finca international is a non-profit , microfinance organization , founded by john hatch in 1984 .

sometimes referred to as the " world bank for the poor " , finca is the innovator of the village banking methodology in microcredit and is widely regarded as one of the pioneers of modern-day microfinance .

with its headquarters in washington , d.c. , finca has 21 affiliated host-country institutions ( affiliates ) , in latin america and the caribbean , africa , eurasia and the middle east and south asia .

along with grameen bank and accion international , finca is considered to be one of the most influential microfinance organizations in the world .

finca international

rupert scofield , president and chief executive officer of finca international . what’s next for microfinance ? photo by : finca international
the majority owner of the finca impact finance network is finca international , a not - for - profit organization . finca international is joined by socially minded minority shareholders .
the majority owner of the finca impact finance network is finca international , a not - for - profit organization . finca international is joined by socially minded minority shareholders .
’s lana parrilla is collaborating with the foundation for international community assistance ( finca ) to combat global poverty .
finca international is a washington , dc - based not - for - profit organization with a mission to alleviate poverty through lasting solutions that help people build assets , create jobs and raise their standard of living . finca uk is a london - headquartered partner organization of finca international . finca international is also the majority owner of finca impact finance , a network of community - based microfinance institutions and banks .
francis fukuyama , ph . d . , director of international development programs , the paul h . nitze school of advanced international studies , the johns hopkins university
charity navigator only considers information reported on united states irs form 990 , thus , it fails to take into account finca international’s consolidated financial statements , which represent our international network of 20 subsidiaries . charity navigator has acknowledged that their current evaluation model is not designed to evaluate the specifics of finca’s unique business model . therefore , finca international and charity navigator mutually agreed that finca should delist from the ranking service .
the mastercard foundation and finca international launch $ 12 . 7 million partnership to expand financial services in malawi , tanzania , and zambia
the microfinance ceo working group encompases officials from 10 international organizations that promote microfinance in some capacity , including finca , brac and care .
finca international’s partners in fmh are a group of leading , socially - responsible investors that share finca international’s poverty alleviation mission . partners include the international finance corporation ( ifc ) , kfw bankengruppe , fmo , responsability global microfinance fund , asn - novib ( managed via triple jump ) and triodos investment management . no employee or board member of finca international will be allowed to invest or have an equity interest in , or benefit financially from , fmh , as specifically defined in the legal documents establishing fmh .
finca’s unique business model combines the heart and soul of a nonprofit organization—finca international—with the business acumen of a for - profit business—finca microfinance holding company—to generate optimal impact and reach millions more people with life - changing financial services .
what do you think about the future of microfinance and traditional mfis such as finca international ? let us know by leaving a comment below .
the finca international global mission is to alleviate poverty through lasting solutions that help people build assets , create jobs and raise their standard of living .
the mastercard foundation and finca international launch $ 12 . 7 million partnership to expand financial services in malawi , tanzania , and zambia - mastercard foundation
( office of her majesty , press department – new york ) her majesty queen rania al - abdullah co - chaired the launch of the village banking campaign where finca international ( the foundation for international community assistance ) , announced it would bring its considerable microfinance expertise and resources to jordan and the broader middle east . international insurance giant aig ( american international group , inc . ) pledged its support to expand micro - insurance products through a $ 1 . 5 million grant .
finca international , inc . is the founding organization of the network’s 21 microfinance institutions ( subsidiaries ) . in 2010 , finca international established a holding company structure through the creation of finca microfinance holding company llc ( fmh ) . fmh was created to facilitate access to socially - responsible capital to deepen our presence in existing markets and enter new , underserved markets in a sustainable fashion . enormous care was taken to protect finca international’s poverty alleviation mission during the creation of fmh . structural formats and governance policies were put into place to ensure continued adherence to finca’s mission and client focus .
the majority owner of the finca network is finca international , a washington , d . c . - based not - for - profit organization , and its minority shareholders are the international finance corporation ( ifc ) , kfw , nederlandse financierings - maatschappij voor ontwikkelingslanden n . v . ( fmo ) , responsability , triple jump and triodos .
john hatch conceives village banking . his plan enables poor bolivian farmers with no collateral to access loans through a collective guarantee . in 1985 hatch establishes finca . finca is an acronym that stands for the foundation for international community assistance .
learn about new trends in international development , view current events in a new light , and immerse yourself in other cultures .
to get these essential products to customers , finca international seeks to build global network of sustainable and scalable social enterprises . microfinance is the original social enterprise and market - based solution to poverty . as a pioneer in microfinance , we knows what it takes to scale a social enterprise and serve the poor responsibly . finca international has two key initiatives in social enterprise :
finca launches five new programs in eurasia . her majesty queen rania al - abdullah of jordan inaugurates finca kosovo ; finca also launches programs in armenia , georgia , azerbaijan .
leading finca impact finance as chief executive officer is andrée simon , who brings more than 25 years of experience in economic development and inclusive financial services . ms . simon has been instrumental in finca’s evolution towards customer - centric digital financial services . she was chief operating officer and most recently the co - ceo of the finca microfinance holding company , the social investment partnership behind finca’s global network . previously , ms . simon was the president and coo of women for women international , and she has held various business and advisory roles in other organizations , including the center for strategic and international studies and women advancing microfinance international .
finca canada is a partner organization of finca international , the non - profit creator and majority owner of a network of innovative microfinance institutions serving nearly 2 million people on 5 continents with a double bottom line approach to financial sustainability and social impact .
finca helps clients save money with over $ 130 million in savings deposits . the same year finca launched in nigeria .
on january 1 , 2017 , fmh officially launched finca impact finance , the global services company of the finca network .
leading finca impact finance as chief executive officer is andrée simon , who brings more than 25 years of experience in economic development and inclusive financial services . ms . simon has been instrumental in finca ' s evolution towards customer - centric digital financial services . she was chief operating officer and most recently the co - ceo of the finca microfinance holding company , the social investment partnership behind finca ' s global network . previously , ms . simon was the president and coo of women for women international , and she has held various business and advisory roles in other organizations , including the center for strategic and international studies and women advancing microfinance international .
we had previously evaluated this organization , but have since determined that this charity ' s atypical business model can not be accurately captured in our current rating methodology . our removal of finca international from our site is neither a condemnation nor an endorsement of this charity . we reserve the right to reinstate a rating for finca international as soon as we identify a rating methodology that appropriately captures its business model .
finca launches five new programs in eurasia . her majesty queen rania al - abdullah of jordan inaugurates finca kosovo ; finca also launches programs in armenia , georgia , azerbaijan , and russia .
finca launches finca microfinance holding company llc . , the first - of - its - kind socially responsible investment partnership for microfinance .
on a recent finca talks , jacquie green , board member of finca canada , and leah miller , manager of donor engagement , discuss finca’s efforts to increase economic equality for women in haiti .
at the next finca talks , jacquie green and leah miller will discuss finca’s efforts to increase economic equality for women in haiti .
the foundation for international community assistance ( finca ) is a non - profit organisation that provides small loans and savings plans , insurance , payment transfers , and other services to help micro entrepreneurs to start and build enterprises .
finca afghanistan becomes the first microcredit program in the country . finca pioneers sharia - compliant products , which conform to islamic financial principles .
finca international is a 501 ( c ) 3 not - for - profit corporation registered in the state of new york . our revenue comes from the microfinance operations of the finca impact finance network as well as from grants and donations , all of which are used to fund our work .
john hatch conceives the idea of village banking . his plan enables poor bolivian farmers with no collateral to access loans through a collective guarantee . hatch establishes finca , an acronym that stands for the foundation for international community assistance .
with a laugh , he admitted that a friend and colleague from the international finance corp . recently referred to traditional mfis like finca as “the walking dead , ” while others “patronizingly refer to us as ‘legacy microfinance organizations . ’”
finca introduces “branchless banking . ” point - of - sale , atms and cell phone banking programs expand finca’s outreach and lower transaction costs .
servipagos has partnered with finca ecuador to provide third party agency banking services , allowing finca clients to make loan repayments at any servipagos agent .
finca launches its first program in africa . finca uganda opens in 1992 , proving that village banking can work in diverse geographic and cultural environments .
finca impact finance is a subsidiary of the finca microfinance holding company llc and supports a network of 20 community - based microfinance institutions and banks .
smartphones , credit scoring , new agent networks and big data could make microfinance professionals even more productive in years to come , according to rupert scofield , president and chief executive officer of finca international — one of the world’s most prominent mfis .
after acquiring majority shares in 2013 , finca microfinance bank opened its doors to the people of pakistan and also became part of the finca’s global family .
in guatemala , finca has partnered with tigo money so that finca clients can now make loan repayments using prepaid airtime at any authorized tigo money outlet .
