Mission: Shared Interest was established in 1994 by the Fund for a Free South Africa, an organization established by black South Africans living in exile in the U.S. Shared Interest's mission is to mobilize the resources for South Africa's economically disenfranchised communities to sustain themselves and build an equitable nation. To date Shared Interest has assisted more than 450,000 of the country's most economically disenfranchised people. Shared Interest provides low-income South Africans of color with access to credit to launch small businesses, create jobs and build secure new communities. Shared Interest borrows money in the U.S. to build its fund to guarantee loans for South Africa's township and rural borrowers and its budding financial institutions. (Less)

Shared Interest is a 501(c)(3) organization, with an IRS ruling year of 1995, and donations are tax-deductible.