Kiva

Kiva is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded in 2005 and based in San Francisco. It operates a crowdfunding platform that connects lenders from around the world to entrepreneurs and small business owners in underserved communities who lack access to traditional financing. Through its website, Kiva enables individuals to make interest-free microloans as small as USD 25 to borrowers in over 95 countries. The loans are distributed through Kiva's field partners, which are organizations that identify, vet, and disburse funds to qualified borrowers. Kiva's model is designed to facilitate financial inclusion and economic empowerment for marginalized groups, with a focus on women and minority-owned businesses.

Kiva's core offering is its zero-interest microloan program, which provides loans ranging from USD 1,000 to USD 15,000 with repayment terms of 12 to 36 months. The organization does not charge any fees, and borrowers repay only the principal amount. As of 2023, Kiva has facilitated over USD 1.7 billion in loans from 2.4 million lenders to more than 5 million borrowers worldwide. In addition to its international operations, Kiva has expanded its services to the US through the Kiva US program, which offers microloans to small businesses domestically, particularly those owned by women, minorities, and other underserved groups.

Key customers and partnerships

In 2013, Kiva launched its "Kiva City" initiative in various US cities, including Washington, DC, where it partnered with Capital One Bank and the Latino Economic Development Center to provide microloans to local entrepreneurs. As of 2022, Kiva has established a USD 1 million managed loan fund in partnership with Umpqua Bank, offering no-interest loans up to USD 15,000 to eligible women and BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, and People of Color) entrepreneurs in the states of Washington, Oregon, California, and Idaho.