finca international is the founder and majority - owner of 20 community - based microfinance institutions and banks across africa , eurasia , latin america , the middle east and south asia . through this global network , called finca impact finance , we are meeting the needs of previously unbanked clients . finca does so by providing access to financial services and enabling full participation in the economy for the world’s poor .
about finca impact finance finca impact finance is a network of 21 microfinance institutions and banks that provides socially responsible financial services and enables low - income individuals and communities to invest in the future . the majority owner of the network is finca international , a microfinance and social enterprise not - for - profit leader dedicated to creating economic inclusion for the poor . for more information , visit fincaimpact . com .
for seven consecutive years , charity navigator rated finca international as one of the most efficient and effective charities in operation , placing us in the top 1 % of rated charities . but with finca’s transition to a new business model in 2011 , charity navigator’s evaluation methods no longer provided an accurate assessment of our operations and impact .
oikocredit chose to partner with finca malawi because the mfi has an excellent geographical outreach , with a presence in all regions . thanks to its affiliation to finca international ( itself also an oikocredit partner ) finca malawi has good access to training and technical assistance . it has a strong brand reputation in malawi ' s microfinance market and a high - quality product portfolio . finally , the organization strongly focuses on client protection .
finca brand was launched in pakistan as finca microfinance bank ltd . in the same year , the bank started offering employee banking services and the running finance facility .
finca zambia partners with zanamaca to provide customised financial services to low income entrepreneurs and marketeers . on monday 20th november , 2017 , finca zambia and zambia national marketeers credit association ( zanamaca ) signed an mou that will see finca zambia provide marketeers
finca azerbaijan - a non - bank credit organization operates in azerbaijan since 1998 under the limited licence of central bank of azerbaijan republic . ©2018 finca azerbaijan privacy policy
finca canada announced today the naming of chloe wilde as the organization’s national ambassador .
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finca impact finance’s network of 20 microfinance institutions and banks provides responsible financial services that enables low - income entrepreneurs and small business owners to invest in their future . the majority owner of the network is finca international , a microfinance and social enterprise not - for - profit leader dedicated to creating economic inclusion for the poor . for more information , visit urltoken
finca uganda ltd ( mdi ) is a microfinance deposit taking institution regulated by bank of uganda under the mdi act 2003 . ©2018 finca uganda legal disclaimer | privacy policy
finca is a leading international microfinance institution offering financial services and products to small scale businesses that have been turned down by traditional banks , so that these businesses can start , grow , and diversify with resulting increases in family income , nutrition , employment and well - being .
milestone : finca celebrates 25 years of providing financial services to low - income entrepreneurs .
finca microfinance bank limited is part of the finca impact finance network , a group of 20 microfinance and financial institutions that provides socially responsible financial services and enables low - income entrepreneurs and small business owners to invest in the future . ©2018 finca pakistan privacy policy
finca impact finance will continue to deliver on finca ' s 30 - year legacy of reaching underserved people with responsible financial services while increasingly leveraging digitization and mobile financial services .
craft silicon operates the breft switch behind finca’s agency banking network in drc and zambia .
, africa , and asia . finca lends primarily to women , in part because women
finca international is a 501 ( c ) ( 3 ) not - for - profit corporation headquartered in washington , dc and registered in the state of new york ( tax id : 13 - 3240109 ) . our revenue comes from the microfinance operations of finca impact finance , as well as from grants and donations , all of which are used to fund our work .
queen rania , who is a long - time supporter of microfinance and member of finca international’s board of directors , said ,
i know that creating opportunity in my region is not an option ; it is a necessity… [ and ] it is clear that programs like finca can help lay a firm foundation – for employment and empowerment and self confidence and hope .
donated funding comes from a variety of sources , including u . s . and international governmental development agencies , private foundations , corporations , service and religious organizations , and individual donors . back to top
about finca international finca is a leading international microfinance organization that provides financial services to the world ' s lowest - income entrepreneurs , helping them to create jobs , build assets and improve their standard of living . for more than twenty years , finca has been committed to breaking the cycle of poverty by providing community - based credit and savings opportunities . currently , finca operates with a distinctive , integrated business model that accepts donations and investment dollars , an approach that leverages available capital and promotes greater transparency , sustainability and higher standards of business practices . this has allowed finca to achieve balanced financial and social performance unmatched in its industry while opening the path to socio - economic development for the lowest - income citizens of the world . based in washington dc with local operations on four continents , serving more than 500 , 000 clients , finca ' s outreach is among the broadest and most comprehensive of today ' s microfinance networks .
there are exceptions . opportunity international , an oak brook , ill . - based mfi with operations in 30 countries , gives business training to its clients . in peru , the foundation for international community assistance ( finca ) , a washington , d . c . - based mfi , teaches its clients how to identify their customers , market their products , and perform basic accounting . a recent study found that finca clients who received business training increased their profits , reinvested more profits into their businesses , and maintained better records than did clients who did not receive the training . 12
academy - award winning actress natalie portman is named finca ambassador of hope and her work with finca raises the visibility of microfinance as one important tool for development in emerging economies .
finca is partnering with finja in pakistan to provide a full suite of mobile financial services .
finca started operations in nigeria as finca microfinance bank ltd in 2014 with headquarters in owerri imo state and has plans for strategic expansion to all southeastern states and southwest region of nigeria .
27 april 2017 , washington , dc – finca , the global institution that pioneered village bankingtm and helped prove the sustainable microfinance model as key to economic development , today announced the launch of finca impact finance . finca impact finance will continue to deliver on finca’s 30 - year legacy of reaching underserved people with responsible financial services while increasingly leveraging digitization and mobile financial services .
after 17 years of operation as micro - finance institution in the country , finca tanzania accomplished yet another milestone , which opens a whole new chapter of our operations as finca microfinance bank .
finca malawi was created in 1994 and has its base in malawi ' s commercial capital , blantyre . it is part of finca international ' s global network . the microfinance institution ( mfi ) provides financial services to more than 45 , 000 low - income small entrepreneurs in all districts in malawi via 20 branches . in addition to its famous village banking model , it also offers group and individual loans .
finca offers micro - insurance . its innovative program in uganda is later adopted by many mfis .
finca microfinance bank ltd nigeria is part of the finca impact finance network , a group of 21 microfinance and financial institutions that provides socially responsible financial services and enables low - income entrepreneurs and small business owners to invest in the future . ©2018 finca microfinance bank limited legal disclaimer | privacy policy
supporters of microfinance contend that small loans fuel economic self - sufficiency . they point to the billions of dollars that microfinance institutions ( mfis ) such as grameen bank , acción international , and opportunity international ( oi ) have given to millions of small - time , impoverished entrepreneurs . they cite research showing that microloans increase household consumption , 1 give women more clout in their communities , encourage the use of contraceptives , and improve the nutrition of young children . 2
a pilot program using tablets is enabling finca to collect client household and geographic data quickly and accurately .
we have over 70 finca express agents spread across the country that offer banking services within the communities .
“i haven’t donated to finca since i saw a financial statement several years ago . finca’s administration appears to be quite fat . i’d prefer to have my donations more efficiently leveraged in a leaner organization . ”
finca defines a social enterprise as a revenue - generating business that provides goods or services intended to achieve positive social , community economic and / or environmental outcomes consistent with finca’s mission objectives . back to top
jeff is a global development reporter for devex . based in washington , dc , he covers multilateral affairs , u . s . aid and international development trends . he has worked with human rights organizations in both senegal and the united states , and prior to joining devex worked as a production assistant at national public radio . he holds a master ' s degree in journalism from columbia university and a bachelor’s degree in international relations and french from the university of rochester .
in 2012 , finca launched agency banking in the democratic republic of congo . this innovative method uses local merchants and shopkeepers in areas where finca doesn’t have a presence to provide banking services to remote clients . the agents are equipped with portable devices that connect to finca’s bank network and bank accounts through biometric fingerprints .
other women on this list are committed to helping women around the globe . oscar - winning actress natalie portman is an active supporter of finca international ( the foundation for international community assistance ) , which provides microloans to women in developing countries . mariska hargitay of law & order : special victims unit fame founded the joyful heart foundation to help the survivors of domestic violence . and geena davis launched the geena davis institute on gender in media in 2007 , aiming to increase the number and variety of female characters aimed at children and to reduce the stereotyping of women in the media .
finca calculates the 93 - percent figure by counting all costs incurred by the overseas units . finca’s audited financial statements are prepared according to international financial standards , which do not require the spending breakdowns required by u . s . standards , making the 93 - percent figure hard to verify . but the charity says its program spending is high because its loan portfolio increased by 124 percent , to $ 626 . 5 - million , from 2007 to 2012 .
finca established its presence in zambia as a non - profit making organization with only two outlets in lusaka .
finca canada announced that asset management firm deetken impact will provide a usd 1 million loan to finca haiti sa for on - lending to individual , micro , small - and medium - sized businesses ( msmes ) .
