in clients with savings in Indonesia. 

7.8 million customers have peace of mind through the protection of insurance coverage via insurance partners at Opportunity institutions or through MicroEnsure, covering 10.3 million lives on 12/31/14. 

Because you invest in farmers, rural families grow more food for their families and communities.

In 2014, Opportunity:

• Disbursed 69,512 loans valuing $14 million to farmers, increasing the cumulative loans disbursed to farmers since initiative launch to 241,067.
• Increased the cumulative value of loans disbursed since the start of the initiative to $47 million, a 43% growth from 2013 year-end. 
• Launched Agriculture Finance in Kenya with 306 loans to dairy farmers and in Tanzania with loans to 542 sunflower farmers.
• Rwanda doubled its cumulative loans disbursed to farmers from 15,761 in 2013 to 32,618 in 2014.
• Expanded partnerships to meet the specific needs of farmers. For example, we partner with Joseph Initiative in Masindi, Uganda to help maize farmers improve crops, increase incomes and feed families. We disbursed loans to 111 farmers who access their accounts and using mobile money technology. 

Because you invest in technology innovations, entrepreneurs have cheaper, faster, closer access to services.

You helped Opportunity revolutionize the way our clients access their accounts. 

• Opportunity is dedicated to integrating and scaling mobile banking as a primary delivery channel, creating efficiencies across our global network and enabling clients to transact using their basic cellphones. 
• We launched mobile banking in six African countries where nearly 250,000 clients embrace this technology, doubling our reach since mid-2014.
• Opportunity tripled the number of rice and sunflower farmers accessing branchless banking services in Tanzania in the past six months to 1,093. Farmers are accessing accounts via mobile phone, and seven loan officers are increasing efficiency with tablets that tag geographic farm coordinates. 
• Opportunity Rwanda achieved Model Bank status - a cloud-driven operating platform that drives efficiency and cost reductions for clients and banks. Model Bank increases our capacity to reach remote populations through innovative solutions that are much more cost effective than physical bank branches. The platform is being replicated across multiple Opportunity institutions.

Because you invest in developing leaders, Opportunity's 20,782 global team members are inspired and challenged.

Opportunity International's Leadership Development team builds a learning culture - deploying programs and systems to empower employees at every step of their professional journey. You are supporting the evolution of these programs, and Opportunity itself, in a culture of excellence, discipline and accountability. 

Global staff quadrupled the number of courses completed to 3,705 via the Opportunity Learning Center, a state-of-the-art online learning system. The system of 800 courses is a gateway to self-directed professional development. Today, 2,100 staff are enrolled in courses. 

In March, 2015, Opportunity launched the Executive Development Program to challenge, prepare and retain top talent as the future leaders of Opportunity International. The first 12 participants in the program gathered in Malawi from seven countries this spring to launch the curriculum designed to strengthen technical and values-based ethical leadership skills. 

Opportunity delivers world-class servcie to our clients. Through staff training programs including new employee onboarding, ongoing development training and client-centric service delivery, loan officers are empowered to deliver the best mix of financial tools to ensure client success. We have also developed courses on Risk and Compliance, Sales Management and Critical Thinking - all of which are available through the Opportunity Learning Center. 

Because you invest in education, marginalized communities have more educational opportunities for children.

With your help, Opportunity has positively impacted 1.2 million kids cumulatively since the launch of our Education Finance Initiative. Currently: 

• In Q3 2014, we welcomed Opportunity Tanzania into the program and launched the program in Colombia in March 2015, growing our program to 11 participating financial institutions across ten countries. 
• 1,032 schools are investing School Improvment loans to improve infrastructure, benefiting 258,000 children, up 19% from last year. 8,350 School Fee loans are helping parents send 25,930 kids to school. 
• Opportunity innovates to protect children's futures through EduSave - a free, incentive-based school fee insurance. At the end of February, 117,067 clients qualified, protecting the future education of 363,558 kids across Ghana, Malawi and Uganda. As savings balances grow, insurance value grows, enabling kids to stay in school in case of parental death or disability.