Media centre

Press releases, press kits and images

For all PR and press enquiries, or to join our media database, please contact the Good Return communications team:

Frances Mayall
Email: frances@goodreturn.org
Phone: 0493 137 110



March 2024

Good Return’s gender champions speak out this International Women’s Day about the challenges women face and the need for acceleration in the investment in gender equality

The United Nations are asking us to join them in taking action this International Women’s Day to “Invest in women: Accelerate progress”.

Good Return has been working across the Asia-Pacific region over the past 20 years with this same goal. We believe that if you enable women to be empowered and provide them with the financial tools to start or build businesses, then they will build resilience for good times and bad.  

Our team have been championing International Women’s Day this month and here is some of the media coverage we received:

OnImpact is a media platform focused on impact investment. Read our story here - https://onimpact.com.au/good-return-calls-for-increased-gender-based-impact-investment-to-support-women-entrepreneurs/  

Financial Standard Sustainability is an online platform reporting on Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) issues. Read our story here - https://www.fssustainability.com.au/gender-based-strategy-gives-impact-investing-a-boost#:~:text=Good%20Return%20Asia%20manager%20Diana,products%20are%20overlooked%20and%20undervalued 

CFOtech Asia is all about technology. Our story focuses on Good Return’s digital tools that support women’s economic empowerment. Read our story here - https://cfotech.asia/story/iwd-2024-digital-tools-key-to-opening-the-door-for-women-s-economic-empowerment 

Good Return’s Indigenous Women’s Entrepreneurship program was featured in a number of publications and ABC radio:

Additionally, the Good Return team are on the speaker circuit for various International Women’s Day events around Australia - from Ricoh Australia, to Visa, to Women in Aid and Development - we are championing for change with the steadfast goal that all women should have the opportunity to take control of their lives.

January 2024

Statement on Mr Muhammad Yunus

Good Return is saddened by the news of the conviction of Mr Muhammad Yunus. As the founder of Grameen Bank, his belief in the power of microfinance to uplift those living in poverty has inspired thousands of social organisations, including Good Return.During this difficult time, social leaders around the world are urging the impact community to continue Mr Yunus's legacy and work to change lives for the better.

At Good Return, we are doing just that - we know that the powerful combination of responsible finance and financial capability is key to the financial wellbeing of families and communities. We will continue to provide safe loans to entrepreneurs and financial literacy training so that more people feel financially empowered and can build stronger futures. We continue to be inspired by Mr Yunus's vision for a more equitable and sustainable world.

January 2024

National Indigenous Times (NIT) features story about Visa Foundation’s support of Good Return’s Indigenous Women’s Entrepreneurship program.

The NIT is an Indigenous affairs news organisation producing a monthly publication distributed as an insert in The West Australian, NT News, Daily Telegraph and other state and local newspapers, as well as online. Read the story here.

December 2023

Responsible financial inclusion is key to protecting vulnerable clients in the Asia-Pacific region.

Our CEO, Shane Nichols, shared his thoughts this week with the Australian International Development Network (AIDN) on the importance of safe and responsible provision of financial products and services to the vulnerable. Learn more here.

August 2023

Good Return announces new partnership with the Paul Ramsay Foundation and Maganda Makers Business Club.

The first of its kind, the Maganda Makers Business Club has proven a successful model for Indigenous women in business to network, build skills and grow as entrepreneurs. New funding from the Paul Ramsay Foundation (PRF) will enable the initiative to grow and reach even more women, with expansion into Queensland and the Northern Territory on the horizon for the club which began following a collaboration between Kimberley Jiyigas, Menzies Foundation and Good Return. Learn more here.

August 2023

Good Return responds to Australian Government’s new International Development Policy.

Read Good Return’s response to the new Australian Aid and Development Policy here.

Overall, Good Return was pleased to see how the new policy actively responded to contemporary problems facing our region including climate change, gender inequality, disability and poverty. Good Return was particularly pleased to see that several recommendations from the Good Return submission to the DFAT Development Finance Review in September 2022 were influential in the final Review.

August 2023

Good Return featured in OnImpact blog in response to Australia’s new International Development Policy.

