Financeira Palmas, formally known as Banco Comunitário Palmas, occupies a unique space in the Brazilian financial landscape. More than just a lending institution, it’s a community bank with a strong social mission, operating primarily within Conjunto Palmeiras, a large, historically impoverished community in Fortaleza, Ceará. Founded in 1998, it was a pioneering initiative in the development of community currency and microfinance tailored to the specific needs of marginalized populations.