Funders

USAID is the lead government agency providing development and humanitarian assistance to people around the world. The agency's Global Development Alliance (GDA) links U.S. foreign assistance with the resources, expertise and creativity of the private sector as well as nongovernmental organizations. Since its launch in 2001, the Global Development Alliance has changed the way U.S. international development projects are financed and implemented. By cultivating more than 900 public-private alliances with over 1,700 individual partners, it has allowed USAID to leverage an additional $9.6 billion in resources for development. For more information about USAID and its programs around the world, visit www.usaid.gov. For more information on Global Development Alliances, visit www.usaid.gov/gda/index.html.

The Western Union Company (NYSE: WU) is a leader in global payment services. Together with its Vigo, Orlandi Valuta, Pago Facil and Western Union Business Solutions branded payment services, Western Union provides consumers and businesses with fast, reliable and convenient ways to send and receive money around the world, to send payments and to purchase money orders. As of September 30, 2011, the Western Union, Vigo and Orlandi Valuta branded services were offered through a combined network of approximately 485,000 Agent locations in 200 countries and territories. In 2010, The Western Union Company completed 214 million consumer-to-consumer transactions worldwide, moving $76 billion of principal between consumers, and 405 million business payments. For more information, visit www.westernunion.com.

Western Union Foundation

Through Western Union's Our World, Our Family^(R) signature program, the Western Union Foundation supports initiatives to empower people through access to economic opportunity. Recognized by the Committee Encouraging Corporate Philanthropy in 2009, the program is a five-year, $50 million commitment reflecting efforts made by Western Union employees, Agents and partners around the world. Since 2001, the Western Union Foundation has awarded more than $73.4 million in grants to more than 2010 nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) in 104 countries and territories. To learn more, visit http://foundation.westernunion.com.

Contributing Partners

The Tony Elumelu Foundation

The Tony Elumelu Foundation is an Africa-based and African-funded not-for-profit institution dedicated to the promotion and celebration of excellence in business leadership and entrepreneurship across Africa. As a 21st century catalytic philanthropy, the Foundation is committed to the economic transformation of Africa by enhancing the competitiveness and growth of the African private sector. Founded in 2010 by Tony O. Elumelu, MFR, the Foundation identifies and addresses systemic challenges that inhibit African entrepreneurs. For more information, visit www.tonyelumelufoundation.org.

The George Washington University CIBER

The George Washington University CIBER promotes the nation's capacity for international understanding and economic enterprise related to the theme of Institutions, the State and Development in International Business (IB). This theme draws on strong faculty capabilities across a range of disciplines, as well as university-wide interests in promoting economic development through scholarship, education, and outreach to the business, academic, and policy communities. GW-CIBER also serves as a national and regional resource supporting business language instruction, with a focus on less-commonly taught languages, in order to increase future professionals' abilities to communicate in the language of commerce. For more information, visit http://www.business.gwu.edu/CIBER/,

Ecobank

Incorporated in Lomé, Togo, Ecobank Transnational Incorporated (ETI) is the parent company of the Ecobank Group, which is present in more countries in Africa than any other bank in the world. Ecobank currently operates in Benin, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cameroon, Cape Verde, Central African Republic, Chad, Congo (Brazzaville), Congo (Democratic Republic), Côte d’Ivoire, Gabon, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Kenya, Liberia, Malawi, Mali, Niger, Nigeria, Rwanda, Sao Tome and Principe, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Tanzania, Togo, Uganda, Zambia and Zimbabwe. The Group also has an affiliate in Paris and representative offices in Dubai, Johannesburg, London and Luanda. ETI is listed on the stock exchanges in Lagos, Accra and the West African Economic and Monetary Union (UEMOA) – the BRVM. The Group has over 23 000 employees from 35 different countries in over 1,100 branches. Ecobank is a full service bank providing wholesale, retail, investment and transactional banking services to governments, financial institutions, multinationals, local companies, SMEs and individuals. For more information, please visit: http://www.ecobank.com.

Resource Partners

Overseas Private Investment Corporation

The Overseas Private Investment Corporation ("OPIC") is an independent U.S. government agency whose mission is to mobilize and facilitate the participation of United States private capital and skills in the economic and social development of less developed countries and areas, and countries in transition from non-market to market economies. OPIC assists U.S. companies by providing financing (from large structured finance to small business loans), political risk insurance, and investment funds. OPIC complements the private sector in managing risks associated with foreign direct investment and supports U.S. foreign policy. To learn more visit www.opric.gov.

Enterprise Development Network

The Enterprise Development Network (EDN) is a strategic alliance among public and private sector organizations that was established with the assistance of the Overseas Private Investment Corporation (OPIC). Through a growing network of organizations around the world, EDN is designed to bring together the vast resources essential to attract capital (debt & equity) and political risk insurance for small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) pursuing business opportunities in developing countries. To learn more visit http://ednaccess.com/.

Implementing Partners

Small Enterprise Assistance Funds

Small Enterprise Assistance Funds (SEAF) is a global fund management group that provides growth capital and tailored business assistance to small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in emerging and frontier markets that are underserved by traditional sources of capital. Headquartered in Washington, D.C., SEAF manages investment funds and facilities through a network of offices around the world. In addition to providing equity, SEAF offers mezzanine and other forms of long-term, structured risk capital, especially for investment in countries where both equity and debt options for finance are lacking. For more information, visit www.seaf.com.

Constituency for Africa

CFA has established itself as one of the leading organizations in the United States committed to educating and mobilizing the U.S. public on matters pertaining to U.S.-Africa foreign policy and has a well-documented record of significant achievements and accomplishments over the past twenty years.  CFA’s proven blueprint to build a “constituency for Africa” fosters broad-based coalitions of Americans and Africans that are uniquely organized into a vast network of activist individuals, organizations, businesses and the media, capable of immediate and intense strategic mobilization.  In addition, CFA has effectively empowered diverse populations within the African Diaspora to become more involved in advocacy efforts designed to impact legislation on Africa, and to communicate with their respective members of Congress, state legislators and other influential policymakers. For more information, visit www.cfanet.org.