“learn how 93 cents of every dollar donated to finca directly supports our affiliate programs across our network . ”
finca microfinance bank ltd has a strategic diverse mix of goal oriented and performance driven management team and employees .
finca zambia ltd is a microfinance deposit taking institution regulated by the bank of zambia under the banking and financial services ( microfinance ) regulations , 2006 . finca zambia is a subsidiary of finca microfinance holding company llc ( fmh ) , and part of a network of 21 microfinance institutions and banks that provide socially responsible financial services that enable low - income individuals and communities to invest in the future . ©2018 finca zambia legal disclaimer | privacy policy
finca uganda is part of the finca impact finance network , a group of 20 microfinance and financial institutions that provides socially responsible financial services and enables low - income entrepreneurs and small business owners to invest in the future .
with headquarters in washington , dc , our goal at finca international is to provide low - income people around the world the tools they need to succeed . finca’s programs benefit millions of people across five continents . we do that by offering responsible financial services , such as small loans or savings accounts ; by reaching people in remote communities using technology like mobile phones and tablets ; and by providing access to life - enhancing products , like solar home systems and clean cookstoves .
finca bank georgia is part of the finca impact finance network , a group of 21 microfinance and financial institutions that provides socially responsible financial services and enables low - income entrepreneurs and small business owners to invest in the future . finca bank is a joint - stock company ( r / n . : 205235262 ) , operating under the laws of georgia and in accordance with august 6 , 2013 , # 590 decree of the national bank of georgia . ©2015 finca bank georgia ©2018 finca bank georgia legal notice | customer protection | usa patriot act | bonds prospectus
finca launches the village banking campaign , a commitment to provide financial services to one million clients living in poverty .
finca launches a new subsidiary in jordan . her majesty queen rania al - abdullah of jordan inaugurates the program .
“we’re competing against the whole world , ” the finca chief said . “i mean everybody is doing microfinance . ”
in 2008 , finca began spinning off some of its overseas entities , which are now separate international groups . under irs rules , those programs are no longer captured on the form 990 . however , the charity reports on the 990 the fundraising and administrative work that it does for its affiliates , which it says makes its overhead appear higher than it actually is . partly for that reason , charity navigator downgraded finca’s previous four - star rating , prompting the two to part ways .
finca international is grateful to all the corporate , foundation , bilateral , multilateral and other partners who support our work on long - range and large - scale initiatives . our partners lend significant financial support , as well as technology and know - how . they help us enter new markets , deliver new products and services , and improve the efficiency and effectiveness of our operations .
finca international ' s mission is to provide financial services to the world ' s lowest - income entrepreneurs so they can create jobs , build assets and improve their standard of living . finca currently serves nearly two million clients in 23 countries and both our client and donor base is growing every day . financial inclusion is a crucial element in the fight against poverty and finca is working to expand access to formal financial services for those who have been systematically excluded . women are by far the most commonly excluded group and yet also the group that has the potential to benefit the most from the increased access . therefore , finca is leading the charge to give hardworking female entrepreneurs the opportunities they deserve . in this way , finca is working to sustainably improve the quality of life for millions of people around the world from the bottom up .
carlos , a finca credit officer in guatemala , reviews loan information using a digital tablet with his client , engracia .
rashid ali , a finca microfinance client in pakistan , used loans to grow his factory and care for his children .
and helped prove the sustainable microfinance model as key to economic development , today announced the launch of finca impact finance .
first access provides enterprise credit scoring for finca tanzania to automate credit decisioning using demographic and savings / repayment behavioral data .
software group is finca’s technology partner in africa in implementing digital field automation with tablets as well as agency banking services .
finca uganda acquired and opened its own head offices in a magnificent building located on plot 11 , acacia avenue , kampala .
finca’s publications are a great way to learn more about our work , our supporters and our leadership in the microfinance community .
paretix provides data - based mobile phone credit scoring solutions that drive finca’s mobile lending products in drc , malawi and tanzania .
finca is a pioneer in developing market - based solutions to build economically sustainable communities and enable full participation in the economy .
as of 2014 , finca international is serving a client base of nearly two million in 23 countries around the world . in 2014 alone there was a 66 % increase in client savings to over $ 130 . 2 million as well as a 10 % increase in the total value of loans disbursed reaching $ 1 . 6 billion . in 2014 finca launched the
bright light
social enterprise campaign in uganda , which provides additionally , the expansion of finca plus initiatives , which allow clients access to insurance , health benefits , small energy products , etc . , will not only allow finca to progress and advance in client outreach but will expand the conceptual design of microfinance . as an organization , we continue to work each day to serve our mission of helping the poor help themselves .
dar es salaam , tanzania ( 31 july 2013 ) – the mastercard foundation and finca international today announced a $ 12 . 7 million partnership that will allow the region’s financially underserved people to more easily access savings products and services through the development and deployment of new technologies . by making access to savings accounts and services more readily available , it is anticipated that the number of people creating their own financial safety nets will increase dramatically in coming years . the partnership also supports expansion of finca’s innovative social performance management system , focused on ensuring that finca’s operations , products and services are both responsive to client needs and reach the clients who can receive the most benefit .
finca serves clients in 20 countries around the world . we value the diversity of our staff at headquarters and in the field .
finca’s mission is to alleviate poverty through lasting solutions that help people build assets , create jobs and raise their standard of living .
finca celebrated its 15th anniversary of providing socially responsible financial services to low - income entrepreneurs in the dr congo and their communities .
finca uganda celebrated 20 years of providing life - changing financial services . in the same year it also launched atm services using the finca access card to allow customers 24 / 7 access to their money through a multiplicity of interswitch member banks’ atms across the country .
whether you’re a seasoned professional with years of experience or just beginning to shape your career , you’ll find challenging and rewarding employment opportunities with finca . we pride ourselves on creating an environment where career paths are designed to take advantage of your learned and innate skills ; where becoming a leader is built into your job description ; and where you’ll find yourself working with some of the most talented financial services professionals in the international development workforce .
in july 2013 , mastercard foundation and finca canada entered into a 4 . 5 year , $ 12 . 7 million partnership to significantly scale up financial inclusion in malawi , tanzania and zambia . during this period , finca will establish new delivery channels to deliver products to rural and underserved communities . in addition , support will allow finca to provide training that helps staff shift their orientation from credit - centric products to a broader range of financial services including savings , and further embed social performance metrics into every aspect of finca’s operations .
finca uganda started its operations in jinja district in 1992 as a microfinance institution . in 2004 , finca uganda was licensed as a microfinance deposit taking institution ( mdi ) thus becoming the first mdi to be regulated by bank of uganda under the mdi act of 2003 .
social service impact by leveraging the finca network to provide support in the areas of education , health , nutrition and financial literacy training .
with this new model , finca remains at the forefront of financial inclusion . we are better positioned to deliver impactful financial services to increasingly large numbers of low - income clients . we are also better able to weather economic shocks , ensuring finca’s financial health and mission .
finca impact finance ' s network of 21 microfinance banks and institutions are redefining how low - income people access finance . clients are increasingly bypassing traditional access points utilizing emerging technology and partnerships , including mobile and agency banking . in finca impact finance ' s subsidiary in the
president bill clinton and first lady hillary clinton visit finca uganda and show strong support for microfinance as one important and critical tool for development .
finca provides state - of - the - art deposit and payment solutions including micro - credit facilities aimed at improving livelihoods in the country .
finca uganda started its operations as a microfinance institution and became popular for its village banking methodology where customers would access loans through group membership .
over 22 years with finca , hatch served as president , and as chief of party for programs in el salvador and guatemala ; he retired as finca’s director of research in 2006 . today , the organization he founded reaches over 1 . 6 million people in 20 countries with small loans , insurance , savings programs , and other services . hatch continues as a finca board member , advisor , speaker , lecturer , and fundraiser . he is continuing his research on the impact of village banking and is active in finca’s annual student symposium and research awards competition .
finca haiti has partnered with digicel to use the moncash wallet as a channel through which customers can make loan repayments and receive loan disbursements .
according to our survey , finca loans enable women to increase the employment in their enterprises by 36 percent , versus 26 percent for men .
at finca , you’ll join a select group of professionals who believe that a hand - up , not a hand - out , is the best way to create lasting economic change in the world’s poorest communities . our international network of 20 subsidiaries on five continents with operations throughout africa , eurasia , latin america and the middle east - south asia regions offers an abundance of career options that span a wide array of disciplines , with endless opportunities to learn and grow .
thanks to this partnership , finca aims to reach over 500 , 000 previously excluded savers and nearly 300 , 000 borrowers in malawi , tanzania , and zambia by 2017 . the mastercard foundation also supports finca through the ifc and the microlead and youthstart programs , managed by the uncdf .
on january 1 , 2017 , fmh officially launched finca impact finance , the global services company of the finca network , a group of 20 microfinance and financial institutions , that provides socially responsible financial services and enables low - income entrepreneurs and small business owners to invest in the future .
