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Associations, also known as umbrella organizations, play an important role in the evolution of a sector/market. Associations are a specific organizational type with the mission to provide information to its members who are its primary customers. Information is the core ingredient of decision-making. Information for members, and for secondary customers, i. e. policy-makers and other stakeholders notably the public via media requires a cautiously shaped operation. At its core are human resources, data, content and knowledge management, and finance. AMFIU (Uganda) and Sa-Dhan (India) have achieved more than many other associations, in microfinance and other markets. They have, over more than a decade, grappled with and bitten through the manifold challenges and some crises of their sectors, and have as organisations grown through and out of them. This book attempts to condense this experience towards a comprehensive theoretical and practical guide for managers and advisors and board members and funders of associations across countries and sectors/markets.

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Oliver Schmidt has been training practitioners from about a hundred MFIs; authored various papers about microfinance, development and economics; and taught at universities in 4 countries. He holds a PhD from the university of Speyer. From 2005 to 2009, Dr. Schmidt was part of the management teams of MF associations of Uganda and India.

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