Track record
From 1996 to 31 December 2009, MDLF has provided $94.6 million in affordable financing, including:
• $82.3 million in loans and equity investments;
• $1.1 million in technical assistance grants;
• $10.7 million in other grants;
• $0.5 million through Digital Kiosk, the secure payment service for independent media.
MDLF has financed 206 projects for 72 independent media companies in 24 countries and has written off only 1.98% of the total loaned and invested.
MDLF ended December 2009 with a portfolio of approximately $38.3 million in outstanding loans and investments.
How effective is MDLF financing? Read about MDLF's impact.
Invest in press freedom
It's easy to invest in MDLF's work, providing independent news businesses with the financing they need to hold governments to account, expose corruption and fight for justice for all.
Impact
- In 2008, more than 32 million people in developing democracies got their news from 37 MDLF clients, an increase of almost 3.5 million from 2007.
- After 5 years with MDLF, current clients on average have increased their sales by 370%.
- For every $10,000 invested in 2008, MDLF supported access to independent news for 8,789 readers, listeners and viewers, more than double the 1999 level of 4,238.
