Get to know our portfolio partners: Advance Global Capital

This piece is part of our ongoing series, “Get to know our portfolio partners”, where we asked organizations from across the Community Investment Note® portfolio to share favorite moments from their recent work and what they're looking forward to in the future.

Stay tuned for more highlights from our portfolio partners’ work on the ground!

Advance Global Capital, Ltd (AGC) provides financing to small and medium enterprises (SMEs) to reduce poverty through sustained inclusive economic growth. AGC’s flagship fund puts capital to work in underserved communities worldwide by financing SMEs that lack sufficient access to credit and need it to thrive. The organization’s investments deliver tailored financing to local partners and flexible, working capital to SMEs so they can grow and continue to positively impact the local economies around them. Since their founding ten years ago, AGC has invested $8.9 billion in 73,682 SMEs.

We asked AGC a few questions about their work and upcoming projects. Read on for their responses and visit their portfolio partner profile to learn more about their impact.

Can you share a recent highlight or favorite moment from your organization’s work?

We recently celebrated our 10-year anniversary — a milestone that reflects not just our longevity, but our lasting impact. Over the past decade, we’ve partnered with 104 local SME lenders, extended over $8.9 billion in funding, and helped support 3.4 million SME jobs and an estimated 16.8 million family members across 68 countries.

In 2024, we took a significant step forward in deepening our impact: 100% of our partners adopted the Cerise+SPTF Client Protection Principles, which help ensure that financial services aren’t harming clients, and 88% now run targeted programs aimed at expanding economic opportunities for women and other historically excluded groups.

One standout example is our long-term partner in Colombia. After 7.5 years of collaboration, the organization has grown into a mission-driven lender where 90% of employees are women and 85% of financing goes to women-led SMEs. With over 16,000 SME jobs supported in its local community and a net promoter score, which measures customer satisfaction, of 4.95 out of 5, the results speak for themselves — a powerful testament to the value entrepreneurs place on accessible, respectful, and empowering financial services.

For us, these aren’t just numbers — they’re evidence of resilience, dignity, and inclusive growth made tangible through every business we help finance.

What is something special or unique about the work that your organization does?

Our approach combines innovative financial tools with a commitment to gender-inclusive economic growth. A cornerstone of our strategy is factoring — a simple but powerful financing mechanism that allows small businesses to convert invoices into immediate cash by selling them to a third party. This approach is particularly transformative for women-led SMEs, who often face barriers like lack of collateral or gender bias in traditional lending. With factoring, we help women business owners bypass these constraints and access the working capital they need to grow.

Another unique strength lies in our "low impact risk" model. By channeling capital through trusted, community-based SME lenders who charge fair, non-predatory rates, we ensure alignment between financial returns and long-term social impact. Our proprietary data systems and SME feedback loops across 20+ countries give us deep insight into borrower outcomes — helping safeguard against over-indebtedness while maintaining strong investor performance.

What is something exciting coming up for your organization, industry, or region?

We’re energized by growing momentum in the impact investing movement, especially as wealth transfers to more impact-conscious generations. The projected $105 trillion generational wealth transfer, with women poised to control a significant share, presents a powerful opportunity to embed impact into the fabric of mainstream investing.

We’re also encouraged by recent announcements from major philanthropists like MacKenzie Scott, who is shifting a portion of her capital from traditional philanthropy to impact-first investing. That’s a paradigm shift we’ve long championed.

We’re increasingly being asked to advise wealth advisors and donor-advised fund managers on how impact investments — including products like Calvert’s Community Investment Note®, one of the few options open to retail investors — can be integrated into broader portfolios. We see this as a sign of rising demand for solutions that blend financial return with measurable, real-world outcomes.

To learn more about AGC and read more stories about their impact, visit their portfolio partner profile here.

The responses presented in this article are for general informational purposes only and have not been independently verified for accuracy or completeness. The testimonials presented reflect the personal experiences and opinions of portfolio partners and their investees, and do not guarantee the same results for others.