In response to the release of Australia’s new International Development policy, Good Return’s Hannah McNicol called upon Shane Nichols, CEO of Good Return, to clarify:
- What is blended finance?
- What does it look like in practice?
- And what can it do for urgent international development outcomes?

Shane concisely and practically breaks down “blended finance” and its potential for catalytic impact through the example of Good Returns own Impact Investment Fund.

Read the full OnImpact piece here.


July 2023

Good Return featured in Asian Venture Philanthropy Network (AVPN) blog.

Good Return’s Meldy Pelejo explored how rising digital literacy paired with innovative technology solutions can allow micro-entrepreneurship to overcome traditional barriers to starting and sustaining a business in a recent piece featured on the AVPN blog.

Congratulations to the wider 'My Money Tracker' team at Good Return for the launch of the My Money Tracker application in the Phillipines! Read the full blog here.


April 2023

Good Return referenced in OnImpact feature.

Good Return’s micro loan program was referenced as a public and accessible way to create impactful investments in the OnImpact feature: ‘How To Drive A More Diverse and Democratic Impact Investment Market in Australia’. See full feature here.


March 2023

Good Return featured in Aspen Network of Development Entrepreneurs’ (ANDE) blog for IWD 2023.

We were thrilled to see that Good Return’s Monitoring and Evaluation Specialist, Anvesha Khandelwal Punjani's, piece on innovation in Indonesia’s chilli sector was published by Aspen Network of Development Entrepreneurs - ANDE especially to mark the important date of IWD 2023!

With the theme for IWD being ‘Innovation and technology for gender equality’ the piece is extremely timely. Read the full blog here.


February 2023

Good Return featured in Asian Venture Philanthropy Network (AVPN) blog.

Co-authored by Tiurma Veronica Siregar and Alexandra Birch, Good Return was feature on AVPN’s blog with a piece that explores the following contradiction: that despite women being crucial to the large and profitable chilli sector in Indonesia, they are rarely recognised as a formal part of the economy. This exclusion means they cannot benefit from financial independence, owning their own land or growing their own businesses.

Read the full blog here.




December 2022

Good Return featured in Aspen Network of Development Entrepreneurs’ (ANDE) blog sharing expertise on women’s entrepreneurship in Nepal

'The combination of irregular income and a lack of access to financial literacy education can leave families vulnerable to unsafe or high-interest loans and an endless cycle of debt. In turn, running and managing profitable or sustainable businesses becomes nearly impossible.'

We were thrilled to see Good Return published in Aspen Network of Development Entrepreneurs - ANDE in a timely piece that explores the economic and social situation for communities in the Mount Everest region of Nepal this winter.

Good Return’s Hannah McNicol, Mimu Raghubanshi and Mochan Bhattarai urged our network to reflect on our regional neighbours in Nepal this festive period and highlight three complex issues underpinning the current economic situation including financial literacy, gendered barriers to women’s economic empowerment and lack of access to capital.

To finish, the writers commented on the role that innovative financial capability programs being led by World Education Nepal, Good Return, Femi Foundations and local partners (SVSI)Sapana Village Social Impact, Hill Development and Conservation Group and Solukhumbu Development Society and Women Awareness Centre Nepal can play in addressing these challenges.

Read the full piece here: https://andeglobal.org/fostering-entrepreneurship-for-women-in-nepal/


November 2022

Good Return’s Submission to DFAT Development Policy Review

In the submission Good Return responds to DFAT’s call to inform its international development policy. Good Return identifies seven issues to be addressed in the new policy including:

  • Supporting partner government financial inclusion strategies;

  • Elevating disability rights and inclusion;

  • Coordinated approaches to gender lens investing;

  • Strengthening the role of impact investment intermediaries to strengthen MSMEs;

  • Strategic and catalytic funding models;

  • Leveraging ANCP and existing Australian NGO relationships; and

  • Reinstating an independent evaluation function and increasing transparency.


    September 2022

Good Return’s Submission to DFAT Development Finance Review

In the submission Good Return reflects on its own experience in the impact investing ecosystem and suggests the following key recommendations for DFAT’s Development Finance Review:

  • Unlock private capital through new investment models;

  • Leverage NGO skills and capacities;

  • Strengthen the market; and

  • Establish an autonomous unit and apply a focused development lens.