invest in visions gmbh kfw development bank mfx solutions microfinance enhancement facility sa , sicav - sif ( mef ) netherlands development finance company n . v . ( fmo ) oikocredit international overseas private investment corporation ( opic ) responsability investments ag symbiotics s . a . triple jump b . v . triodos investment management b . v .
finca ventures : an impact investing initiative that provides patient capital and technical assistance to early - stage social enterprises . through finca ventures , we are supporting innovative solutions in energy , water / sanitation / hygiene ( wash ) , education , health , agriculture and financial technology ( fintech ) .
three finca subsidiaries become regulated financial institutions . as financial institutions , subsidiaries in ecuador and uganda can offer clients more services , including savings accounts .
finca tanzania becomes the first micro - finance institution licensed and regulated by the bank of tanzania and begins offering savings accounts with additional banking services .
in 2017 , finca uganda marks 25 years of providing relevant financial services to her over 200 , 000 clients hence empowering and impacting communities positively .
finca takes an integrated approach to financial inclusion through its unique structure and the comprehensive way in which resources are leveraged to best serve our clients .
as is our mission worldwide , finca microfinance bank primarily serves the country’s low - income entrepreneurs and aims to ultimately help them improve their standard of living . finca microfinance bank stems from an idea conceived over 25 years ago and continues to grow and invent means to effectively reach a wider client base .
finca zambia became a microfinance deposit institution after meeting the central bank ' s requirements and successfully launched a range of savings products to the general public .
finca impact finance’s network of 20 community - based microfinance institutions and banks offers responsible and impactful financial services to low - income clients . with 30 years of experience and a mostly local staff of over 10 , 000 , finca impact finance delivers a double bottom line of social impact and financial sustainability .
finca’s mission is to provide financial services to the world’s lowest - income entrepreneurs so they can create jobs build assets and improve their standard of living .
announcement of the campaign was made during an event at new york university in the presence of her majesty queen rania al - abdullah , who co - chairs the campaign and its prestigious steering committee with finca international ambassador of hope natalie portman . his royal highnesses prince zeid bin raad , jordan ' s ambassador to the united states , and princess sara zeid were also in attendance , along with a number of students from public and private universities in the new york area who are affiliated with microfinance .
had done , mr zeitinger became convinced that it would be cheaper and faster to start financial institutions afresh . backed by investment from various development agencies such as the world bank ' s international finance corporation , he started out in bosnia and hercegovina in 1996 and has since founded banks in 14 other countries and taken a controlling position in four others .
village banking campaign co - chair natalie portman has produced a documentary about finca’s work in mexico with sundance film festival grand jury prize - winning documentary director juan carlos rulfo . finca will premier the documentary and other content on the village banking campaign’s myspace page , found at www . myspace / villagebanking . com
finca launches its first village banking programs in latin america . el salvador is first in 1985 ; mexico , honduras , guatemala and haiti follow in 1989 .
consistent with finca’s mission , this initiative will target low - income and unbanked individuals in malawi , tanzania , and zambia with a focus on women . on a consolidated basis , currently 47 % of finca clients in the region live on less than $ 2 . 50 per day , and 60 % are women .
the first finca operations on the continent were in uganda in 1992 . the first village bank group created in uganda in 1992 by our global president and ceo , mr . rupert scofield , is still running and its members are happy clients of finca . since then finca africa has expanded its outreach to malawi ( 1994 ) , tanzania ( 1998 ) , zambia ( 2001 ) and the democratic republic of congo ( 2003 ) . now we are in nigeria ( 2014 ) .
finca endorses the smart campaign . the smart campaign is a global campaign committed to embedding client protection practices into the institutional culture and operations of the microfinance industry .
finca zambia ' s positive impact on its clients ' businesses and social welfare has seen it become the biggest microfinance institution in zambia in both clientele and portfolio .
finca offers savings , loans and money transfer services to its clients across its 27 branches countrywide . it also has more than 500 employees and is still growing .
finca is partnering with like - minded , innovative companies to develop and deliver responsible products and services that are customer - centric , efficient , competitive and profitable .
finca impact finance is leveraging the power of technology to put financial power in the hands or around the corner from our customers , no matter where they live .
finca international was founded in 1984 on a radical notion : giving small loans to the poor has the power to transform entire communities in a sustainable way . after impacting tens of millions of lives with responsible financial services , we are widening our focus to catalyze further economic growth and alleviate poverty in underserved markets around the world . we remain boldly committed to market - based solutions , and are supporting the rise of social enterprises delivering basic service and financial innovation to help low - income families and communities achieve a better standard of living .
since its inception in zambia , finca has expanded its branch network and now has 14 fully fledged branches across the country . in addition , finca zambia has equally increased its outreach to over 45 , 000 clients in both urban and rural parts of zambia and has the largest workforce of over 450 staff in the microfinance industry .
we have more than 30 years of experience trusting the poor . finca has shown that access to basic financial resources can transform lives , strengthen communities and alleviate poverty .
finca canada’s mission is to alleviate poverty through lasting solutions that help people – women in particular – build assets , create jobs , and raise their standard of living .
finca impact finance’s network of 20 community - based microfinance institutions and banks fosters financial inclusion by offering innovative , responsible and impactful financial services to low - income clients .
finca’s vision is to be a global microfinance network collectively serving more low - income entrepreneurs than any other microfinance institution while operating on commercial principles of performance and sustainability .
for over 30 years , finca has implemented our lending model and reached millions of small and micro - entrepreneurs with finance , education and a blueprint for unlocking productive capacities .
finca’s chief executive called it a “revolution” and said that no one in the microfinance industry has really figured out a winning business model that responds to the mobile phone breakthrough .
a joint report from mastercard foundation and the ifc explores the impact of digital financial services africa , highlighting the success of finca’s agency banking in the dr congo and zambia .
a partnership with mastercard foundation has enabled finca to go digital and build a customer - centric organization , resulting in a big leap forward for the delivery of financial services .
finca’s newsletters bring our clients’ stories to life while informing readers about exciting news and information from the field that keeps finca’s global operations at the forefront of the microfinance industry . in them , you’ll find news about public and private partnerships that help us expand outreach , and that support research and development of new products and services to meet our clients’ needs . and you’ll read about the generous and dedicated support we receive from donors and volunteers who help finca provide a hand up to individuals , communities and entire local economies .
portman has since visited finca sites elsewhere in the world and has talked about microfinance at harvard , stanford , new york university and elsewhere , not to mention in dozens of articles in women’s magazines . she has helped produce a cd , “big change : songs for finca , ” and recently worked on a documentary on the organization’s work . she is the chairwoman ( with queen rania ) of finca’s village banking call to action campaign , which seeks to serve one million clients through 100 , 000 village banks by 2010 .
finca uganda was licensed as a micro - finance deposit taking institution ( mdi ) thus becoming the first mdi to be regulated by bank of uganda under the mdi act 2003 .
according to finca president and ceo rupert scofield , finca’s business model has reached a stage to radically expand its footprint and product offerings in the sub - saharan africa , with the goal of bringing a wide range of financial services to over 500 , 000 previously excluded savers and nearly 300 , 000 borrowers in malawi , tanzania , and zambia by 2017 . the partnership allows finca to capitalize on technological advancements in the delivery of financial services , to making the services more widely accessible at anticipated lower costs , and with greater safety .
finca is supported by over 50 diverse financial partners across the globe , including impact investment funds , microfinance investment vehicles , national and supranational development institutions , and multinational commercial banks .
finca and mastercard foundation share the same values and belief that people have the potential to transform their lives if given the opportunity . by increasing access to high quality microfinance services in sub - saharan africa , finca and mastercard foundation will enable low - income individuals and households to realize their potential , and improve the lives of their families , and their communities .
finca is expanding access to financial services , especially to low - income women and men , through mobile phones . this helps clients to save time and make secure transactions from anywhere .
finca ' s mission is to provide financial services to the world ' s lowest - income entrepreneurs so they can create jobs , build assets , and improve their standard of living .
finca’s network of 20 community - based microfinance institutions and banks offers responsible and affordable loan and saving products that empower low income women and men to take control of their financial future .
with its microfinance tools designed to serve the “unbanked , ” finca has shown that access to responsible financial services can bridge the economic gap and create economic sustainability and self - reliance .
finca and the mastercard foundation share the same values and belief that people have the potential to transform their lives if given the opportunity . by increasing access to high quality microfinance services in sub - saharan africa , finca and the mastercard foundation will enable low - income individuals and households to realize their potential , and improve the lives of their families , and their communities .
but finca and others are experimenting with some innovative ideas to keep their organizations afloat . for instance , finca is pushing forward biometric fingerprint scanning to allow more borrowers without national ids to access their accounts and therefore receive and repay loans . they are also working with data and credit scoring companies on larger loans in order to verify a borrower ' s capacity to pay .
