We construct a theoretical framework that describes the social worth of a microfinance organization in terms of the depth, worth to users, cost to users, breadth, length, and scope of its output. We then analyze evidence of depth of outreach for five microfinance organizations in Bolivia. Most...

This paper discuss the main results from a household survey of Bolivian microfinance clients, their experience with microfinance institutions and their strategies for copping with shocks, in the overindebtedness episode experienced by the Bolivian Financial System in the 1997-2001 period