26 August 2022

Good Return featured in Aspen Network of Development Entrepreneurs’ (ANDE) blog sharing expertise on women’s economic empowerment in Cambodia

ANDE East and Southeast Asia recently published a blog written by Good Return's Maneth Pol, Programme and Partnership Officer, where she shares her expertise on women’s economic empowerment in Cambodia.

Maneth reflects on the impacts of financial literacy and capability training that go beyond accessing finance, money management skills and building savings. In reality, programs that strive to foster women's economic empowerment build so much more: intergenerational legacies, independence, leadership and can even challenge gender norms.

See the full piece, by Maneth and co-authored by Hannah McNicol (Communications Officer) here: https://andeglobal.org/womens-economic-empowerment-in-cambodia/





16 June 2022

Good Return’s statement on forced land sales in Cambodia

Good Return is extremely concerned about the incidence of over indebtedness and forced land sales resulting from aggressive lending practices of some microfinance lenders in Cambodia, outlined in the 2022 report “Micro” Finance in Cambodia: Development, Challenges and Recommendations” by Frank Bliss. Although there have been previous allegations of human rights abuses linked to predatory lending by some microfinance lenders in Cambodia, this is the first time this issue has been investigated through robust quantitative and qualitative research collected anonymously from a large sample of households.

964 of the 1,388 households surveyed by Bliss had held a loan within the last five years, and of these 61 (6.3%) said they had been forced to sell land to repay loans. This equates to 12 households (1.27% of the borrowers sampled) per year, which Bliss extrapolates to a possible 167,400 households across the whole country in the last five years. These findings are disturbing. Some of these households surveyed sold only portions of their land and did not experience economic crisis as a result, but we believe that even one case of harm to clients is too many.

Good Return’s mission is to enable those who are marginalised and excluded to achieve economic empowerment through responsible financial inclusion and capability development. To achieve this, we partner with responsible lenders and work with stakeholders including government, regulators and industry associations to promote ethical lending practices which protect the rights of borrowers. We conduct thorough due diligence on our financial services partners and regularly engage with and support them to meet the highest standards of client protection. Our partners in Cambodia have made clear commitments to client protection, operationalised through their policies and procedures, and reinforced by staff training and client feedback mechanisms. They offer a range of products appropriate to their customers’ needs, including small loans that do not require collateral, and adhere to good practice standards throughout the cycle of distribution, loan assessment, collections and arrears management.

At the same time, we help individuals to build their financial capability through our Consumer Education and Financial Awareness (CAFE) financial education program, so that they can choose and use appropriate financial products and services, understand the principles of client protection and know their rights and responsibilities as customers of financial service providers. In addition, we are working with the National Bank of Cambodia to implement the ‘Let’s Talk Money’ national campaign to increase financial awareness amongst consumers throughout the country.

Bliss’s report finds that 82.3% of the respondents reported benefits from using microfinance, such as increased income generation from assets. However, 16.2% reported negative impacts, which he concludes are often attributable to aggressive and potentially unethical practices of ‘black sheep’ lenders. Good Return supports Bliss’s recommendations for measures to strengthen oversight and consumer protection at the sector level, train lenders in responsible practices, support financial literacy and consumer awareness, extend microcredit to underserved farmers, and actively promote savings mobilisation. Through our programs, our commitment is to raise standards in the industry and empower consumers, so that they can benefit from access to products and services  that meet their financial needs from responsible providers who protect their rights. 

The study by Bliss demonstrates the urgent and ongoing need for programs that raise lending standards and consumer protections, such as those offered by Good Return.

Network of Seven Impact Investors take the Lead to Address Gender Inequality in Asia Pacific

“67% of global asset owners have identified gender diversity as an area of interest, however, only 2% of the impact bonds issued last year had a gender focus.” The Australian Government's initiative to build a network of impact investors to address gender inequality in Asia Pacific comes to a close, but the network’s commitment to further the growth of gender lens investing is just beginning. Seven organisations of the Frontier Brokers Network continue to be resources for investors, social entrepreneurs and people working in the financial services to adopt a gender lens.