finca impact finance is a catalyst for financial inclusion , with its network of 20 microfinance institutions and banks providing responsible financial services that enable low - income entrepreneurs and small business owners to invest in their futures . with 30 years of experience and a mostly - local staff of over 10 , 000 , finca delivers a double bottom line of social impact and financial sustainability .
finca malawi will use oikocredit ' s loan for on - lending to new and existing borrowers , 60 % of whom are women working in various sectors including trade , services and agriculture .
today , finca impact finance is continuing that important mission through socially - responsible investment ( sri ) , setting the gold standard for responsible financial services to the mass market in developing countries .
finca africa currently provides financial services to more than 295 , 000 borrowers and nearly 417 , 000 savers living in the democratic republic of congo , malawi , tanzania , uganda and zambia .
if traditional players can leverage the technology and find the right partners , the finca chief believes there is potential to “grow dramatically faster” than they did using their “people - based” business model .
finca impact finance’s network of 21 microfinance banks and institutions are redefining how low - income people access finance . clients are increasingly bypassing traditional access points utilizing emerging technology and partnerships , including mobile and agency banking . in finca impact finance’s subsidiary in the democratic republic of congo , 75 % of transactions are now taking place outside traditional branches , saving clients valuable time and money .
for fiscal year 2016 , 95 % of every dollar spent by finca went to support our programs , 4 % went to administrative expenses and 1 % went to fundraising . back to top
finca has created its own specific , comprehensive tool for measuring social impact , by which it is able to assess outreach and measure change and improvements , over time . finca examines the following indicators over time : expanded access to financial services , primarily among underserved , low - income people and communities ; increased income and improved living standards ; empowering clients and helping them to achieve their personal aspirations ; and acting responsibly and equitably towards all stakeholders and the communities of which we are a part . within our annual reports finca identifies certain concrete indicators including total borrowers , gross - portfolio size , total amount disbursed , portfolio at risk > 30 days , total savers , and total deposits from clients . however , more importantly finca measures its impact through client experiences and life improvements . as one of the founders of the smart campaign , a global initiative promoting the adoption of high ethical standards in the treatment of client in the microfinance industry , finca has a strong commitment to client protection best practices . client success stories , the demonstration of job creation , and community improvement allow finca and its donor base to see the impact firsthand .


" christmas wish " is the fourth studio and first christmas album by australian country singer gina jeffreys .

the album contained four original tracks and nine christmas classics .

the lead single was " there 's no gift " , which jeffreys and mccormack co-wrote with american singer jason sellers .

the album includes a duet with australian jazz musician james morrison and australian a cappella vocal ensemble the idea of north .

christmas wish ( gina jeffreys album )

gina jeffrey ' s song my christmas wish to the stunning photo ' s taken by ken duncan . merry christmas everyone ! xx
gina will sing her song my christmas wish with the choir on the cd to be released in november .
’s billy dean ‘if i could find the heart’ released . in november ‘christmas wish’ album released .
rhiannon mcveigh , jess abbott and claudia roberts were awe struck when they met country music star gina jeffreys recently ahead of their collaboration on the beyond the stars this christmas album .
gina jeffreys & quot ; angel & quot ; cd [ as new ] - $ 10 . 40 | picclick
2003 - in january – gina’s son jackson is born . gina only performs at several leukaemia foundation charity events .
meeting their fellow collaborators are ( from left ) claudia roberts , rhiannon mcveigh , john borserio , gina jeffreys and jess abbott .
angel is the fifth studio album by australian country singer gina jeffreys . it was released in april 2002 and became her third album to chart on the aria top 50 after it debuted at no . 42 .
2002 - golden guitar award for video clip of the year with ‘angel’ . ‘the best of gina jeffreys…so far’ album released . apra award - most performed country work – ‘angel .
i have a tiny fake christmas tree that dances when you sing to it .
director of catholic education in toowoomba john borserio was with the girls when they met ms jeffreys .
2005 - more charity functions . gina produces fund - raising 2006 telstra child flight calendar .
2004 - gina starts to perform again at some of the major festivals . appointed ambassador for the
festival . this album achieves four final 5 nominations for the 2008 country music awards . gina with beccy cole and sara storer join together to form “songbirds”
it was on stage in ottawa , ontario , and thousands of people showed up ! wish you could’ve been there .
. more leukaemia foundation and cancer council charity functions . gina starts recording again with husband / producer rod mccormack .
i ' m glad to be able to support the children as they set out to help other children in need ,
ms jeffreys said .
absolutely not . “poodle hat” was my last album . my upcoming album is my next one . i don’t know how these silly rumors get started .
ms jeffreys was in town to take part in a concert featuring adam harvey and the wolverines at club glenvale and was keen to meet up with some representatives from her choir .
2001 - ‘angel’ , the first single from the album , is released in march , and the album in april the ‘angel’ video is named a finalist in the australian animation awards .
the album was nominated for the ' aria award for best country album ' at the 2001 ceremony . it lost out to
looking forward , looking back
by slim dusty .
angel
was produced by garth fundis , who had worked with alabama , don williams and trisha yearwood . he signed up for the project on the spot after hearing gina ' s third album , ‘somebody’s daughter’ . whilst discussing the album , jeffreys said ;
i feel i ' ve evolved since ‘somebody ' s daughter’ , and now have a more diverse range of musical influences . but i also believe my fans are evolving and maturing with me , and i ' m looking forward to performing the new songs for them .
i wish i knew how to play the guitar , so that every time i have to fake it for a video , i’d at least have clue as to what i should be doing .
chris reichert of yucca vally ca . asks : why did you dislike making the food album ?
angel
peaked at no . 42 on the aria album chart in its third week .
gina in greenbelt , md , asks : in “jerry springer” under the line “he put the sin in syndication” , you sing something in the background . what is it you are saying ?
that’s ruben ( our tour keyboardist ) finally getting his long - awaited first picture on an album .
the last album of mine available on vinyl was the uhf soundtrack , released in 1989 . in case you’re wondering , no , i’ve never had an album released on 8 - track or edison cylinder .
johnalan norris of rockbridge , il asks : al , during your concert at six flags in eureka , mo you called your mom and had the audience wish her a happy anniversary . did she know what was going on ?
no , it’s been lot of fun . sometimes i wish i could turn the fame on and off like a light switch , but overall i get a kick out of it . more fun than being an architect , i bet .
no . i’ve never been to darwin , minnesota , but i hear that since the song came out , they have built a “twine ball inn” and have postcards that say “greetings from the twine ball , wish you were here . ”
john “i wish my name were cooler” colvin of oregon , oh asks : hey al ! i was just watching “uhf” and i was wondering how you did that stunt with emo cutting off his thumb . so let us in on the secret .
that song was inspired by a christmas card given to me one year by mark osborne , one of the directors of the jurassic park video . i used the art work from that card as the cover of the cd single for “the night santa went crazy . ”
concert in four years at trecc . finishes her new album ‘walks of life’ – first single ‘live it’ released in october .
. it was released in 1994 and it was the first album by an australian female country singer to be certified gold .
yes . ( unfortunately , i can only answer one question about the new album , and i’m afraid that was it . )
i know you produce your own albums . would you be willing to produce the album of another parody artist ? ( ian bonds )
tim burrow of osklaoosa iowa asks : is “mr . popeil” , off of the “in 3 - d” album , referring to ron popeil ?
rene’ shaw of st . marys , ga asks : i was just admiring the artwork on your debut album when i noticed something . all of the songs on the album have a drawing associated with them on the cover . am i the only one who has noticed this ?
in 1987 , keith whitley ( thursday 1 july 1954 - tuesday 9 may 1989 ) and earl thomas conley recorded ' brotherly love ' , as a duet , but it was not included on an album until it concurrently appeared on keith whitley ' s posthumous 1991 album ' kentucky bluebird ' ( rca records , 1991 ) and earl thomas conley ' s 1991 album ' yours truly ' ( rca records , 1991 ) .
at the apra awards of 2002 , it won ‘most performed country work’ .
angel
won jeffreys her fifth golden guitar award at the tamworth country music awards of australia in 2002 for ‘video clip of the year’ . the song was a finalist in the australian animation awards of 2001 .
1997 – the album “the flame” achieves platinum status . mo awards wins female country performer of the year . inducted into the hands of fame .
those were , in fact , two band members . so never let it be said that i don’t feature the band on my album covers !
kevin of lexington , ohio asks : i thought i had heard a rumor about the upcoming album being your last one . is there any truth to this ?
probably never . but then again , i never thought my record company would force that “food” album on me . so i guess i can’t say for sure .
