With more than 20 years of experience promoting financial services for the poor, DAI was a natural sponsor of and contributor to the publication of Small Customers, Big Market: Commercial Banks in Microfinance. The book, compiled and edited by Malcolm Harper and Sukhwinder Singh Arora, depicts successful commercial bank experiences in microfinance and demonstrates to commercial bankers that they can profitably provide microfinance services to the poor. Jay Dyer, Guillemette Jaffrin, Teona Mikadze, Pete Morrow, and Robin Young—DAI and DAI Europe staff—contributed to the book.

Through 18 case studies from all parts of the world, the authors illustrate why banks have become involved in microfinance and how they have made a success of this aspect of their business. The book also demonstrates to foreign aid donors, policy makers, nongovernmental organization staff, and microfinance practitioners that it is often quicker, less expensive, and more effective for microfinance services to be provided by commercial banks rather than by specialist microfinance institutions.

One of the case studies highlights DAI’s experience with transforming the formerly insolvent state-owned Mongolia Agricultural Bank (now the Khan Bank) into Mongolia’s most profitable financial institution.

To order Small Customers, Big Market: Commercial Banks in Microfinance, email ITDG Publishing at orders@itpubs.org.uk.no or visit its website: itdgpublishing.org.uk.