There is growing momentum and strategy to invest in gender inequality, but "now is the time to take action", says a spokesperson on behalf of Frontier Brokers Network. "2 Billion US dollars has been committed to gender lens investing, but this pales in comparison to investment in climate. Only 2% of the 1000 impact bonds issued last year (mobilizing 800 billion US dollars) had a gender focus. When women were 1.8 times more likely to drop out of the workforce as compared to their male counterparts during the COVID-19 pandemic, more needs to be done.”

And there are plenty of reasons to invest in women:

  • Return on Investment: Companies with greater gender equality have a better return on equity and lower return on equity volatility.

  • Climate crisis: Women have often been positioned as victims of climate change but can be solutions – they grow two-thirds of the world's food making them critical for adaptation and they're also key users of energy at the household level so transitioning them to lower carbon footprint creates impact.

  • Accelerate COVID-19 recovery: Women need to be a part of the workforce and women need to be paid equally to achieve a potential $28 boost in global annual GDP.

The Australian Government Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade created the Frontier Brokers Network to strengthen the impact investing ecosystem through stimulating the flow of capital to social businesses across Asia Pacific using a gender lens approach. Frontier Brokers was a platform for cooperation and shared learning to further the growth of gender lens investing across the industry. 

The Frontier Brokers Network was designed to create added value for all Brokers and for DFAT in “having a place to share the learning as they implement their respective experiments, to share connections and to share deals and greater potential to engage and influence the Asia-Pacific ecosystem by establishing a network,” [insert name] DFAT.

The 7 Brokers organisations are: Athena Global, Brightlight, Good Return (network convener), Impact Investment Exchange (IIX), Investing for Good, Palladium, and University of Melbourne. Their shared commitment to addressing gender inequality continues past DFAT’s involvement. 

"We are continuing our collaborations with each other and have identified that it’s important to amplify and promote the learning tools (videos, podcasts, blogs etc.) that have been co-created together over the past 2.5 years so that more people can learn and benefit from gender lens investing," says a spokesperson on behalf of Frontier Brokers Network.

To learn more about gender lens investing, you can start by reviewing the learning tools the network has created. These can be found on their website which will be live until the end of 2025: https://scalingfrontierinnovation.org/initiatives/brokers/

Those investors, social entrepreneurs and people working in the financial services looking to adopt a gender lens, can contact any of the seven brokers for advice and guidance. Below is their contact information:

  1. Athena Global: https://athenaga.com   Athena Global is an impact-oriented capital deployment and advisory firm aimed at meeting the needs of Small and Growing Businesses in emerging markets, with an emphasis on those that are owned/led by women and/or environmentally sustainable. Contact Person: Danielle Givens (Director of Operations) dgivens@athenaga.com  

  2. Brightlight: https://www.brightlightimpact.com/

  3. Good Return (Network convener): An Australian not-for-profit building inclusive finance and entrepreneurial opportunity for women across the Asia-Pacific. https://www.goodreturn.org.au/ Contact Person: Frances Mayall Email: frances@goodreturn.org

  4. Impact Investment Exchange (IIX): https://iixglobal.com/ Impact Investment Exchange (IIX): A global impact investing, monitoring and advisory firm pioneering innovative solutions to transform the financial system so women, the environment and disadvantaged communities are valued and have a voice.www.iixglobal.com; Contact: Lena Chong; Email: lchong@iixglobal.com

  5. Investing For Good: https://www.investingforgood.co.uk/ 

    1. Investing for Good offers a depth of expertise across impact investing and impact management. For almost 20 years, we have grown the market of impact investing, supporting impact driven organisations to source blended finance and other forms of flexible capital, whilst working with both investors and investees to evaluate and manage social impact.

    2. Contact:

Alex Jarman, Acting Chief Executive, Investing For Good

ajarman@investinforgood.co.uk

  1. Palladium: https://thepalladiumgroup.com/about 

  2. The University of Melbourne: https://www.unimelb.edu.au/ 

Measurement for Frontier Brokers Network was conducted by: Moonshot Global (https://moonshotglobal.com/), a US-based, woman-owned advisory services firm that has core capabilities in evidence, learning, and impact; innovation and entrepreneurship; investment advisory; and human and institutional capacity development,  and Living Collaborations, global partnering and collaboration specialists (https://www.livingcollaborations.com/). 

