76
FORTUNE.COM // SEPTEMBER 2019
The bank has
operated its
Prospera micro-
loan program in
Brazil since 2002.
But last year it
harnessed dig-
ital technology
to dramatically
speed up approv-
als, reducing the
process from
10 days to 10
seconds. That en-
abled Prospera,
which provides
small low- interest
loans to entrepre-
neurs (a quarter
of whom live
below the poverty
line), to increase
the number of
business own-
ers it supports by
more than 50% in
2018; it’s on track
to grow that num-
ber another 90%
this year. So far,
the nearly $2 bil-
lion it has ex-
tended in loans
(ranging in size
from as little as
$25 to thousands
of dollars) has
gone to more than
700,000 entre-
preneurs. There is
evidence it’s mak-
ing a difference,
particularly in the
most poverty-
stricken areas:
A study by Rever
Consulting found
that every Brazil-
ian real granted
via Prospera gen-
erated 4.5 times
that amount in
economic value.
EY
EBAY
POET
INTEL
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VIASAT
SKANSKA PHILIPS
WALMART L’ORÉAL
ILLUMINA
BEST BUY
QUALCOMM
PATAGONIA
ACCENTURE
MOD PIZZA
CHR. HANSEN
DOW CHEMICAL
CORVUS ENERGY
ESSILORLUXOTTICA
BANK OF
AMERICA
SANTANDER
BRASIL
LLOYDS BANKING
VINTE
VIVIENDAS
DUOLINGO
SALESFORCE
WALGREENS
BEYOND MEAT
LAND O’LAKES
IMPOSSIBLE
FOODS
TE CONNECTIVITY
SCHNEIDER ELECTRIC
ANHEUSER-BUSCH INBEV
NTT
BYD
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BD
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ETSY
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MASTERCARD
JPMORGAN CHASE
PRUDENTIAL FINL.
How We Choose the CompaniesMEASURABLE
SOCIAL IMPACT
We consider the reach,
nature, and durability
of a company’s impact
on one or more specific
societal problems.BUSINESS RESULTS
We consider the benefit
the socially impactful work
brings to the company.
Profitability and contribu-
tion to shareholder value
outweigh benefits to the
company’s reputation.DEGREE OF INNOVATION
We consider how innova-
tive the company’s effort
is relative to that of others
in its industry and whether
other companies have
followed its example.THE LIST 6– 13
NO. 6
Santander
Brasil
Small loans,
big impact.
SÃO PAULO