Kiva Fellows Program

Who Can Be a Kiva Fellow?

Who is your typical Fellow?
Kiva encourages applicants with backgrounds in business/finance/social development to apply. That said, Kiva has accepted into the program applicants from a wide range of backgrounds: MBA retirees, university film students, professionals transitioning careers, law students, public policy researchers, graduate students, financial planners, engineers and even a former US soldier! Ages range from 21 (our minimum age) all the way through 60+ years old. 

Kiva looks for the following from applicants:

• Overseas experience— work or travel (preferably in developing countries)
• Familiarity with using various web applications
• Dedication to working in the field with a Microfinance Partner
• Enthusiasm for Kiva!
• A sincere/proven interest in microfinance
• Excellent writing skills
• Economic/Financial Background
• Ability and commitment to fundraise for their trip
• Longer stays (4 months +) are preferred

I am not a US citizen – can I be a fellow?
Yes! When filling out the application make sure to include a Skype number (www.skype.com), which we can use to chat with you.

I am 20 years old and will be 21 in a few months—can I be a fellow now?
Happy almost-birthday! We will be delighted to receive your application after your 21st birthday. We cannot accept Fellows younger than 21 for legal reasons.

What is the average age of a Kiva Fellow?
30 years old.

Can I be a Fellow with someone else?
Yes. Kiva often sends pairs of Fellows out to the field. Both individuals will need to have been accepted into the program on their own merits and will need to fill out their own application. If you have been accepted into the program and would like to be paired with another Fellow on an assignment, please discuss this in your interview.

Can my husband/wife be a Fellow with me?
Yes. Husband/wife teams can participate in the program. Please see above answer to applying as a group/couple.

I want to bring my kids with me when I travel – can I be a Fellow?
Our goal, always, is to strengthen our partnerships with our Microfinance partners. Kiva's MFI partners are on average small to mid-level organizations that are growing and would not be able to accommodate children in their office or while out in the field. That said, this is something Kiva will consider on a case-by-case basis depending on how self-sufficient the Fellows will be, the length of stay in the field and their plans for accommodating the children while the Fellows are at work.

Can I go for less than 10 weeks?
No. Kiva does not encourage applicants to apply for less than ten weeks. That said, there may be a need we have at Kiva for a shorter stay, and you may submit your application to be on file with us, provided that you are very flexible in regards to the timing of placement.

Can I be a Fellow for a year?
Yes. Kiva welcomes long term Fellows who would like to stay beyond the minimum 10 week period. This is because longer stays facilitate a deeper understanding of the local culture was well as our MFI Partner and you will be able to contribute on a deeper level to both our MFI Partner as well as Kiva. You may even have the chance to be placed with multiple MFIs throughout your fellowship.

I am traveling for 2 weeks in a country where a Kiva MFI is located —can I be a Fellow?
The Kiva Fellows Program requires a minimum 10 week commitment.  The program’s focus is to develop solid relationships between the fellows and the microfinance institutions. 2 weeks is not enough time for a Kiva Fellow to establish a working relationship that would be beneficial to a Microfinance Institution.

I am going to be in a country doing a research project, can I be a Kiva Fellow?
This depends entirely on the nature of the research project. Please keep in mind that the Kiva Fellows Program has very specific requirements of the participants regarding journaling and other responsibilities to the MFI.  It is generally difficult to combine the program with an ongoing project because of the time commitment required of Kiva Fellows (40 + hours/week).  If by being a Kiva Fellow you are also doing research (using your interviews for academic research) then it may be a possibility.

Can vegetarians be Fellows?
Yes - but note that you may be living in countries where being "vegetarian" is a foreign concept and not understood. Check out thorntree.lonelyplanet.com for more information on what other vegetarian travelers faced while in the country you are thinking of going to and see if it is something you are willing to face.

Can a left-handed person be a fellow?
No, we consider left-handed people to be sinister: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sinister
(Get it?! :)

What Do Kiva Fellows Do?

Responsibilities:

What will my daily tasks be as a Fellow?
Your daily tasks include meeting with individual entrepreneurs and uploading journal entries about the entrepreneurs to Kiva (with accompanying photos, photo journals, videos, etc.). On days that you are not in the field, you will work with our MFI Partner to help with projects as needed and depending on your own skills and qualifications.

What are the job requirements of the Fellowship?
The Fellows Program if fulltime: 5 days, 40+ hours/week
During your assignment:

• You will meet 15 individual entrepreneurs from your portfolio, on average, per week
• You will create/upload 15 journal entries, photos, photo journals or video clips per week
• You will work with our MFI Partner to serve their needs as well as you can at times/days you are not meeting entrepreneurs
• You will blog about your Kiva Fellows experience, once a week, per our communications guidelines
• You will communicate with the Fellows Program Manager as necessary throughout your stay to discuss the MFI, your experience, or to complete surveys as required.