Contact: Courtney Roberts, Managing Director, courtney@moonshotglobal.com

Any questions regarding this press release of Frontier Brokers Network can be directed to the Network Convenor Good Return.

Contact Person: Frances Mayall

Email: frances@goodreturn.org

2 June 2022

How to Invest in Gender Equality: New Resources from 7 Leading Impact Investment Firms in Asia-Pacific

Achieving full gender equality in the workforce could boost global annual GDP by $28 trillion, but currently less than 1% of $715B global impact investing goes to reducing gender inequality. The Frontier Brokers Network has created and compiled easy-to-digest multi-media tools to help everyday investors ensure their financial capital is going towards closing the gender gap.

Frontier Brokers is a network of 7 impact investment firms who have adopted a gender lens in their projects, looking to measurably address gender inequality – in capital markets, their own investment processes and in local contexts where social enterprises operate. They are sharing their resources, learnings and tools on their website at How to Invest in Gender Equality.

Some highlighted resources include:

  • “Investing in Gender Equality” [Podcast] - A six-part series focusing on entrepreneurs from Asia-Pacific, each with a fascinating story to tell on the impact of gender lens investing on their business. As we learn how these inspiring entrepreneurs have overcome gender barriers, gender lens expert Dr Jodi York will talk about how individuals can contribute to gender equality in life, work and investments.

  • “An Animated Introduction to Gender Lens Investing” [Video] - Steps investors can take to incorporate a gender lens into their investments, to increase gender equity in value chains and make a difference in the lives of women entrepreneurs.

  • “Operationalising Gender Lens Investing in Asia: Insights from Frontier Brokers” [Report] - Key takeaways for funders, brokers, and others in the investment community who are interested in pursuing gender lens investing.

  • “The Value of Gender Lens Investing: Lessons Learnt Across the Entrepreneurial Ecosystem” [Video} - Interviews from key players across the entrepreneurial ecosystem, sharing their perspectives, experiences, and lessons learnt with a focus on the value of gender lens investing.

  • “Gender Lens Investing. What. Why. How.” [Video] - See how some of the world's leading Gender Lens Investing practitioners (IIX, Brightlight, Athena, Good Return) put gender equality into action by placing it at the forefront of their business.

According to Dr Jodi York, a commentator on the podcast series, "One of the things that we know is that for women-led companies, investors often think they don't take enough risks. That may be true. They also don't fail as profoundly. They also don't take on as much capital. So importantly - the impact you get for the capital you invest is generally better. They tend to be much more solid performers, and they are very rarely caught up in the really profound business failures that end up on the front page." 

These tools are meant for all genders of retail and institutional investors, social entrepreneurs, and people working in the financial service sector globally. Anyone investing capital with a gender lens plays a significant role in ending gender inequality and strengthening the global economy for all. 

Frontier Brokers Network is supported by the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade and impact is measured by Moonshot Global LLC and Living Collaborations. Members include: Athena Global, BIDUK, Brightlight Group, Impact Investment Exchange (IIX), Investing for Good CIC, Palladium, University of Melbourne, and Good Return as the convener.

6 December 2021

Joint Press Release on Dissemination Workshop on the Implementation of National Financial Inclusion Strategy 2019-2025 and Official Launch of “Let’s Talk Money: Little by Little” Campaign

On Friday morning, December 3, 2021, in collaboration with the United Nations Capital Development 3 Fund (UNCDF) and Good Return, the National Bank of Cambodia organized a Dissemination workshop on the Implementation of the National Financial Inclusion Strategy (NFIS) 2019-2025 and the Official Launch of “Let’s Talk Money: Little by Little” campaign, which was held in-person and online. This workshop was presided over by H.E. Ouk Maly, Deputy Governor of the National Bank of Cambodia, and around 400 attendees participated, including relevant ministries, banking and financial institutions, development partners, stakeholders, university students and the public, of which 50 attendees participated in-person at the Hyatt Regency Phnom Penh hotel and the rest participated virtually. Read more.

