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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J

Kiva s priorities are clear

So Kiva took my balance and used it for their own purposes I had a little over 30 dollars in my balance the amount of repayments that I hadn t gotten around to re-loaning I ve been on Kiva for maybe 5 or 6 years now and have a couple hundred dollars in circulation And Kiva sends me an email and says if I donate the money to the Kiva organization for administrative purposes and the like they have a matching contributor that will replenish my balance so it s like a win-win Kiva gets administrative funds and it really doesn t diminish the amount I can use to fund micro loans I responded within minutes of receiving the email and gave all but a bit of my balance to the effort And I always include a tip when I make loans and put money into my Kiva account Well I get an email from Kiva and turns out the matching funds for this little fund-Kiva effort ran out but Kiva is taking my donation anyway and so my balance what I was hoping to fund more loans with is nearly zeroed out If helping people through microfinance was their first priority you would think they would NOT take my donation since the terms of their offer changed and leave it in place so I could loan it to others but NO They ve taken the money for their administrative salaries use Kiva had problems a few years back It looks like they re back on that path again
A

You jump through a lot of hoops for

You jump through a lot of hoops for nothing If you have to go out and find 3 lenders yourself you might as well keep going yourself This process reminds me of banks that try to make it so hard to apply only for their friends who don t have to apply just come by after office hours and tell me how much you need
B

Same payment processed 18 times

I d been subscribed to Kiva s Monthly Good auto-payment subscription for only a couple months This month instead of performing the payment once I was charged 18 times overnight appearing gradually over time If I hadn t cancelled the payments in Paypal I would still be getting them Meanwhile the Kiva site shows only one payment had been made In response to Kiva s reply I already submitted a support message through the Kiva site If you cared about actually resolving the issue as much as removing negative reviews someone would have replied there by now
C

So many 4 star reviews

So many 4 star reviews it is odd You have to be very careful when you sign up for kiva thinking they are going to be judicious handling your money They have computer program that will immediately take all loan payments coming to your account and put them out on new loans Your money available to loan account is kept zeroed out The worse part of their system is that when you loan out funds the computer program automatically pulls out a whopping 17 1 2 as donation regardless In any event you must manage your account 100 Watch them like a hawk I learned how it was set up during the first year or so of my participation Another serious issue is heavy rate of exchange currency losses in some areas of the world
B

Each time I connect with Kiva whether a

Each time I connect with Kiva whether a survey or trying to donate unable to complete task
M

I ve been on Kiva for years

I ve been on Kiva for years - in all it works as supposed I ve lost an insignificant amount on default loans My concern is that Kiva does a lot to get donation from me to kiva Why should I every time set donation to either zero or something else - they are just to keen to get donations from the lenders From one of the reviews here on trustpilot I saw that you can get letters from the borrowers It s not true - but it s a great idea - the borrower has to pay every know and then why not do a short interview and announce it on the loan Kiva is a good idea - but it seem that idea has been a bit to capitalised during the last years 18 3 2022 Due to a lot of debate on Kiva and the way it work - I have started the withdraw process of my funds More that 10 years of investments stops Despite many years of trying independent academics have been unable to find any convincing data confirming an overall positive impact on poverty reduction achieved by indebting the poor With interest rates often exceeding 100 percent it is not hard to see how microcredit can progressively increase rather than decrease poverty as demonstrated poignantly by crises in Andhra Pradesh and elsewhere
P

So far good and bad

So far mostly ok but early days yet Emails and printouts are ok so far so I am waiting to get feedback from the gift card recipients My complaint at the moment is the way they fleeced me of 36 USD in a sneaky unethical way The basket contents at checkout shows a donation is placed there by default not ethical and no apparent way of removing it Also it is low brightness This all points out to a first time user that they will not be paying this The pencil icon is there but a first time user will be reluctant to touch it for fear of activating it I have contacted Kiva three times so far about a refund but so far a wall of silence I will go to my government ombudsman here in Australia if I have to Whether it s 3 30 300 or 3 000 dollars at stake it s devious behaviour on Kiva s part Also there are quite a few non-transparent settings that leave just as many questions than answers
V

I lent about 1500 to Kiva a few years

I lent about 1500 to Kiva a few years ago and it seemed like a very nice idea but trying to recoup the money once they have it is a real nightmare I m only writing this to perhaps get to someone who can stop the senseless loop of verifications and emails every time I try to withdraw the funds It really turned me off the organization completely I have it set up to be automatically withdrawn and sent back to me but it never happens I have to go in and physically do it Then they still keep the funds for another couple of weeks Someone must have told them if they make it hard enough to withdraw the funds people will give up but it just makes them look like a scam organization Either call it a donation and let people know not expect it back or stop playing games I can t recommend this company for this reason
B

Used Kiva for years still do

I ve been donating on Kiva for years Ive always liked the personalisation it has that you can pick where your money goes I ve taken money out multiple times totalling about 300 and although it took quite a while I did get it back and I ve waited longer with peer to peer style lenders I ve lost some money about 35 over the years at different points but that risk is there and you are made aware of it before you put your money in I just see it as a donation You choose how much you want to put in you choose if you want to donate to Kiva themselves If you don t like any risk don t use them No charity is spending your money exactly how you want with Kiva you get more say than most
R

Muster seeds plant one and be amazed

Well please forgive my indulgence and take no offense I am not a complainer but since you asked I thought it d be good to forward your group this message Here it is it is frustrating and discouraging when there is an opportunity to have a loan matched to make double impact and the site won t even show any guidance or instruction on how to get that loan matched I have e mailed your group about this issue and I did get a response but no fix and no suggestions or instructions on how to get it Haven t you gotten this message from anyone If not then please by all means instruct me on how or what I gotta do to get my loans matched Oh and please don t tell me that all I gotta do is make a loan and the match will be automatically applied I don t loan very much at all which is why it would be great if I could have my loans matched Lol Thank you for the opportunity to share this blessings to all of you You guys are awesome and I appreciate you guys so much thank you for all you do The world thanks you

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.