Will I be meeting entrepreneurs on my own?
No, you will be working with Loan officers at the MFI to visit and interview Kiva entrepreneurs.

How will I upload videos or photos?
Most likely you will be spending a few long hours in an internet café every other day uploading your journal entries, photos and blog entries. 

What if I choose to stay longer in the country — can I continue to be a Fellow?
Decisions regarding extension of the program are made on a case by case basis and are dependent on whether or not the Fellow can continue to fund themselves. Both Kiva and the MFI partner would also need to evaluate your performance to date as a Kiva Fellow before offering an extension of the program.

Will I get to blog about my experiences?
The Kiva Fellows Blog will be an opportunity for you to share your experiences living and working abroad and having first hand experience with meeting Kiva Entrepreneurs. You will be able to write about how encounters as a Kiva Fellow inspired you, moved you, made you laugh and made you think. Your contributions to the Kiva blog will be read by tens of thousands of Kiva Lenders as well as potential lenders and will be great publicity for Kiva and your particular MFI Partner!

Can I be an intern at the Kiva office instead of being a Fellow?
The Kiva Fellows program and the Volunteer Translator/Editor positions are the only positions available regularly at Kiva.

Training:

What training is involved for the fellows program??
There are two kinds of training available to successful applicants to the Fellows Program:

1. In-House Training: a 3 Day session that covers the Kiva Model, Kiva Website, all the resources you'll need to be a successful fellow as well as overviews on microfinance, microfinance accounting and management information systems. It's also a chance for fellows to meet one another, the Kiva team and alumni of the fellows program! This training is required of successful applicants.
2. Self and Online Training: For ongoing training, while in the field, Fellows review online powerpoints, reading material and go through online courses.

When are the trainings offered?
The in-house trainings are offered:

Departure Dates	Training Dates	Location
January — April 2008	January 16-18, 2008	San Francisco office
May — August 2008	May 21-23, 2008	San Francisco office
May — August 2008	June 18-20, 2008	San Francisco office
September — December 2008	September 10-12, 2008	San Francisco office

Is the training required?
Yes.

To better prepare you to volunteer with our field partners, you are required to attend an in house training before going to the field.

What materials will I receive from Kiva?
Successful applicants gain access to an online resource center for Fellows which has been co-created by Kiva staff, current Fellows and alumni with documents, resources and recommended articles.

Fellows who are volunteering for 10 week – 4 months will be able to download a required reading booklet, which covers Kiva's history, microfinance 101, accounting, MFI appraisals, auditing and various other topics pertinent to volunteering with a microfinance organization.

Fellows volunteering for more than 4 months will have the booklet mailed to them from Kiva.

All fellows also receive an electronic guidebook to the Fellows Program which covers how to do the day to day tasks of being a fellow and includes a pre-departure checklist.

What is the Application Process?

Do I need to fill out an application?
Yes. In order to be considered for the program, every fellow must fill out an application and send your completed packet (application, cover letter, resume) to kivafellows@kiva.org. Incomplete application packets will NOT BE considered.

I submitted my application, when will I hear from Kiva?
We are constantly reviewing applications and interviewing potential Fellows. Depending on our needs as well as our time frame for getting people to the field, it may be 4-6 weeks before you hear from Kiva about your application.

What is the application procedure?
The Kiva Fellows Program application is available for download from the Kiva website. The application should be completed and submitted via email to kivafellows@kiva.org. We review applications constantly. We will set up an interview within 4-6 weeks of receipt of your application. Please note that due to the large number of qualified applications, we may not be able to follow up with every application that we receive.

If you indicate that you have a need to go through the interview process earlier (due to grant reasons, etc.), please plan on applying earlier than 8 weeks before the the expected date of your event (grant due, vacation, etc.) to allow sufficient time for the application review and interview.

After an initial interview, we will set up a second interview if we both decide to proceed towards confirming placement.

Can I interview in person?
Yes. If you are located in the Bay Area, we encourage you to interview with us in person. You will not be at a disadvantage in your application process if you are unable to interview in person. Our office is located in San Francisco, CA in the Mission District.

Can I talk to someone about the Kiva Fellows Program?
The best way to learn more about the program is to go to the Fellows page to download the program description and application. If you have further questions, beyond this FAQ,  please email your specific questions to kivafellows@kiva.org . Please include the date ranges you're interested in volunteering as a Kiva Fellow. Your question will be answered in 2-3 weeks.