8 November 2021

Good Return joins government efforts to boost economic recovery and growth in the Pacific

Good Return has joined with two important partners – the Australian Government and the Solomon Islands Central Bank – to fight poverty in the Pacific.

With one third of people in the Solomon Islands excluded from the formal banking system, the government has ambitious targets to improve financial inclusion. Good Return will work with the Central Bank to train local coaches to deliver our financial literacy training on the ground (our CAFE initiative). They will teach people how to borrow money safely, build a business and manage their family finances. 

“In the Solomon Islands, financial inclusion means unlocking economic opportunities for everyone,” said Governor of the Solomon Islands Central Bank, Dr Luke Forau. “We are happy that the partnership between the Central Bank of Solomon Islands and Good Return will offer necessary training and education, so that more people in our community can learn about responsible financial services and financial management.”

In Fiji, Good Return is partnering with the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade’s Market Development Facility (MDF), managed by the Palladium Group, to provide training and financial assistance to women-led enterprises as the country emerges from the pandemic.

Under the partnership, the MDF will provide women business owners who lack access to the traditional banking sector with planning tools, business coaching and work spaces. Good Return will work with a local financial service provider to enable these women to access loans to grow sustainable local businesses.

“We believe there is a need for more tailored and embedded business advisory support for local MSMEs accessing loans and therefore we are really excited about the prospect of working with Good Return on launching the new financial product in Fiji,” says MDF Country Director Malcolm Bossley.

With borders closed to tourism, Pacific businesses have been hit hard. According to Pacific Business Invest, 87% of businesses reported a decline in revenue due to COVID-19.  Good Return’s focus on investing and supporting small business makes it well placed to assist recovery efforts in the Pacific.

“We are proud to be part of the regional work to build a resilient recovery from the pandemic in the Pacific”, said Shane Nichols, CEO of Good Return. “If we can improve access to finance and ensure that growth is inclusive, we know that economies will be stronger in the long run.”

6 October 2021

Good Return launches exclusive banking award

Good Return has announced a banking award to recognise financial service providers working to improve their products and services for more people in their community.

The Inclusive Banking Award will be given to two FSPs in the Asia-Pacific region which demonstrate their increased commitment to financial inclusion and their willingness to build the skills of their staff in this area. The winners will receive a year-long subscription to Good Return’s RIF Academy, a digital learning platform to build skills in financial inclusion.

Good Return focuses on financial inclusion to ensure those who have traditionally been left out of the banking system can access responsible finance and build their savings. People are ‘unbanked’ usually because they have a low income or face discrimination because of their gender, disability or ethnic background. We partner with the finance industry to make financial services accessible to all, educating staff and building capacity to better respond to customers from all backgrounds. 

“Inclusive banking is not just about developing new products to suit someone with a low income” says Benigne du Parc, Good Return Program Director. “It is about helping banking staff understand the needs of different customers and provide the right advice and assistance to them”.

The winners of the Good Return Inclusive Banking Award will receive free access to Good Return’s RIF Academy learning management system (LMS) and a one year subscription for 500 active users. The LMS will include our training courses on client protection, monitoring and evaluation, social performance, staff capacity and inclusive finance.

To enter the Good Return Inclusive Banking Award visit www.goodreturn.org.au/rif-academy.

8 August 2020

Australia’s Big Soft Power Test

Good Return Board Member; Gordon Cairns

Our country cannot recover well if the neighbouring region is destabilised and deteriorating. This is a significant diplomatic challenge for Canberra.

We’re in the midst of the greatest economic crisis since the Great Depression. But in this period of disruption and repositioning of power, Australia has an opportunity to advance the nation’s interests by securing future trade with Asia, protecting regional stability and establishing itself as a partner of choice in the region. This is Australian soft power diplomacy at its best.

It would not be wise to focus exclusively on our nation’s response and recovery while instability and economic deterioration envelops our regional neighbourhood.

Read more here.

23 July 2020

How to make the leap from corporate to not-for-profit

Good Return Board Member, Lisa Cotton

After conquering the corporate world, finding a job that puts purpose over profit can be a tempting career move, but just how hard is it to make the switch following COVID-19?

