Who We Are

The International Finance Corporation (IFC) improves the lives of people in developing countries by investing in private sector growth. We connect economic development with humanitarian needs to create real progress for the people and places that need it most.

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IFC — a member of the World Bank Group — is the largest global development institution focused on the private sector in emerging markets.

Our Mission

For more than 60 years, we’ve leveraged the power of the private sector for global good. Today, we’re using that experience to transform ideas into investments for green growth, inclusive jobs, and impactful projects. 

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Leading the Way in Private Sector Development

Our vision is simple - the private sector drives progress. For over 60 years, we've transformed this belief into reality throughout the developing world.

As pioneers in impact investing, we fuel growth where it's needed most. Our strategic capital empowers visionary entrepreneurs to bring sustainable solutions to scale while our expertise builds successful business environments and creates opportunities for all.

Yet our impact extends beyond dollars and policy reforms. We plant seeds of human potential in the world's toughest soil. Our investments generate jobs, unlock innovation, and cultivate markets that lift millions out of poverty. We mobilize a global community of partners united by a shared purpose - to create opportunity where it's needed most.

For us, a job is more than a paycheck. It is dignity. It is hope for a better future. Opportunity by opportunity, we are building that future - one where inclusive, sustainable growth empowers all people to achieve their aspirations.

Our Leadership

IFC's Management Team shapes the organization’s strategies and policies with support from a diverse and dedicated staff. With decades of development experience, a diversity of knowledge, and distinct cultural perspectives, the Management Team ensures IFC’s work is fit for purpose in a changing world. 

Makhtar Diop
Managing Director

Our Commitments

Accountability

At IFC, we believe impact demands accountability. We carefully consider the environmental and social impacts of every project we finance. That starts with accountability to local communities, transparency, and open dialogue.  

Corporate Responsibility and Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion

We also know inclusion drives innovation. Our commitment to diversity and inclusion generates insights that strengthen our work. By cultivating diverse perspectives, we gain the creativity to deliver innovative solutions in some of the toughest environments on the planet.

Our Governance and Financial Sustainability

The World Bank Group is a vital source of financial and technical assistance to developing countries. Established in 1944, its mission is to fight poverty with passion and professionalism, for lasting results.

In working to end extreme poverty and boost shared prosperity, we collaborate closely with other members of the World Bank.

By managing risks and effectively using our financial resources, we remain financially sustainable and maximize our development impact.

Workers build a new, energy-efficient library at the campus of the Lebanese American University in Byblos, Lebanon, in April 2018. Photo © Marwan Namaani/International Finance Corporation
56 B
in total investment commitments in FY24

Why it Matters

For over half a century, IFC has charted a bold course to advance progress through private enterprise. Our efforts span the most underserved regions and challenging investment landscapes imaginable.

We harness the dynamism of business to drive change where it is most desperately needed. Our investments empower entrepreneurs to design solutions tailored to local contexts, from affordable clean energy for rural towns to quality healthcare for urban slums. Our advice reshapes policy frameworks and reforms economies to foster innovation.

Driven by insight and optimism, we illuminate a path forward for societies determined to build inclusive, sustainable economies. We go where conventional finance cannot – because the greatest development challenges demand bold, visionary partners ready to catalyze progress.

Our History

60 years ago, IFC pioneered the idea of the private sector as a catalyst for progress in developing countries.

Today, IFC’s enduring impact spans more than 100 nations. Since 1956, we’ve empowered entrepreneurs all over the world, turning bold ideas into engines of inclusive growth with millions of jobs created, lives uplifted, and communities transformed.