1998 – apra award for most performed country work for “i haven’t got a heart” . third album “somebody’s daughter” is released . mo awards wins entertainer of the year .
gee , i don’t know… i’m not sure that i would have put out “gump” as the first single… maybe i would still be waiting to put out the album .
jeffrey recorded a full album and it was released in 1994 and won the ' female vocalist of the year ' again in 1995 with the song “girls’ night out” .
there is a “royalty ceiling” on parodies for each album ( meaning there are only so many parodies i can put on each album before it starts eating into my own profits ) , and i needed to eliminate a song from the list , so i chose “girls just wanna have lunch . ” that song has never been one of my favorites , mostly because i was basically forced to do it . for some reason , my record label was dead - set against releasing the “dare to be stupid” album unless i had a cyndi lauper parody on it . i grudgingly obliged them – and that was pretty much the last time they told me what to put on an album .
billy dean ' s debut album , ' young man ' ( capitol records , 1990 ) , reached no . 12 on the billboard top country albums chart in 1990 , and no . 99 on the billboard top 200 albums chart in 1990 ; the album was certified ' gold ' by the recording industry association of america ( riaa ) .
actually , i’ve been listening to quite a lot of zydeco recently , so i wouldn’t be too surprised if a zydeco - flavored original crops up on the next album .
adam shuler of casa grande , az asks : in the catalogue section of the site , where it lists your albums and such , i saw the tv album . i just bought one of those the other day , but mine is called the muchmusic tv album . i know these are the same songs , but what is the difference between the 2 ?
that’s jim west laughing – i thought it would be a good way to end the album . he’s cracking up because of the stupid chord he played at the end of the song .
1996 – golden guitar for female vocalist of the year with “didn’t we shine” . victorian country music awards wins female vocal of the year . released the album “up closes” which achieves gold status .
on tuesday 29 october 1996 , actress and singer crystal bernard saw the release of her debut album , ' girl next door ' ( river north records , 1996 ) ; the debut single from the album , ' have we forgotten what love is ' ( co - written by billy dean ) , reached no . 56 on the billboard hot country singles & tracks chart in 1996 .
tim montgomery of decatur , il asks : i noticed you thanked “local high school shop teacher” joe earley on the back of your debut album . i’m just interested in knowing why you thanked him .
here’s a little secret – i’ve already released a live album ! in fact , it’s secretly encoded in every single copy of the “‘weird al’ yankovic – live ! ” video . all you have to do to access it is to put the video in your vcr , press “play , ” and then turn your head away from the tv so that you can’t see the screen . voila ! live album !
although we usually suggest that they keep mum on the parody , it really isn’t appropriate to swear anybody to secrecy . this is why there are sometimes “leaks” on parody information before the album comes out .
that’s the one thing in the special i kinda wish they’d left out . my grandmother used to make dresses for little girls , some of whom were “just about my size , ” so she’d have me try them on to make sure they looked all right . at least , that’s what she told me at the time . i’m starting to think she just wanted some juicy blackmail footage for later on in my life .
david wester of st . louis , mo asks : i know you don’t want to say much about the parodies on the new album , but can you tell us one song that you won’t be parodying ?
jeremiah of south paris , maine asks : one of my absolute favorite songs of yours is “everything you know is wrong” . was the title at all inspired by the firesign theatre album of the same title ?
oh , okay . well , if you must know , the big “27” that appeared briefly on this web site was the beginning of a teaser campaign to announce that the new album was coming out on june 27 . i’m very sorry to say that the album is not coming out on june 27 anymore , due to something which threw a major monkey wrench into our release plans . ( don’t worry , it’s just silly record company politics . maybe i’ll tell you the story someday . ) anyway , we’re obviously trying to resolve the issue , and hoping to get the album out as soon as humanly possible . i’m bound and determined to get it out… well , sometime this year , for sure . i really think it’s a great album ( although i may be just a little biased ) and i sure hope everybody will think it’s been worth the wait .
tiffany “pretty fly for a shicksa” baxendell of clairton , pa asks : every time i hear “albuquerque” i laugh out loud . how did you handle what all that screaming does to your voice while you’re recording an album ?
i don’t think so . the fact is , it’s the parodies that “sell” the album to the bulk of the population , so i think it would behoove me to keep a healthy mix of the parodies and originals .
1995 –golden guitar for female vocalist of the year with “girls night out” . mo award wins female country performer of the year . victorian country music awards wins female vocal of the year . the album “the flame” achieves gold status .
i don’t have the most current information on me , but as of 1 / 17 / 97 the ranking of my albums from best - selling to worst - selling is as follows : bad hair day , even worse , in 3d , dare to be stupid , off the deep end , alapalooza , “weird al” yankovic , polka party , greatest hits , greatest hits vol . ii , the food album , the uhf soundtrack , the tv album , permanent record .
i was just very upset at the time over the fact that scotti bros . was putting out this cheesy compilation against my wishes and better judgment . they needed to make a certain amount of money that fiscal quarter , and they wanted a new weird al album , no matter what . their original concept for the album was even worse… they wanted to call it “al unplugged” – with me holding a bunch of unplugged kitchen appliances on the cover – but it wouldn’t be a live recording , just a remix of the studio versions of the songs with most of the electronic instruments missing . i managed to talk them out of it , and into just doing “the food album , ” a concept i hated only slightly less .
you mean those crazy - quilt pants from the back cover of my first album ? well , even though they’re still the height of fashion , they’re heavy and hot . especially on stage . so now , they’re just a cherished museum piece .
okay , i think this is what happened : i had already written the originals for “alapalooza” by the time we were finishing “off the deep end . ” one of those originals was “i was only kidding” and i was rightly concerned that the line “i really love you… not ! ” would be about as funny as “where’s the beef ? ” by the time 1993 rolled around . and since there’s a ceiling on the number of songs i can put on an album , i decided to record iwok and save “waffle king” for the next album . and i put “waffle king” on the flip side of “smells like nirvana” single just in case there wasn’t going to be a next album . ( hey , you never know in this business ! )
adam barager of dartmouth , nova scotia , canada asks : hey al ! i just bought your “running with scissors” album and i was wondering , did you make the read - me file for the movie clip yourself ? i found it quite funny .
i don’t think i’ve ever recorded more songs than i had room for on an album – every song that i record makes it on . ( it usually costs several thousand dollars to record a song , so i try not to waste any ! )
al nennig of new london , wisconsin asks : i just bought your second album “‘weird al’ yankovic in 3 - d” and because it was reissued it doesn’t have any liner notes inside . so i’m confused on “king of suede” as to whether the background singers are saying “is my size on sale” or “is my size avail ( able ) . ” i know , i know , i should have bought the album the day it came out but i kinda wasn’t born yet . sorry . thanks a lot .
greg of youngstown , oh asks : i love the dead wax inscriptions on even worse , dare to be stupid , and your first album . are there any others and what exactly does “100 , 000 , 000” mean on even worse ? make more vinyl .
i almost always record the lead vocals first . the only exception that comes to mind is “it’s all about the pentiums . ” i had pitched puff daddy on the parody idea , and by the time i finally got his official approval , we were already in the final studio sessions for “running with scissors” ! it was such a last minute addition to the album that i had no choice but to record all the instrument tracks and background vocals first , just to buy me some time to come up with the lyrics . we were mixing the last few songs on the album by the time i finished writing the lyrics to “pentiums , ” and i wound up recording the lead vocals just a couple days before the album had to be mastered . it’s a good thing i work well under pressure !
i wrote that in 1980 , but even by 1983 ( when my first album came out ) it felt a bit dated . also , we figured that billy wasn’t very likely to give us his blessing on that one anyway , so we never even bothered asking .
just the title . i’m not sure how you got a copy of the muchmusic version in arizona – it was meant for canadian release only . we let muchmusic put their name on the album as part of a promotional deal we had with them at the time .
well , i think the concept of a tv album is every bit as ridiculous as the concept of a food album – but at least the record company was a whole lot nicer when they asked the second time ( i . e . , more groveling , less demanding ) . for what it’s worth , i believe the scotti bros . used up all their “compilation options” before they sold off my contract to volcano – so you probably won’t be seeing any more “greatest hits” packages until a reasonable amount of time has gone by .
well , we were going to call it “alapalooza : two videos based on songs from the album , and two other videos that really don’t have anything to do with alapalooza but we thought you’d appreciate having them on this collection anyway”… but the retailers liked the shorter title better .
oh , don’t you worry . we’ve just been biding our time , slowly and meticulously planning for our huge denmark media blitz ! actually , my new record label is very much hoping to establish a stronger presence for me outside of north america once the new album comes out .
john turnbull of kona , hawaii asks : hey al ! so i’ve been wondering . did you have an alternate album cover / title picked out before the entire issue arose with “you’re pitiful” ? any chance you’ll ever show it to us ( if you had taken it already ) ?
i met them at a party for the premiere for the movie “baseketball , ” and found out that we were mutual fans . i mentioned that i was writing a ska song for my new album , and they gladly accepted my invitation to lay down some tracks in the studio .