Is there more to life than money and work?

"Helping others triggers impacts to our brain in many positive ways," says Lisa Cotton, Ideology Group chief executive. "From an evolutionary perspective, our brains are hard-wired to feel rewarded more for selflessness than for selfishness."

It has been an especially challenging year with drought, floods, bushfires and now the COVID-19 pandemic, meaning the siren call of the non-profit sector is louder than ever for some executives.

Read more here.

9th April 2020

What can be done to protect small businesses in Asia Pacific from COVID-19?

Small businesses were one of the first groups the Australian Government committed support to as a result of the COVID-19 Pandemic. Why? Because they are a major source of employment, and without them, economies fail.

‘Many countries in our Asia-Pacific neighbourhood will struggle to manage the health impacts of COVID-19, let alone the financial impacts on small businesses and the families who rely on them for their livelihoods’, says Shane Nichols, CEO of Good Return, a Sydney-based social purpose organisation that supports small business development to address poverty and vulnerability in the region. 

‘The World Bank has estimated that 11 million people in the region are at risk of slipping into poverty. These people do not have government safety nets to fall back on, so it is essential that we find ways to ensure finance flows to the small businesses that support livelihoods in their communities.’

Good Return launches Impact Investment Fund

Good Return is this month launching a fund that will provide guarantees to incentivise local banks and other lenders to lend to underserved small businesses, with a focus on increasing economic opportunities for women in poor, rural communities.

‘We are drawing on our experience of financing over 10,000 microbusinesses across the region over the past ten years, the vast majority led by women,’ said Nichols.

Catalytic investment from DFAT

The Australian government is leading the charge through a catalytic injection of $200,000 in the first-loss pool of Good Return’s Impact Investment Fund. DFAT funding is designed to reduce risk for other investors to come to the party.

The fund addresses a critical financing gap for small and growing businesses in the Asia Pacific region. It aims to help small business owners in some of the poorest communities to grow an enterprise that can break the cycle of poverty through the creation of employment and income opportunities.

Gemma Salteri of the Cages Foundation says, ‘I am excited about supporting this innovative approach to impact investment, which encourages local banks to lend to people who don’t have assets or a credit history, but have great businesses which could bring jobs and income to their villages.’

It will fund businesses that generate jobs in rural communities that are often too large for microfinance and are unable to access bank funding due to lack of written records and banking history, and insufficient collateral.

Good Return is initially seeking to raise one million dollars from philanthropic investors that will be used to guarantee two million dollars in loans to small businesses across the region. 

Those interested in investing should visit www.goodreturn.org.au/impact-investing

About Good Return

Good Return is an international development agency that works across the Asia Pacific region to deliver economic and social development programs for the financially and socially excluded.

It enables people to build pathways out of poverty by providing access to responsible finance as well as financial education and business skills. An integrated approach like this is crucial to long-term success. 

Good Return programs and initiatives are designed to get the right resources to people to help them escape poverty, permanently.


8 August 2019


Statement from Good Return regarding recently released “Collateral Damages” report by Licadho and Sahmakum Teang Tnaut (STT)

A report written by human rights group Licadho and land rights group, Sahmakum Teang Tnaut (STT) titled “Collateral Damages” has been published. It identifies the presence of predatory practices by some Cambodian microfinance institutions (MFIs).  We are deeply concerned by the cases and issues surfaced in this report.

Good Return actively works in Cambodia to train the sector on responsible lending practices and educate consumers in how to choose and use the right services for them. All of our efforts are designed to improve services and protect and empower low-income people. Over 50,000 people across the Asia-Pacific region have completed our financial education and consumer awareness training programs, and over 2,000 MFI staff have been trained in responsible banking practices.

We partner with MFIs in Cambodia in various areas to help improve the social outcomes of their work. This has included training in SMART accreditation (a global standard for responsible lending practices), social performance reporting, provision of interest-free loans, and establishment of a financial literacy training program to help clients manage their money and small businesses. Much progress has been made, but clearly, more work needs to be done.

The behaviours outlined in the report are not in accordance with responsible lending standards. They are the reason that we incorporate client protection and consumer empowerment principles into all of our programs, policies and values.