Walking the talk on the triple
bottom line. First, do no harm.
But don’t stop there.

Advancing social and environmental performance management for inclusive finance.

Cerise+SPTF is a joint venture of two leading global organizations dedicated to social and environmental performance management—a way of doing business that puts people and the planet at the center of every decision. Our signature product, the Universal Standards for Social and Environmental Performance Management, has defined best practices since 2012. All of our tools—audits and self-assessments, data and benchmarking, technical assistance financing, working groups, and more—reflect the real-world perspective of inclusive finance stakeholders. Cerise+SPTF believes in the power of getting started. Wherever you are on your social and environmental performance management journey—curious, unsure where to start, stuck on a certain point, or determined to grow from good to great— we will meet you where you are. And we will bring the tools you need to succeed.

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Front Page News

Below are a few highlights of the many activities Cerise+SPTF has been busy with.  To view all our latest news and events, check out our newsletters page and our events page.   

African Microfinance Week (SAM)

Hosted by ADA
October 16-20 – Lomé, Togo

What a week in Togo!  Cerise+SPTF was delighted to help put on several events, panel discussions, and training sessions at the SAM.  Topics included our work on the Digital Financial Services Standards, evaluating and improving environmental performance, client protection, measuring the real impact of sustainable inclusive finance, and more.

Workshop on the Digital Financial Standards Pilot

Hosted by Cerise+SPTF
December 14 – Online

This webinar was the culmination of two years of work, summarizing feedback from the field after pilot testing our draft management standards for financial service providers who want to offer digital financial services in a responsible and inclusive way.  Pilot testing was conducted with about 25 DFS providers in Africa, Asia, and Latin America. 

UPCOMING!

Our 2024 Annual Meeting

Hosted by Cerise+SPTF and MCPI 
June 4-7 — Manila, Philippines

Save the date!  This event — our biggest in-person gathering each year — is always a phenomenally energizing and inspirational experience.  Our 2024 meeting theme is “Building Responsible Finance Ecosystems: A Summit on Responsible Finance in Action.”

Photo credit: ESAF, India

Cerise+SPTF 2022 annual report is out

We are delighted to share the report of our 2022 activities and achievements. It is the first such report to be published since Cerise and SPTF formalized our joint venture in 2021—after more than 15 years of working together closely but unofficially. Now that we pool our resources and operate under a common strategic plan, Cerise+SPTF is even more convinced of the value we can bring to responsible inclusive finance stakeholders. And we are even more excited about what the global sector can achieve.

Our sector’s collective work is more important than ever. With less than seven years remaining to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals, the whole world, but especially developing countries, must have financial service providers who are serious about social and environmental performance. But even when the commitment is there, the whole finance value chain—the providers, their investors, regulator and policymakers, raters and auditors, watchdogs, and clients very much included—may struggle to understand what good social and environmental performance consists of, and how to achieve it.

That is where Cerise+SPTF comes in!

Please take a few moments to download the report and read about all our progress last year. Our membership is growing fast, we’re upgrading our systems and tools, we’re forging impactful alliances with new partners—and we’re always focused on keeping people and the planet at the heart of all we do.

Filling needs for clear standards and practical support

Need 1

Financial service providers seek real-world guidance

They are challenged to manage their businesses in ways that meet social strategies

Need 2

Donors and impact investors need assurance

They are mandated to ensure that their funding advances social and environmental strategies and customer outcomes

What are we doing about it

Need 3

Missing guardrails

Many purpose-driven organizations work in markets with loose regulations and weak infrastructure

What are we doing about it

Collaboration with policymakers’ associations and regulators​

Need 4

General public is unaware or skeptical 

Other stakeholders and the general public need education on the effectiveness of social and environmental performance management

What are we doing about it

Show, don’t tell. We use our global collective voice to inform and inspire, with data-backed evidence.​

Testimonials

Financial service providers, impact investors, researchers, and thought leaders are all part of the global movement for social and environmental performance management. Read what they have to say about the work of Cerise+SPTF.

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