The Foundation
For financial inclusion and sustainable economic development
Fondazione MICRA is a non-profit organization in the Third Sector that promotes financial inclusion and sustainable economic development, placing people, communities, and territories at the center. Through actions and projects related to microfinance, financial education, and support for micro-enterprises, MICRA works to create more accessible economic opportunities and strengthen the capacities of those who often remain on the margins of traditional financial and productive systems. The Foundation’s activity stems from the intersection of research and action. MICRA develops training initiatives and applied research activities to experiment with financial instruments, monitor their impact, and contribute to the dissemination of more inclusive and sustainable economic models. Seminars, training programs, and support activities are an integral part of this work, aimed at strengthening skills, economic autonomy, and entrepreneurial capacity.
Our commitment
The Foundation is committed to promoting responsible access to financial services and supporting the economic opportunities of individuals and communities, with particular attention to women, youth, migrants, and other vulnerable groups. For MICRA, access to credit and financial knowledge is not only an economic tool, but a lever for generating social inclusion, autonomy, and local development.
In its work, the Foundation supports the creation and strengthening of micro-enterprises and social impact entrepreneurial initiatives, promotes financial education programs to improve people’s economic autonomy, and develops microfinance and sustainable finance instruments capable of reaching even fragile, rural, or marginal contexts. In this way, access to economic resources is accompanied by the growth of skills and the creation of lasting opportunities for territories.
Founded in 2002 under the name Associazione Microfinanza e Sviluppo, in 2024 the organization transformed into Fondazione MICRA – Microfinanza, Comunità, Ricerca, Azione, consolidating and expanding its commitment to economic and social inclusion. Over the years, it has built a solid network of institutional and territorial partners through ongoing collaborations with Third Sector organizations, public entities, financial institutions, universities and research centers, and local operators. By connecting different skills and experiences, the Foundation designs and implements effective, sustainable interventions rooted in the territories.
Activities
The Foundation’s activities are carried out in Italy and around the world through international cooperation programs implemented in collaboration with local partners in various countries, including Myanmar, Tunisia, Lebanon, Senegal, Tanzania, Burundi, and Sudan. In each context, interventions are designed based on the social and economic specificities of the territories, with the aim of generating economic opportunities and strengthening communities’ capacity to build their own future.