jordan d . white of naugatuck , ct asks : is the song “i’m so sick of you” based on the sound of elvis costello’s earlier records ? it reminds me of the album “this year’s model , ” especially the bass part which sounds a lot like “pump it up . ”
what i believe you saw was an al - tv where i just took the original “rico suave” video by gerardo and substituted my own music . i’ve done that trick a few times – it’s an ultra - cheap but somewhat effective way for me to get more album tracks heard on mtv !
frankly , i’m a little embarrassed by the really early stuff , and i don’t have any burning desire to flaunt my musical shortcomings by releasing those songs on an album . if you’re really dying to find out what i sounded like as a teenager , i understand there’s a “rarities” tape floating around…
i don’t think jim actually played on the first album – rick derringer was doing pretty much all the guitar work in the beginning . however , jim was playing live with us at the time and he was definitely part of the band , so we felt he should at least get a mention !
following the release of his first three studio albums , ' young man ' ( capitol records , 1990 ) , ' billy dean ' ( capitol records , 1991 ) and ' fire in the dark ' ( liberty records , 1993 ) , billy dean saw the release of a ' greatest hits ' album .
ken miller of philadelphia , pa asks : way back in 1985 , you showed a video on altv by a group called “pancreas joe and the eskimo leftists . ” i love that song and i’ve been obsessed with it since then – who was this group , and did they ever put out an album ?
the album was always going to be called straight outta lynwood and have some kind of gangsta imagery on it . i had decided on that even before i knew i was going to do a james blunt parody , but i thought it actually would have worked very well with “you’re pitiful . ” i really liked the irony of having that kind of title and cover with such a toothless ballad for the lead parody… but as it turns out ( with the upcoming chamillionaire parody ) the cover has become unintendedly appropriate . for the record , all of the photographs for the album were taken on april 22 , 2006 by michael blackwell .
back when frank sinatra was still around and doing his “duets” albums , i asked him if he would do a duet with me on my album – maybe do a new version of “one more minute” or something . ( hey , it doesn’t hurt to ask . ) well , guess what . he said no .
it takes between 3 and 5 hours , depending on the number of braids . i’ve done it three times now ( the album cover shoot , the ama’s and the new video ) and i really don’t recommend it to anyone with a fragile scalp… it hurts ! it takes about half as long to untangle it .
billy dean ' s ' greatest hits ' ( liberty records , 1994 ) reached no . 29 on the billboard top country albums chart in 1994 , and no . 148 on the billboard top 200 albums chart in 1994 ; the album was certified ' gold ' by the recording industry association of america ( riaa ) .
sounds to me like you got a first printing of the box set , which unfortunately contained the wrong version of “my bologna” ( the debut album version , not the capitol records single version ) . if it’s important to you to have the right version , you might consider trying to return and exchange it . sorry .
the soundtrack album has the long version , and the greatest hits version has the much shorter “single” version that was remixed specially for the video ( mtv generally doesn’t like to play 6 minute videos , and besides , they’re a lot more expensive to make ) . i just thought fans would appreciate having both versions available .
there are a lot of fans out here who would love to see a live album & video from one ( or more ) of your tours . do you think you’ll ever make us happy and release something like that ? pam ritchie ( speaking for many , many people who also yearn for a “live” al video ! )
the capitol records version is the original bathroom recording – the only instrument is the accordion . the album release version was done in the studio and features the whole band . on the “permanent record” box set , the initial pressing went out with the incorrect version of “my bologna , ” which caused a great disturbance in the force .
the demento society has been doing their part by releasing some of my pre - record contract rarities on the doctor’s annual basement tapes collections for the last few years . i think that way , the hard - core fans can hear how lousy i used to sound , and the run - of - the - mill fan won’t be subjected to it . if a decent copy can be located , there should be a live - on - the - air early recording of “school cafeteria” on the next edition . as far as songs from the weird al show , a soundtrack album is highly unlikely at this point , although i’m considering throwing the theme song on the next album .
cliff of somewhere around detroit , michigan asks : al , you usually only have a couple of videos for each album . why do six ( although i appreciate the extra work that you , the band and the behind - the - scenes people do so fans like me can watch more amazing videos than ever ) for straight outta lynwood ?
it’s a nice change of pace . i’m actually quite amazed – it’s like clark kent… i take off my glasses , and 90 % of the people have no idea who i am ! i’m actually still debating about what to do when the next album comes out – do i continue to wear glasses even though i don’t need them ? ? hmmm…
archbishop jason polland of santa barbara , ca asks : your first album is one of my favorites because , yes , the accordion is prevalent on every track . subsequent albums only have accordion in the polkas… why did you choose to downplay the instrument ? ( i’m not trying to criticize or anything , i’m just genuinely curious about your creative processes . )
jimmy was great , and it was a real thrill for me getting to know him . i think he was getting kinda tired of “macarthur park” himself – when he heard my parody , he wrote me a letter saying , “well , this oughta bury that song once and for all ! ” i wound up actually performing the song with him on stage a couple times – once in new york and once at the roxy in los angeles . he was doing a concert , and near the end of the show he’d launch into “macarthur park . ” after a couple bars he’d pretend to forget the words… and then he’d call me up out of the audience to sing my version ! he was the coolest – he even sent me a rubber dinosaur mask for christmas that year !
i have very mixed feelings about it . on one hand , i’m concerned that the rampant downloading of my copyright - protected material over the internet is severely eating into my album sales and having a decidedly adverse effect on my career . on the other hand , i can get all the metallica songs i want for free ! wow ! ! ! ! !
on bass virtuoso stuart hemm’s 1st solo album “radio free albemuth , ” there is a song called “country music ( a night in hell ) . ” at the very end of the track , an extremely al - like voice yells , “hey ! play a polka ! ” i’d like to know if that is really you , or just an amazing facsimile .
in 2001 , billy dean joined suzy bogguss and twelve - year - old singer jillian arciero ( credited as jillian ) on ' please keep mom & dad in love ' , which reached no . 51 on the billboard hot country singles & tracks chart ; the track was issued on kenny rogers ' dreamcatcher records , but the track was never included on any album .
i could work on an album forever , but like anything else of a creative nature , at a certain point you just have to “give up” on it and let it live its own life . i can certainly feel empathy for how george wanted to re - do his earlier works . maybe someday i’ll get around to doing “in 3 - d – the special edition” !
i was strongly considering a title and cover concept based on star wars – i kind of liked “album one” for the title , but nobody else did . basically , nobody could come up with a star wars - based title that we all could agree was clever or catchy enough , and everybody seemed to like “running with scissors , ” so we went with that instead .
back when we thought the album was coming out in june , we were fully intending to have a tour starting in august . now , unfortunately , that’s not going to happen . the plan at this point is for us to tour next summer – no matter what . i suppose it’s possible that we’ll hit the road before then , but i’m sorry to say it’s pretty unlikely .
we played the song ( “take me down” ) at our previous cal poly show , but not this last time . for what it’s worth , the original recording ( from 1978 , i believe ) is going to be on a local album called “slo unplugged” ( with benefits going to the homeless ) , and it will probably also be on the next dr . demento basement tapes collection .
there were inscriptions on most if not all of my vinyl releases . “100 , 000 , 000” was a reference to a story in the media about michael jackson , who apparently at the time was scrawling the number everywhere because he had set a personal goal to sell 100 , 000 , 000 copies of his “bad” album . so i figured that i might as well set the same goal for myself .
john chadwick of orlando , fl asks i recall back in the eighties when i first bought “dare to be stupid” on vinyl ( vinyl is a thing we used to buy our music on , kids . we called them records . ) i noticed that the phrase “mores songs about tv and food” was etched into the inner groove area . was this a reference to the talking heads album with a similar title ?
on tuesday 11 may 1999 , kenny rogers saw the release of ' she rides wild horses ' ( dreamcatcher records , 1999 ) ; the album included the billboard hot country single ' buy me a rose ' ( no . 1 for one week in may 2000 ) , which featured guest vocals from billy dean and alison krauss . the song also reached no . 40 on the billboard hot 100 pop music singles chart in 2000 .
blair freeman of canton , il asks : i just got the new demento society newsletter in the mail that said it would have another rare cut of yours . i think you said at alcon ’98 that research of a live recording of “school cafeteria” from the doctor’s show was being done . ever consider releasing a new demo rather than an old one as a sort - of “sneak peak” for the demented devotees from the new album ?
cbs had absolutely insisted on putting new song parodies in the weird al show , so my concession was doing the “firestarter” parody ( “lousy haircut” ) . i think it’s pretty funny , but it’s meant to be a quick visual gag – i don’t think the joke would sustain for much longer than about thirty seconds , and it just wouldn’t be as funny without the accompanying video . therefore , don’t expect to see it on the next album
nowadays , i only use it on original songs where i feel an accordion is appropriate , and on parody songs where i feel an accordion is extremely in appropriate ( for comic effect ) … and of course , on the polka medleys . i’m not really downplaying the accordion at all – i usually feature the accordion on three or four songs every album , which is three or four more accordion - based songs than most top 40 albums have !
