Kiva Reviews

Make a loan, change a life | Kiva

kiva.org
3.84
101 reviews
Great Rating
Based on 101 user experiences

Rated 3.84 out of 5 by 101 Happy Customers

58.4%
12.9%
3%
5.9%
19.8%
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E

A unique opportunity to make a difference

Kiva provides an easy way to make a positive impact in others lives You can search for loans that are linked to your interests - by gender location special groups such as refugees and various other attributes Your initial invesment gets lent out again and again so for a small amount of money you have an ongoing impact You can read about the person or group you re investing in and get updates about their progress You can set up automatic lending or they ll email you when you have repaid funds that you can lend I ve been lending for over a decade and my few hundred dollars has provided over 2700 in loans It s easy and personal and impactful
D

Lending with Kiva is easy and flexible

This is a unique opportunity to help others who are struggling in many different countries by loaning only 25 00 on a one time basis It makes me happy to know I ve helped a woman in Rwanda to buy a cow or to help a woman in Vietnam build a flush toilet
K

Kiva is wonderful

Lending with Kiva is easy and flexible They offer lots of countries lots of areas of lending and lots of different people and groups They also provide good feedback stories about loan recipients brief bios of people seeking loans etc I feel that they are an efficient friendly way to make a real difference
C

Simply brilliant

Kiva is probably my very favorite charitable organization It allows me to help fund people in need and to know something about them and where the money I m donating will be applied For me there is a more personal feeling My money isn t going to an anonymous needy person I ve been funding for years now and will continue I love knowing that I m really helping someone who needs it and WHY they need it Kiva is wonderful
L

This loaning business model lets you

This loaning business model lets you continuously keep lending which keeps helping more more people as the repayments go directly to your relending account and you get to relend over and over it s fun This people helping people loops back around and keeps coming back to do again again It s so interesting reading about the plans people make to improve their lives by helping their families their communities People lending to people makes all the sense in the world Year after year
S

KIVA is a fantastic company where even the smallest amount you loan is given to the borrower

KIVA is a fantastic company where individuals can read about the people requesting loans to help them establish or continue a self-sustaining business in an effort to support their families in some of the poorest regions on earth You can donate as little as 5 00 and be part of a collective that supports one of these loans The loans are repayable and the payments come back to you in small amounts over months at which time you can re-loan the same to another borrower
S

Kiva makes it easy to help people

Kiva allows me to positively affect people s lives without having to make a huge donation consequently I can make multiple loans easily In addition the information provided on the borrowers including their repayment status gives them a face and a name and reassures me that my money has been well spent
S

Helping others help themselves

I know how hard and expensive it is to get a loan I appreciate that you can make this process easier for people that really need it A painless way to help others help themselves I include my grandchildren in choosing individuals to loan the money to
T

An excellent platform for giving

Kiva is an excellent platform that allows me to help people around the world to empower them to provide for themselves their families and their communities As one who has been blessed I am compelled to share and I love being able to help others through Kiva
W

I hope you re better than what you used to be

When I worked with Kiva I was speaking to three different people and told three different things My experience was not positive and extremely negative No one at Kiva was ever on the same page No one ever took notes No one ever left notes for the other Kiva employees I specifically asked when starting the process if a credit report needed to be ran and I was told no I gave my reasoning of why I did not want the credit check to be ran and it was due to I did not want my personal credit to be mixed in with my business credit A credit check was done by Kiva without my consent and again I specifically said I did not want to go that route At one point I even heard the phrase from one coworker about another coworker don t listen to them they re confused about the process Like I said just a bad experience all around

About Kiva

Kiva is the world's first online lending platform. For as little as $25 you can lend to an entrepreneur around the world. Learn more here.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Kiva is a non-profit organization that operates an online lending platform to expand financial access for underserved communities globally. Founded in 2005, its mission is to connect individual lenders with entrepreneurs worldwide through crowdfunded microloans, fostering economic development and alleviating poverty by empowering people to create opportunity for themselves and their families.