Why do I need to write a sample Journal entry for my application?
The primary responsibility of each Kiva Fellow is to chronicle the lives of the working poor through descriptive and engaging journals uploaded regularly to the Kiva website. While on assignment, the Fellows are expected to conduct multiple interviews with Kiva entrepreneurs, to capture and convey their lives and the impact of the Kiva loan.  The sample journal in the application allows us to see the quality of your writing and your ability to convey details about the entrepreneur and their business that would be of interest to our Kiva Lenders.

How do I learn about your Field Partners?
Please visit the Field Partners page. Each Field Partner has a descriptive page dedicated to it whereby you can get a general overview of their organization, loan history on Kiva, and regional background.

Is there a deadline?
Yes. Our deadlines are based on your expected departure date:

Departure Dates	Application Deadline	In-house Training Dates
January — April 2008	December 15, 2007	January 16-18, 2008, San Francisco
May — August 2008	April 1, 2008	May 21-23, 2008, San Francisco
May — August 2008	April 1, 2008	June 18-20, 2008, San Francisco
September — December 2008	August 1, 2008	September 10-12, 2008, San Francisco

What About Funding?

Where can I get funding to participate in the Kiva Fellows Program?
Current Kiva Fellows get funding from their universities, Rotary Clubs, grants they've found through internet searches, by fundraising through the family, friends and networks and through a company sponsorship. Research expat community groups as to what's available.

What grants do Fellows normally get?
Typically, Fellows get grants through their university or graduate school. Note, that some schools have grants available for students about to enter graduate school as well. A few students have applied for Fulbright Scholarships to help fund their Kiva Fellowship.

What grants can I get if I'm not a student?
Grants are available to individuals who are not students. However, these funding sources are often not as publicized as university affiliated grants and thus require more research to discover. For a monthly fee, you can sign up to have access to a comprehensive online database for individuals looking for funding from The Foundation Center. See http://gtionline.fdncenter.org/ for more information.

Is there funding available from Kiva?
Limited funding may be available from Kiva on a case-by-case basis. Currently our preference is to select people who are committed to funding the trip themselves.
If you’d like to donate to Kiva for operational expenses (which include this program) please click on the link below: http://www.kiva.org/app.php?page=basket&action=donate). If you’d like to sponsor a Fellow (roughly $5000 will cover flight, food and accommodation and stipend) please contact ).

Can Kiva help me get a grant?
Each fellow is responsible for obtaining their own funding. Once accepted, we would be happy to write a letter detailing your responsibilities and contributions to Kiva on your behalf. We have been very successful in helping Fellows apply for grants.

What will my costs be as a Fellow?
The total cost of the program varies depending on country assignment and how conservative you are in terms of traveling and living. You will need to research the cost of living and round-trip flights for the destination country. A good place to start is http://thorntree.lonelyplanet.com or check out a few guidebooks for the country you’re interested in to get an idea of what your budget will look like. Most of the MFI’s we work are based or work in rural areas where cost of living is low.

How have other Fellows fundraised for their trip?
Besides applying for grants and scholarships, Fellows have fundraised through a network of contacts including family, friends, colleagues, school mates, and so on.  Some Fellows have received free flights from airlines once they have applied to them directly for assistance. Others have encouraged their employers to contribute matching donations to Kiva to specifically fundraise for their Fellowship.

Is there a sample budget I can follow?
Again, costs vary depending on the location you’ll be living as well as your own personal travel/lifestyle. Roughly for a 3 month Fellowship, you can plan on spending $5000 (for flight, food, lodging, incidentals, travel insurance, visas, etc.)  Depending on your own history and needs, this figure might go up or down. (i.e. If you already have a yellow-fever certificate, you won’t have to pay for a new one, etc.) Note: a longer stay does not mean your costs necessarily go up proportionally, as normally your flight is the largest portion of your costs. Living and volunteering for an additional  2 months would only increase your costs by $300-$500, assuming you lived a very low-key lifestyle.

Can my company or organization sponsor me?
Yes. Your company can absolutely support you.

Is my company or organization's sponsorship tax-deductible?
Yes.

What is Kiva's EIN number (for donations)?
71-099 2466

Where do Fellows Go?

What are Kiva's priorities in terms of placing Fellows?
Kiva’s priority is currently to place Fellows in Africa, because that is where the majority of our Field Partners are. However, this should not deter you from applying to other areas.

Where can I learn more about the country I'm interested in?
A very basic starting place is looking at the country facts on www.wikipedia.org for the country you are interested in. From there you will find links to books and other internet references. It is up to the Fellow to do their own research for any country they are placed.

Where can I learn more about a Field Partner?
Please the Field Partners page - http://www.kiva.org/about/partners. Each Field Partner has a descriptive page dedicated to it whereby you can get a general overview of their organization, loan history on Kiva, and regional background. Some of the Microfinance Partners have their own websites that contain more detailed information. You can also check out MFI profiles on the Mixx Marketplace - http://www.mixmarket.org/.

