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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Stay informed and inspired with regular updates on social and environmental performance management from all over the world. We won’t kill your inbox, and you can unsubscribe anytime.

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.

Management Tools for Agribusinesses

Towards a Responsible Agriculture and Food Sector

The project aims to equip agriculture and food sector stakeholders with management tools that integrate responsible business conduct and client protection standards for agribusinesses.

You can take part into this project.
Join the RAF Working Group, test the tools in the field with your agribusiness partners, and become a sponsor to make this initiative sustainable and relevant to the sector.

E-learning Courses by Cerise+SPTF

Get trained and qualified on our standards and assessment tools!

Cerise+SPTF provides training in Client Protection and Social and Environmental Performance Management through e-learning courses in English, Spanish and French.

The courses are suitable for novices and experts who wish to discover or deepen their knowledge of Cerise+SPTF’s Universal Standards and the related audit tools and resources on SPI Online.

Look at the course calendar and join our mailing list to get information on courses’ contents and dates.

RECENTLY PUBLISHED

Regulator Dialogue on Strengthening Consumer Protection

On June 4th, 2024, Cerise+SPTF hosted a pivotal regulator peer-exchange session in Manila, on exploring how regulation can ensure effective consumer protection.

Funded by the Asian Development Bank, this event brought together representatives from diverse nations, including Cambodia, the Philippines, Indonesia, Laos, Mongolia, Vietnam, the Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Jordan, Egypt, Zambia, and Uganda.

This report presents the key highlights and takeaways of this Dialogue.

Find all the sessions materials of our 2024 Annual Meeting on the event portal.

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

What are we doing about it

Universal Standards, Client Protection Pathway, Working Groups, technical assistance, co-financing, communities of practice

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

Data and benchmarking, ALINUS, and related tools

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.

If you’re about a social mission, measure it. Look at it. Think about how your changes affect your social outputs.

John de WitSmall Enterprise Foundation

We don’t think of social performance as a trade-off in any way. Social performance, when it’s done well, makes good business sense, because you know your clients

David DewezIncofin

The success of the Universal Standards in the Philippines is an example of self-regulation influencing national policy. It has shaped the entire market system by providing the blueprint for the regulatory framework governing microfinance NGOs in this country.

Allan SicatMicrofinance Council of the Philippines, Inc. (MCPI)

We use the Universal Standards with our investees because they are specific and operational and not just principles.

Lone SøndergaardNordic Microfinance Initiative

You can’t just assume that because people are repaying their loans, that means you’re doing great and you don’t actually need to follow up and see how those people are doing.

Refilwe Mokoene