Ascendant Strategy Management Group Announces Client Partnership With ACCION International

"Ascendant Strategy Management Group, the leading nonprofit strategy execution consulting firm, is partnering with ACCION International, the premier global microfinance organization, to deploy a comprehensive metrics program. Ascendant and ACCION will jointly develop and deploy a metrics-based management system based on the Balanced Scorecard framework. Through the development of strategy maps to illustrate the strategy and the definition of metrics to track the progress of the strategy, ACCION will accelerate the implementation of their transformational strategy to help millions worldwide."

Boston, Massachusetts, Sep, 09, 2008 -- Ascendant Strategy Management Group today announced the signing of its newest client, ACCION International. ACCION International, a pioneer in the rapidly expanding microfinance arena, has retained Ascendant to provide consulting and training to develop a comprehensive metrics program to manage ACCION's incredible growth.

Elisabeth Rhyne, Managing Director of ACCION's Center for Financial Inclusion, remarked that "Ascendant provided the best combination of deep expertise in the metrics and management space with an understanding of the complexities of the nonprofit and microfinance arena. We're excited to be working with Ascendant and are looking forward to implementing a measures-driven management process at ACCION."

During this engagement, in partnership with ACCION, Ascendant will develop and deploy a metrics-based management system based on the Balanced Scorecard framework. Through the development of strategy maps to illustrate the strategy and the definition of metrics to track the progress of the strategy, ACCION hopes to accelerate the implementation of their transformational strategy.

Laura M. Downing, Managing Partner of Ascendant, said that "ACCION is an ideal client for Ascendant as they are committed the process of strategy execution and are in a great position to help millions of additional entrepreneurs in emerging economies due to their new strategy. Ascendant is excited to be helping ACCION with this important work."

About ACCION International

ACCION International is a private, nonprofit organization with the mission of giving people the financial tools they need--microenterprise loans, business training, and other financial services--to work their way out of poverty. A world pioneer in microfinance, ACCION was founded in 1961 and issued its first microloan in 1973 in Brazil. ACCION International's partner microfinance institutions today are providing loans as low as $100 to poor men and women entrepreneurs in 25 countries in Latin America, the Caribbean, Asia and Africa, and in the U.S. In the last decade alone, ACCION partners have disbursed more than 22.4 million loans totaling $17.4 billion; 97 percent of the loans have been repaid. Selected for the fifth consecutive year for its pioneering approaches to poverty alleviation, ACCION was among 45 organizations awarded the 2008 Social Capitalist Award by Fast Company Magazine/Monitor Group. ACCION has also been awarded Charity Navigator's highest rating - four stars - for efficiency and sound fiscal management, for the second consecutive year. For more information, visit www.accion.org.

About Ascendant Strategy Management Group

Ascendant Strategy Management Group helps nonprofits, agencies, associations, and foundations manage strategy, collaborate with stakeholders, and build communities around their strategy execution efforts. We offer Balanced Scorecard and performance management training, facilitation, and consulting to help organizations accelerate mission results. For more information about Ascendant, visit Ascendant online at www.ascendantsmg.com. To learn more about the Balanced Scorecard, please visit www.bscwiki.com and www.bsccommunity.com.

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