Better Than Cash Alliance

Better Than Cash Alliance
FormationSeptember 2012
TypeGlobal partnership
PurposeAccelerate the transition from cash to responsible digital payments
HeadquartersNew York, US
Membership
80 members
Managing Director
Dr. Ruth Goodwin-Groen
Websitewww.betterthancash.org

The Better Than Cash Alliance is a global partnership of 80 governments, companies, and International Organizations that accelerates the transition from cash to responsible digital payments to help achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).[1]

History, description and work

[edit]

The Better Than Cash Alliance was created in September 2012. Its founding members were the governments of Colombia, Kenya, Peru, and the Philippines, as well as CARE, Concern Worldwide, Mercy Corps, United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and World Food Programme (WFP).[2][3] The United Nations Capital Development Fund serves as the secretariat.

Based at the UN, the Alliance now has 80 members and is an implementing partner for the G20’s Global Partnership for Financial Inclusion (GPFI). The Alliance’s secretariat works closely with member governments, companies and other global organizations. According to its website its members are committed to digitizing payments in order to boost efficiency, transparency, women’s economic participation and financial inclusion, helping build economies that are digital and inclusive. Its website also states that "Members do not want to abolish physical cash, but rather want to provide responsible digital payment options that are 'better than cash'".[4][5]

The Alliance Secretariat works with members on their journey to digitize payments by:[6]

  • Providing advisory services based on their priorities.
  • Sharing action-oriented research and fostering peer learning on responsible practices.
  • Conducting advocacy at national, regional and global level.

The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Citigroup, the Ford Foundation, the Omidyar Network, the United Nations Capital Development Fund, the United States Agency for International Development (USAID),  and Visa Inc. were founding funders of the Alliance.[7][8] Further current funders include the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ), the Mastercard Foundation, the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (Sida), and the Swiss State Secretariat for Economic Affairs (SECO).[9]

Members

[edit]
Members[10]
Type Name Since Note
Governments[11]  Afghanistan
 Bangladesh
 Benin
 Colombia
 Côte d'Ivoire
 Dominican Republic
 Equatorial Guinea
 Ethiopia
 Ghana
 Fiji
 Jordan
 Kenya
 India
 Indonesia
 Liberia
 Malawi
 Mexico 2016 [12]
 Moldova
   Nepal
 Pakistan
 Papua New Guinea
 Paraguay
 Peru
 Philippines
 Rwanda
 Senegal
 Sierra Leone
 Solomon Islands
 Sudan
 Uganda
 Uruguay
 Vietnam
International Organizations[13] ACDI/VOCA
Arab Monetary Fund (AMF)
CARE
Catholic Relief Services
Chemonics International
Clinton Development Initiative
Concern Worldwide
European Bank for Reconstruction and Development
Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO)
Grameen Foundation
Inter-American Development Bank
International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD)
International Labour Organization (ILO)
International Rescue Committee
International Telecommunication Union (ITU)
MEDA
Mercy Corps
Save the Children
Self-Employed Women's Association (SEWA)
The Global Fund
United Nations Children’s Emergency Fund (UNICEF)
United Nations Development Programme (UNDP)
United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO)
United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR)
United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA)
United Nations Secretariat
Universal Postal Union
UN Women
Women's World Banking
World Food Programme
World Savings Banks Institute
Companies[14] Ethical Tea Partnership (ETP)
Gap Inc.
Grupo Bimbo
H&M
Inditex
Marks & Spencer
PVH
The Coca-Cola Company
Target
Unilever
World Cocoa Foundation

References

[edit]
  1. ^ "Better Than Cash Alliance". Better Than Cash Alliance. Retrieved 2021-05-28.
  2. ^ "Better Than Cash Alliance: Empowering People One Transaction at a Time". www.gatesfoundation.org. Retrieved 2021-05-28.
  3. ^ "Ruth Goodwin-Groen Named as Managing DirectorRuth Goodwin-Groen Named as Managing Director". Better Than Cash Alliance. Retrieved 2021-05-28.
  4. ^ "Better Than Cash Alliance". Better Than Cash Alliance. Retrieved 2021-05-28.
  5. ^ "Implementing Partners | GPFI". www.gpfi.org. Retrieved 2021-05-28.
  6. ^ "Better Than Cash Alliance". Better Than Cash Alliance. Retrieved 2021-05-28.
  7. ^ "Digital initiative aimed at helping world's poor". phys.org. Retrieved 2021-05-28.
  8. ^ "Better Than Cash Alliance". www.usaid.gov. 2012-09-25. Archived from the original on 2021-05-25. Retrieved 2021-05-28.
  9. ^ "Resource Partners". Better Than Cash Alliance. Retrieved 2021-05-28.
  10. ^ "Our Alliance". Better Than Cash Alliance. Retrieved 2021-05-28.
  11. ^ "Members:governments". Betterthancash.org. Archived from the original on 5 August 2020. Retrieved 25 September 2019.
  12. ^ "Mexico joins Better Than Cash Alliance". Finextra.com. 24 June 2016. Retrieved 25 September 2019.
  13. ^ "Members:international organizations". Betterthancash.org. Archived from the original on 5 August 2020. Retrieved 25 September 2019.
  14. ^ "Members:companies". Betterthancash.org. Archived from the original on 18 June 2020. Retrieved 25 September 2019.
[edit]