A dive into

Initiatives Consulting

The heart of what we do

At the heart of MMI is our belief in sustainable, real-world social impact. By providing pro-bono consulting services to microfinance institutions (MFIs) and not-for-profits (NFPs) that promote financial inclusion, we aim to solve their organisational challenges and have a tangible impact on improving the lives of underprivileged communities. We empower students to catalyse meaningful change by using their business acumen to solve real-world problems and help our clients reach those most in need.

Our work is consistently produced by the brightest minds at the University of Melbourne, supported by the best in the industry. Check out our past work with Good Shepherd Microfinance that culminated in their Senate submission and the quotation of our research during the Senate hearing for buy-now pay-later services in December 2018.

Click here to read about our project timeline.

Project Trips

With the aid of funding from sponsorships and University of Melbourne grants, some projects may include project trips. These trips will last for 1-2 weeks in the MFI’s home country. Typically, a full team of 5 consultants is sent with all expenses covered by MMI.

In 2023, two project trips were successfully undertaken in Laos and Indonesia. These trips provided a unique opportunity to meet clients face-to-face, evaluate business conditions in person and conduct primary data collection.

We truly believe that each project trip is an invaluable occasion to elevate the quality of our work and treat it with the necessary diligence and respect.

Product Offerings

An overview of the services and projects undertaken by our consulting teams.

  • For a microfinance institution to evaluate its effectiveness and impact on clients, they need to formulate and implement a social impact survey.

    MMI is able to assist in both stages of developing a social impact survey, and is able to complete research into the effectiveness and appropriateness of surveys. 

    We qualitatively and quantitatively evaluate the social impact generated by microfinance institutions on the community. We also seek to assist in the implementation of strategies that allow them to identify and respond to the need of their clients.


  • For a microfinance institution, effectively managing credit risk is a critical determinant of their success or failure. Without it, microfinance institutions can become financially unviable.

    MMI is able to assist in streamlining and strengthening the approach to loan administration, and to ensure that microfinance institutions are able to continue serving the community with the greatest social impact.

    We provide detailed and comprehensive credit risk management policy review. We also seek to provide best-practice benchmarking and credit-scoring systems development to give clients a diverse array of insights and recommendations.


  • For a microfinance institution, knowledge retention and regular attendance at training programs is a key challenge in achieving operational efficiency.

    MMI is able to assist in refining or reconstructing staff and borrower training programs to ensure these programs are effective as possible.

    We conduct academic and field research to determine key barriers to efficient operations and more effective training strategies that align with your organisation’s goals and target demographic.


  • For a microfinance institution, offering valuable services and products especially relevant to the target demographic is imperative with increasing competition between MFIs in some regions.

    MMI is able to assist in designing and evaluating micro-loan and micro-insurance products to help retain and attract new clients.

    We conduct market and academic research to analyse current trends and demand in the market, and analyse the effectiveness of existing products, to help develop products that are better suited to your organisation's goals and clients. 

  • Besides these core offerings, MMI remains open to projects in other areas, and are constantly honing and developing our capabilities. 

    Examples of previous projects that have ventured out of our traditional offerings include:

    • Microinsurance advisory report

    • Digitisation strategy for a peer-to-peer lending platform

    • Expansion of a pilot project in Peru

    • Gendered analysis of BNPL services

    We also offer consulting services in the following:

    • HR-focused consulting 

    • Business operations

Commonly Asked Questions

Where have we been so far?

We began offering pro-bono consulting services to underserved MFIs back in 2011. Since then, we have developed our organisational capacity, and have been able to offer advice on six projects annually, mainly operating in the Asia Pacific region. We have also completed projects in Africa and Latin America.

As of January 2024, we will have completed 54 projects across 13 countries. This includes Australia, Cambodia, Ghana, Uganda, Indonesia, Laos, Myanmar, Nepal, Peru, Philippines, Samoa, Timor Leste, and Vietnam.

Who have we helped?

We’re proud to have supported exceptional MFIs and financial organizations dedicated to strengthening their communities. Our mission is to help clients scale their impact and achieve long-term sustainability, and we’re thrilled that some have grown to the point where they no longer require our support. Over time, we’ve expanded our expertise into new areas, including collaborations with remarkable not-for-profits. While we continue to evolve, we remain committed to working with smaller, agile organizations, helping them grow and maximize their impact.

What are our key considerations?

We exercise extreme caution in our work, and recognise that our clients themselves best understand their communities and their needs. Cultural context and mutual understanding is fundamental to the work we do. Since our early days, we’ve expanded our capabilities into new areas and begun collaborating with outstanding not-for-profits. We believe in the importance of working with smaller, agile organizations, helping them grow and maximize their impact.

Get in touch.

If you’re a potential client looking to engage MMI’s services, please click here.

If you’re a student at the University of Melbourne and are keen to join us as a consultant, please click here.