we weren’t able to finish that video until just a couple weeks before the scheduled release of the album . i would have included that video if i could have , but to do so would have meant delaying the release of “straight outta lynwood” by a couple months , and obviously i wanted to get the album out as soon as possible ( before the parodies got too dated ) . of course , the video is available on itunes ( in fact , it was the # 1 best - selling music video for a couple months ! ) and i’m hoping it will also be available on some kind of dvd compilation in the future . actually , i can’t wait until hd - dvd or bluray discs are more prevalent in the marketplace – most people have only seen the video in low res on myspace or on you tube , and as i’ve said before , we shot the thing in hd… it looks gorgeous !
oddly enough , we were underwater . in fact , we were in the very same swimming pool ( in pasadena , california ) where the cover of nirvana’s “nevermind” album was shot ( with the swimming baby , remember ? ) it wasn’t easy – the camera crew had all this scuba gear on , and the guys in the band could only hold their breath for three or four minutes at a time before they started complaining about “needing oxygen . ” sheesh .
for one thing , getting permission for an audio recording and getting permission for a video are two different things ( we had not secured the “synch rights . ” ) secondly , we were somewhat limited in our video budget , so we can’t always do as many videos as we’d like from an album . and perhaps most importantly , i thought that a video for “addicted to spuds” would essentially be one joke – and you saw it in the uhf video .
yeah , you’re absolutely right . it’s a completely dead issue – people stopped illegally downloading songs off the internet years ago , and the riaa is no longer taking legal action against p2p sites or criminalizing people who share files . what was i thinking ? thanks for setting me straight . by the way , don’t forget to e - mail neil young and ask him why he’s still writing songs about iraq on his new album . i mean , come on… that war is so 2003 !
i used it on the road for the bad hair tour – it’s the red one that i play during “biggest ball of twine . ” it’s great – i can make the accordion sound like just about anything i want ( during that song , i used an ordinary piano sound , but the possibilities are endless ) . i used that same accordion acoustically for one of the songs on the new album , and i’m sure it’ll be in all its midi glory on the next tour .
um… okay… the last time i was in australia ( 1989 , i think ) , i was doing promotion for my movie “uhf” ( which was released there as “the vidiot from uhf” ) . since running with scissors seems to be doing so well there ( a top 20 album the last time i checked ! ) – and since we’ve always wanted to tour outside of north america ( which to this date we’ve never done ) – we’ll be making every effort to bring the tour there sometime next millennium .
at the time , everybody thought “yoda” was just a cool album track , not a potential single . after all , “the empire strikes back” was already five years old when “dare to be stupid” came out , and “lola” was fifteen years old – so the bulk of the video budget went toward the then - current madonna parody . nobody could have guessed what a perennial favorite “yoda” was to become . ( plus , it would have been legally difficult and very expensive to do a decent video for it . )
i wanted to emulate nirvana , who also had a song following ten minutes of silence at the end of their “nevermind” album . but i also thought it would be a great practical joke to make the “song” a six - second burst of the most anxiety - provoking sounds imaginable , thereby scaring people out of their minds . we actually spent a lot of time recording and mixing that – adding feedback , fingernails on chalkboards , etc . we wanted to create the most annoying six seconds of audio ever recorded .
“i’ll repair for you” was never officially approved , and is destined to be a concert - only song . “theme from spy hard” was already released on the “gump” single , and also seems way too dated to include on the next album . “the ballad of kent marlow” was done specially for the “safety patrol” tv movie , and it would make very little sense out of context . however , i would say “the weird al show theme” is a definite contender , and has a decent chance of showing up on my next release .
whenever i do an album , video or film , during the entire process i’m looking for mistakes , weak points and glitches . i’m never absolutely 100 % happy with anything i do , but after a while , you just have to stop and declare something “done . ” the problem with this whole process is , even after a project is finished , for a long time afterwards all i can hear are the “mistakes . ” it usually takes quite a while before i can really enjoy watching or listening to something that i’ve done .
from all reports , he wasn’t that thrilled . at one point we were considering doing a video for that song , and we inquired if jerry would be in it . we sent him a rough mix of the song while we were still in the studio finishing up the album . before he had heard the song , he seemed excited about the prospect of being in a weird al video , but after hearing the lyrics , he balked , saying that the song was just too “negative” towards the show , and that he didn’t want to associate himself with it . oh well .
i am extremely grateful for your support , no matter which format you choose to legally obtain my music in , so you should do whatever makes the most sense for you personally . but since you asked… i actually do get significantly more money from cd sales , as opposed to downloads . this is the one thing about my renegotiated record contract that never made much sense to me . it costs the label nothing for somebody to download an album ( no manufacturing costs , shipping , or really any overhead of any kind ) and yet the artist ( me ) winds up making less from it . go figure .
i would have to say probably not , although you never know what my wacky record company might insist on someday . the food medley in particular would be nearly impossible to get legal clearance for ( because , among other reasons , it contains a few “unauthorized” parodies ) . the other songs performed live in concert stay pretty close to the original arrangements , and i think there’s more than enough al compilations floating around already , so i’d probably veto the idea of a live album . ( of course , if mtv ever wanted to do a weird al unplugged , i might have to reconsider . ) in the meantime , go ahead and bootleg the shows – just don’t let me catch you !
yes and no . in principle i don’t need permission , but if i paid everybody their full royalty rate for songs in the medley , i would wind up losing money on each album ! so each and every songwriter needs to agree to only take their rightful share of the royalties ( meaning , if a green day song takes up 11 % of the medley , then green day will only get 11 % of the songwriting royalties for that one song ) . we can’t make exceptions because it’s a “favored nations” deal , meaning that if one person gets the full amount , everybody gets the full amount . obviously , a whole lot of artists have been good sports about this – but it’s a mountain of paperwork every time i do a medley .
nickelback was nice enough to give their permission for me to use their song “photograph” in the latest polka medley . i typically get clearances for the songs in the medley before i actually arrange it… and when i was putting “polkarama ! ” together , i just couldn’t find a way to incorporate the nickelback song into it where it didn’t sound wedged in or tacked on – so unfortunately i had to leave it off . you may notice that i also mentioned t pain in the “special thanks” – similarly , he had given his blessing for me to do a parody of one of his songs . at the last minute , i decided against recording the song for the album , but if you come to one of my live shows this summer , you may hear a snippet of it somewhere in the medley…
slava & leonard , joseph & james - - one super group , two sets of siblings , and four internationally acclaimed musicians : this brotherly collaboration displays sibling revelry at its best . regarded as two of australia ' s finest classical guitarists , slava and leonard grigoryan join joseph tawadros , master of the oud , and james tawadros , world - class percussionist specialising on the req , an egyptian tambourine , to perform a repertoire that crosses cultural and stylistic barriers… from world music , to jazz , to classical and traditional . a must - have album , for all ! track listing : anubis journey ten ten req solo – freo intro freo sahara blackbird moon beam lucca performers / instruments : slava grigoryan – classical guitar , guitar synth leonard grigoryan – classical , electric and 12 string guitars joseph tawadros – oud , violin james tawadros – bendir , cajon , req
camille saint - saens was one of the finest french composers of the 19th and early 20th centuries . the pieces on this double cd span the period 1863 - 1910 and are a musical snapshot of an age of elegance and style . from the well - known and well - loved “the swan” to the lesser - known gem “the muse and the poet” , this album shows saint - saens’ mastery of the piano trio form . track listing : saint - saëns cd1 piano trio no . 2 in e minor , op . 92 piano trio in e - flat major , after septet , op . 65 la muse et le poète ( the muse and the poet ) , op . 132 le cygne ( the swan ) , from le carnaval des animaux ( the carnival of the animals ) cd2 piano trio no . 1 in f major , op . 18 cello sonata no . 1 in c minor , op . 32 violin sonata no . 1 in d minor , op . 75 the australian trio : donald hazelwood violin fenella gill cello michael brimer piano
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a musical collaboration three st saviour ' s primary school students would never have dreamt of happening has taken one step closer to becoming a reality .
we talked about how much we all love singing and how thrilled we are to be a part of making a cd that will raise money to help other kids ,
choir captain rhiannon mcveigh said .
the funds raised through the sale of the cd will be donated to catholic mission ' s work for children , the royal flying doctor service and st vincent ' s hospital ' s toowoomba children ' s ward .
momentum for the project is growing and we are looking forward to gaining further support and sponsorship from local businesses ,
he said .
as her mother struggled with the everyday battles of dementia , janelle mary knight was siphoning a total of $ 26 , 000 out of her pension behind her back .
© toowoomba newspapers pty ltd 2018 . unauthorised reproduction is prohibited under the laws of australia and by international treaty .
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