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%
All 5 ★ 4 ★ 3 ★ 2 ★ 1 ★ 😊 Positive 😐 Neutral 😞 Negative Reset Filter
A

Good for donations only

Good for donations only I m drawn between whether I think the owners really want to help people or if they ve just created an ingenious ponzi scheme This is definitely not a route to go with for investments But the good side is which is why I gave 2 stars because you are actually helping less fortunate people that actually strive to better their lives instead of donating money to something like WWP or Salvation Army who s CEO s make millions and get raises every year I mean Kiva s revenue for 2020 is reported at 43million and their expenses were 35million so they re making out like bandits so surely their better at math than the coding is on their website Now I was skeptical so I m only out a few bucks thank god I didn t deposit a lot I started with a deposit of 29 which became 28 75 so thats ok I made a 3 75 donation and lent the remaining 25 I have received 4 repayments and 4 repayments remain the repayments I received are 1 90 1st 2 92 2nd 3 03 3rd 3 15 4th scheduled to receive 3 28 5th 3 42 6th 3 56 7th 3 71 8th and final now that equals 24 97 I lost 03 on 25 which is less than a 1 loss so thats cool I ve had bigger losses on the stock exchange but the point is their system is broken They have over 2million users so you figure 0012 cents per 25 lent If everyone 2 million people lent 25 50million dollars total thats 60k in Kiva s pocket and everyone else is down So like I said good for donating because it goes to real people I just find it funny too that they can t guarantee loans which is the risk of lending money but yet the non-profit organization has over 10 employees with salaries over 100k hmm and its reported the CEO made over 800k in 2020 Anyway I hope my review helped if you just want to honestly help people donate it on Kiva the majority of it does go to people in need Don t donate to Wounded Warrior Project or Salvation Army or Kids Wish Network etc
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

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.

United States

Visit Website

Own this business?

Claim your profile to respond to reviews, manage your listing, and build trust with customers.

Claim This Business

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.