Can I be a Fellow in India?
Not at this time. Kiva does not yet have a field partner in India due to governmental restrictions on foreign investment. We also already have a contact on the ground through Indicorps Volunteer Program.

Can I be a Fellow where Kiva does not yet have a Field Partner?
No.

Will I be able to meet other Fellows while in the field?
Perhaps. If you are placed in a country where Kiva has multiple partners you may be able to facilitate a meeting with another Fellow. Kiva tries to overlap Kiva Fellow placements overseas so you may be working with another Fellow at the beginning as well as the end of your assignment.

Can I lend to an entrepreneur and then meet them while there?
Perhaps. If they are part of your portfolio of clients to visit.

Is it safe to volunteer in certain countries?
This is a question you need to answer for yourself. Check out guidebooks, travel advisories, and talk with friends about whether you feel comfortable going to a particular country. Kiva will never send you somewhere you aren’t comfortable. We want this to be a great experience for you, the MFI and Kiva! We will work with you to help you feel comfortable. While we can put you in touch with previous Fellows and introduce you to local support, ultimately you will need to feel at ease with whatever issues a country may be facing before Kiva agrees to place you with an MFI.

Can I be a Fellow in Afghanistan or Iraq?
No. Due to safety concerns, Kiva is not sending Fellows to these countries.

What happens if there is a crisis while I'm in country?
In difficult situations, there are resources available to help you, to the extent that they can. Kiva’s team of people in San Francisco is available to assist you as well as our network of MFIs on the ground.  There may also be Fellows nearby (at least a bus ride away) to help or visit if needed. In extreme situations, as in any such situation, you are ultimately best served by your preparation beforehand. Buy travel insurance and register with the US Embassy in the country you’ll be living.  Each Kiva Fellow is responsible for maintaining communication with the U.S. Embassy present in the country to which they are assigned. In fact, upon arrival, you should immediately be in contact with the embassy, notifying them of your presence.  At a time of major crisis, your primary point of communication should be the U.S. Embassy as Kiva’s and the Microfinance Partner’s ability to help you in such situations may be limited.

Housing, Health & Safety

What are my housing options?
This depends on what your needs, expectations and budgets are. You are responsible for arranging and covering the costs of your housing. As a favor, some MFIs are able to help direct you to housing options. Previous Fellows have lived with home stays, lived in their own private apartment, shared an apartment/house with other loan officers or friends, or stayed in a hotel close to the MFI office. Some Fellows arrange their lodging prior to leaving, while others prefer to arrange these details once in country.

Who pays for travel and medical insurance?
Each Kiva Fellow is responsible for the cost of travel insurance.

Do I need travel insurance?
Kiva strongly recommends Fellows purchase travel insurance. You can do so for little cost, through STA:
Please see http://www.fodors.com/wire/archives/002131.cfm for more advice on the topic.

What kind of Visa will I apply for?
You will need to do research as to the type of Visa appropriate for your stay in your destination country. In general, as volunteers Kiva Fellows only require Tourist Visas.

What vaccinations will I need?
Vaccination requirements vary from country to country. In addition to completing basic research on this topic, you will need to contact your local travel clinic for more information on their recommendations for vaccinations.

What should I do to prepare for being a fellow?
Research…Read…Plan!!! Each Kiva Fellow is responsible for learning about the country/region they are being sent to. Kiva provides a short list of recommended reading materials but we expect you to proactively seek out information. The more you know prior to your arrival the better. This includes medical concerns, cultural preparedness, the political and economic situation, and so on. You may also want to consider doing a crash course in the country’s language (if you do not already speak it fluently).

What are my contacts at Kiva while in the field?
For any issues related to the Fellows program, MFI, etc. please contact Anushka (Kiva Fellows Program Coordinator): There might be questions, or projects that our Partnerships Team will ask you to take on and they will contact you directly.

Can I contact the MFI directly?
You will be put in touch with the MFI 1-2 weeks before your date of departure. This is necessary to 1) Give Kiva and the MFI enough time to work out any details and logistics and 2) to limit the admin burden for this program on the MFI. If you have any questions please contact your Kiva Coordinator.

Do I need to bring my laptop?
Every Fellow is required to take a laptop with them. It will lessen your use of your host MFI's resources (they may not have a computer for you to use). The benefit in bringing your own laptop is that you can draft journal entries and emails from your home (offline) and then upload them later at an internet café.

Do I need a digital camera?
Having a digital camera to take with you into the field is a requirement of the program. You should either include it in your budgeting or fundraising goals.  From time to time, Kiva does receive donated cameras which we may lend to you provided that you leave it (in good condition of course) as a gift to the MFI you are working with. Decisions to place a camera with a Fellow are made on a case-by-case basis and are primarily dependant on the availability of donated cameras.