Nobel Peace Prize Laureate Muhammad Yunus Slated to Join* Microcredit Summit Campaign for Announcement

WASHINGTON, March 2, 2011 - Nobel Peace Prize Laureate and Grameen Bank Founder Muhammad Yunus*, U.S.
Ambassador-at-Large for Global Women's Issues Melanne Verveer, and Spanish
Secretary of State for International Cooperation Soraya Rodriguez Ramos are
slated to join microfinance expert Larry Reed and Microcredit Summit Campaign
Director Sam Daley-Harris to launch the State of the Microcredit Summit
Campaign Report 2011. The report will address recent controversies within the
field of microfinance and announce a new initiative under development that is
designed to recognize those institutions that are committed to doing the most
to help families lift themselves out of poverty. The report is the largest
and most comprehensive annual report on the outreach of microfinance to the
poor and very poor.

    WHO:   Nobel Peace Prize Laureate and Grameen Bank Founder Muhammad
           Yunus* U.S. Ambassador-at-Large for Global Women's Issues Melanne
           Verveer Spanish Secretary of State for International Cooperation
           Soraya Rodriguez Author of the State of the Microcredit Summit
           Campaign Report 2011 Larry Reed Microcredit Summit Campaign
           Director Sam Daley-Harris (Moderator)

    WHEN:  Monday, March 7, 2011 at 10:00 AM ET (3:00 PM GMT)

    WHERE: National Press Club, Murrow Room
           529 14th Street, NW
           Washington, DC 20045
           Metro Center

Panelists will also discuss the Global Microcredit Summit to be held
November 14-17, 2011 in Valladolid, Spain. The Summit is being designed to
allow more than 2000 delegates from over 100 countries to address the major
challenges to the field and their solutions.

For more information, or for an embargoed copy of the report, Jeanne
Gessa, W +1-202-637-9600 ex. 122/M +1-347-277-3281,
gessa@microcreditsummit.org

*Note: Prof. Yunus has planned to speak at this news conference for
months, and as of 3-2-11 this was still the plan. However, given changing
circumstances in Bangladesh, he might be required to participate by video
conference.

Report author, Larry Reed, Campaign Director, Sam Daley-Harris, and
Grameen Foundation President, Alex Counts, will be available for interviews.

www.microcreditsummit.org

Jeanne Gessa, Microcredit Summit Campaign, W: +1-202-637-9600 ex. 122, or M: +1-347-277-3281, gessa at microcreditsummit.org