Opportunity International (Oak Brook, Illinois) is a faith-based microfinance organization and registered charity thatprovides  microcredit loans to the world’s poorest people in 28 countries, with a special priority to serve the needs of women. Opportunity International now serves about 1-million clients yearly through about 42 partner organizations in developing countries.

Micro-credit loans are used to create jobs, stimulate small businesses and strengthen communities among the poor around the world. Along with the financing, assistance is provided in business training, mentoring, financial planning and leadership development.The types of businesses that receive aid (all in foreign countries outside the USA) include food preparation, sewing, knitting, weaving, basket making, retail businesses, farming, raising chickens, pigs and fish.

An average repayment rate of 98% has been maintained by the loan clients.

Countries assisted currently are:

Africa - Ghana, Kenya, Malawi, Mozambique, Rwanda, South Africa, Uganda, Zambia, Zimbabwe
Asia - China, India, Indonesia, Philippines
Eastern Europe - Albania, Bulgaria, Croatia, Macedonia, Montenegro, Poland, Romania, Russia, Serbia
Latin America - Colombia, Dominican Republic, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua, Peru

A special program of Opportunity International is the Women’s Opportunity Fund, which caters specifically the poorest of the the economically active poor, of which about 70 percent are women.