Proceedings for the Rural Finance Working Group

• To bring together key donor stakeholders working in rural and agricultural finance (RAF);
• To share information on USAID activities on research and training in RAF and solicit donor input; and
• To explore collaborative donor efforts and seek opportunities for collaboration.

The ultimate goals of the meeting were to promote cooperation and collaboration among donors on RAF, help avoid duplication of efforts, and keep members of the Donors’ Working Group on Rural Finance well informed of USAID’s ongoing work in this technical area. Attendees included a wide range of donor organizations involved in RAF (a list of meeting participants is included as Appendix A). The meeting followed the agenda shown in Appendix B. Key researchers and training curriculum designers for USAID, including Claudio Gonzalez-Vega (DAI/Ohio State), Stephanie Charitonenko (Chemonics International), Bob Fries (ACDI/VOCA), and Hillary Miller (DAI), joined the meeting to ensure maximum incorporation of feedback into the research itself. The meeting was facilitated by Kate McKee, Director of USAID’s Office of Microenterprise Development.