作者介绍：文思若，16年转入圣母大学。现在就读于经济和应用数学专业。去年秋天作为发展部经理加入银禧基金，在部员的帮助下，就职内为其基金成功筹款八千美元。
作为美国一流的学府，圣母大学总是培养学生要有社会贡献精神。曾经在国内建立过男孩女孩俱乐部的我，则是非常喜欢圣母大学的这一点，并且下定决心要在回报社会这方面闯出一片自己的天地。因为对金融很感兴趣，我加入了圣母学生自己创造的非盈利组织银禧基金。在美国，商业小型贷款提供机构总是伴随着很高的利息。尽管贷款的周期很短，但是很多中低层阶级的人都没办按时还款。这样的话就陷入了一个死循环，人们会不断地借钱来填补漏洞。在美国，这样的贷款机构被称为“掠夺借贷”(Predatory Lending), 但是由于政府的疏于监管，掠夺借贷在美国有很大的市场。皮尤研究中心调查显示美国人均利息消费为500美元一年。在南本德，有大概七千人被掠夺借贷奴役着，年利率高达百分之三百九十。而银禧基金作为一个非盈利汇报社会组织，目标是取代这些在南本德高利贷机构，为需要帮助的人提供能支付的起利息。我们的年利率大概为百分之二十九左右。
在银禧基金，我的工作主要是筹集资本，从而为需要帮助的人提供更多的贷款。我们的部门的目标是达到10万美元，这样我们每年就能提供大于25笔服务。(印第安纳州的法律规定小于10万美元的机构每年不得提供超于25笔贷款)。我特别喜欢我的工作 – 因为我不仅有机会可以和各大合作伙伴打电话筹款，还能帮助别人。在我们团队的努力下，去年我们和南本德的棒球队达成协议，同意我们成为他们的门票代理，每卖出一张门票为我们捐献5美元。后来我们团队又参加了麦克罗斯基商业比赛，认识了一位投资人，为我们捐献了三千五百美元。我们同时也与亚马逊的微笑项目合作，加入这个项目的顾客消费金额的百分之零点一会由亚马逊捐赠给我们。去年我的团队总共筹得8000美元, 能让我们多提供将近27笔服务。
我非常喜欢圣母大学勇于探索和帮助别人的精神。我会继续为银禧基金服务，争取尽早完成我们的目标，来帮助更多的人。
Jubliee Initiative for Financial Inclusion - Notre Dame’s Service Fund
About the author: Jenny Wen is a junior at University of Notre Dame double majoring in Economics and Applied Mathematics. Jenny joined JIFFI as a development associate last fall and helped the organization raised $8,000 for its internal capital.
When I joined JIFFI, which is a microfinance nonprofit that aims to replace predatory payday lending that perpetuates poverty in South Bend, the organization faced the challenge of growing its capital from 40k to 100k so that it can exceed the expectation of giving 25 loans per year. I know partnerships would be a great way to fundraise based on my previous experiences. As a result, my colleagues and I started to search for opportunities and cold-call local stores and restaurants. Even though we were able to gain a couple hundred dollars through giveaways, the results were minimal and I was aiming for something bigger on the corporate finance side. I found out that AmazonSmile donates 0.5% of its members’ purchases to support different nonprofits. We collaborated with AmazonSmile and immediately promoted opts-ins on campus. Our marketing strategy enabled us to raise $4,038 in addition to the $3,500 donated from an investor. This success allows us to better assist the disadvantaged groups, including our minorities and female clients. Through my experiences working with JIFFI and the children, I learned how to marry volunteerism with finance aptitude so that I can make an impact by incorporating diversity. I will continue to utilize the qualities that I’ve acquired through my academic studies and extracurricular activities — intellectual desire, global perspective, perseverance, and entrepreneurial innovation — to pave the way for those who need help in the future.
