The Financial Access Initiative is funded by a $5 million grant provided by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. In 2000, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation was created by Bill and Melinda Gates with the primary value that all lives have equal significance. To this end the Foundation provides grants to programs focusing on reducing poverty and improving health in developing countries as well as high school education in the United States. The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation works with an endowment of $33.4 billion and has provided $13.6 billion in grants since its inception.

Generous additional support is provided by American International Group, Inc. Support from AIG funds our continued research efforts as well as a new initiative in the area of microinsurance.