For its optimum performance and impact, the organization and approach of Bina Swadaya aids to undertake work which is suitable in the local social, economic and political environment.
Particularly during the period of Old Order Regime, Bina Swadaya was a mass organization, characterized with activities mainstreaming the empowerment of the community in political decision.
Bina Swadaya was a managed social laboratory and its lesson learned being used to cooperate with Government as well as other non governmental organizations for wider impact.
Following the marked movement toward democratization and decentralization in Indonesia beginning in 1999, Bina Swadaya transformed into a social entrepreneurship developing self-supporting community empowerment organization.
It is because these groups teach them how to be self-reliant and how to conduct savings and credit activities which is essential for the poor in time to come when they begin their own micro businesses.
Another attribute of this SHG is that instead of only focusing on the well-being of its group members, the profits which were the fruits of their success were channeled to address other social needs of the village as well which resulted in shops, bridges and the establishment of other community infrastructures.