The process involves several steps. First, lenders browse borrower profiles on Kiva's website, which detail the entrepreneur's story, business plan, and loan needs. Lenders can contribute as little as $25 toward a chosen loan. Once the loan request is fully funded by multiple lenders, the funds are sent to Kiva's local Field Partners (microfinance institutions), who disburse the capital to the borrower. As the borrower repays the loan, lenders receive their money back, which they can then relend, donate to Kiva, or withdraw.

Field Partners are local microfinance institutions or organizations that work directly with borrowers in their communities. They are responsible for vetting borrowers, disbursing loan funds, collecting repayments, and providing support services. Kiva partners with these organizations to ensure loans reach entrepreneurs effectively and to manage the lending process on the ground, leveraging their local expertise and networks.

When a borrower repays their loan, the principal amount of your contribution is returned to your Kiva account. You then have three options: you can relend the funds to support another entrepreneur, donate the amount to Kiva to support operational costs, or withdraw the money to your personal account. This revolving fund model promotes sustainable impact by allowing capital to be reused multiple times.

Kiva offers a wide range of loan categories, enabling lenders to support causes aligned with their interests. Key categories include Agriculture (for seeds, equipment, livestock), Education (for school fees and supplies), Green Initiatives (for solar power, clean water, sustainable agriculture), Small Business (for vendors, shop owners, artisans), and Women's Empowerment. The platform allows filtering by sector, region, and other traits to find specific opportunities.

About Kiva

Kiva: Empowering Global Entrepreneurs Through Microfinance

Kiva is a pioneering non-profit organization that operates an innovative online lending platform, connecting individuals around the world with entrepreneurs in underserved communities. Founded in 2005, Kiva's mission is to expand financial access to help underserved communities thrive. By facilitating small, crowdfunded loans, Kiva empowers people to create opportunity for themselves and their families, fostering economic development and alleviating poverty on a global scale.

How the Kiva Platform Works

The Kiva model is built on a simple yet powerful concept: crowdfunded microloans. Visitors to the website can browse profiles of borrowers from over 90 countries. These profiles detail the individual's story, their business plan, the loan amount needed, and how the funds will be used. Lenders can contribute as little as $25 toward a loan of their choice. Once the loan request is fully funded by a group of individual lenders, the funds are disbursed to Kiva's local Field Partners—microfinance institutions and other organizations on the ground—who then deliver the capital to the borrower.

As borrowers repay their loans, lenders receive their money back. This revolving fund model allows individuals to relend their funds to another entrepreneur, donate the amount to Kiva, or withdraw it. This cycle creates a sustainable and impactful form of philanthropy that emphasizes dignity and partnership over traditional charity.

Key Features and Impact

Kiva's website showcases a wide array of loan categories, allowing lenders to support causes they are passionate about. Key categories include:

  • Agriculture:Loans for farmers to purchase seeds, equipment, or livestock.
  • Education:Funding for school fees, supplies, or educational services.
  • Green Initiatives:Loans for solar power, clean water, and sustainable agriculture.
  • Small Business:Capital for vendors, shop owners, and artisans to grow their enterprises.
  • Women's Empowerment:A significant focus, as many loans are directed toward female entrepreneurs.

The platform provides transparent reporting on its impact, with statistics on total loans funded, repayment rates, and the number of countries served. This transparency builds trust and demonstrates the tangible results of the collective lending community.

Beyond International Loans: Kiva U.S.

Recognizing that financial exclusion exists everywhere, Kiva also operates a dedicated program for entrepreneurs within the United States. Kiva U.S. offers 0% interest loans with no credit check to small business owners who may not qualify for traditional financing. This program supports a diverse range of American entrepreneurs, furthering Kiva's mission of financial inclusion domestically.

Getting Involved

The website makes participation straightforward. Users can create a free account, browse borrower profiles filtered by region, sector, or specific traits, and start lending immediately. Kiva also offers gift cards and lending teams, enabling friends, families, or corporations to lend together. The organization is funded primarily through optional donations from lenders and grants, ensuring that 100% of every loan goes directly to funding the entrepreneurs.

In summary, Kiva.org is more than a lending website; it is a global community leveraging technology to democratize philanthropy and finance. By providing a direct, transparent, and personal connection between lenders and borrowers, Kiva enables anyone with an internet connection to become a powerful force for economic good, one small loan at a time.