WCCN's History

Since 1984, Working Capital for Community Needs (WCCN)--formerly the Wisconsin Coordinating Council on Nicaragua--has worked to establish healthy, equitable relations between the North and South. In the 1960s, Wisconsin and Nicaragua became official sister states under the Alliance for Progress.

It was this sister state relationship that lead to Wisconsin citizens, opposed to the US government's interference in Nicaragua, to come together to express their opposition. In the early years, WCCN's activities centered on political activism and material aid.

In 1990, recognizing Nicaragua's changing needs, WCCN redirected the mission toward social and economic development issues. WCCN reflected on the widespread destruction and despair that encompassed Nicaragua following the Contra War. It became apparent that the best way to respond was with a sustainable and scalable development model that placed the needs of the poor first. During this time of reflection, WCCN was approached by the Nicaraguan Council of Protestant Churches (CEPAD) with the idea of beginning a microlending program in Nicaragua. CEPAD had recently created a microfinance institution in Nicaragua and was looking for creditors.

WCCN decided to move ahead with CEPAD's offer, developing the first private microlending fund providing market credit in Nicaragua. Initially, WCCN lent solely to Prestanic, the microfinance institution CEPAD created. Eighteen years later, WCCN still provides affordable financing to Prestanic as well as fourteen others in Nicaragua and is expanding lending to Guatemala, El Salvador, and Honduras.

To complement microlending activities, WCCN’s work also began addressing issues specific to women's empowerment, housing, and fair trade. WCCN’s women's empowerment initiatives have addressed issues including women's access to land, economic resources and education as well as women's rights and domestic violence. Nicaraguan-based, grassroots organization, committed to the economic and social development of women, are WCCN’s partners in these initiatives.

WCCN also partners with a grassroots housing organization in Nicaragua called Habitar. Through this partnership, a rotating housing improvement fund was established to help residents in some of Managua's poorest communities upgrade their standard of living and reclaim their neighborhoods.

Our work in fair trade has been largely educational, focusing on promoting conscious consumerism and educating the public about fair trade values. WCCN also helps our Nicaraguan fair trade partners market their products in North America.

2009 is WCCN's silver anniversary. It marks the beginning of a new era with a new name, which better articulates WCCN as a nationwide organization committed to economic development, not only in Nicaragua, but also in all of Latin America.

We have extended our microcredit lending beyond Nicaragua's borders, but remain steadfast in our support of the Nicaraguan working poor. Extending our lending into other countries is an expansion, not a detraction from our current projects. We will continue to take a holistic approach to our work in microcredit, women's empowerment, housing, and fair trade initiatives.