Banco da Família is in the third position in the world ranking of microfinance institutions. This information is from MicroRate, the main qualifier of operators from the sector. The Santa Catarina’s institution obtained A- and 4.5 stars ratings among 204 participants. This result indicates long-term institutional viability and good financial capacity, in addition to excellence in social performance. MicroRate also highlighted corporate governance, management, financial situation and focus on performance as some positive points.
“Submitting our numbers to this kind of analysis in the middle of a pandemic year and verifying that, despite all the difficulties, we still managed to maintain our grounding, represents a big victory”, said Isabel Baggio, president of Banco da Família. In 2020, although the global crisis, Banco da Família grew approximately 30%.
When it comes to social qualification, the institution improved the already stablished four-star mark obtained in 2017, improving to a 4.5 stars rating, being among the 5% companies that achieved this classification. According to MicroRate, actions that generate a positive social impact among customers, employees and society in general were the key for this improvement.
One of these actions is the program Produtores da Serra, which supports small business entrepreneurs in the highlands region of Santa Catarina. In this program, cheese, honey, salami, juice, biscuits, jellies and candied sweets, mostly produced at the their houses and sold informally, started to be commercialized in supermarket chains, bakeries, pasta houses, grocery stores and even in countryside resorts. The initiative helped both those who produce and also the local economy.
Another significant action that contributed to MicroRate’s ranking is the program “Despertar – Your Future is Now”, designed to help vulnerable families improving their quality of life. To achieve this goal, Banco da Família has been using the Traffic Light for Poverty Elimination Program since March 2020, a social innovation technology developed by Fundación Paraguaya and brought to Brazil in a pioneering way. In a survey on income and employment, health and environment, housing and infrastructure, education and culture, organization and participation, and mental health and motivation, participants evaluate themselves with answers that are highlighted in red, yellow and green. From this point on, Banco da Família provides mentoring to
help people improving everything that is not in the third indicator, considered to be the ideal one. About 300 families from Santa Catarina, Paraná and Rio Grande do Sul are using this method with good results.
Banco da Família is also leading the ranking of the Association of Microcredit and Microfinance Institutions in the Southern Brazil (AMCRED-Sul), with 12,300 credit operations just in the first half of this year alone, totaling R$ 60.3 millions granted. This value is 67.86% higher than the second place.
The expansion is still going on. In 2021, Banco da Família expanded its operations in Rio Grande do Sul, reaching Santa Cruz do Sul and Gravataí. Soon, it will also be in Porto Alegre, in the metropolitan region and northwest of Rio Grande do Sul. In Santa Catarina, it opened operations in Concordia and Rio do Sul. In Paraná, Banco da Família is preparing to arrive in the Campos Gerais region.