We construct a theoretical framework that describes the social worth of a microfinance organization in terms of the depth, worth to users, cost to users, breadth, length, and scope of its output. We then analyze evidence of depth of outreach for five microfinance organizations in Bolivia. Most...

The paper constructs a theoretical framework that describes the social worth of a microfinance organization and then analyzes evidence of depth of outreach for five such institutions in Bolivia. Most of the poor households reached by them were near the poverty line - they were the richest of the...