Kiva Blog
Nominate Kiva for the Chase Community Giving Contest on Facebook!
Kiva has the opportunity to win over $1,000,000 with the collective participation of our community! To nominate Kiva, vote here and search for Kiva Microfunds.
All votes made between now and December 11th will help us reach the contest’s top 100 charities list ($25,000 prize) and we can then go onto the next round.
Please vote today and share news about the contest with your friends and family. This is a team effort! You can quickly spread the word via email or through your online networks by sharing the link above.
For Twitter users, you can tweet the short message below:
Join me in voting for @Kiva to win over $1 million in #chasegiving contest! Visit http://bit.ly/A3DZw and type Kiva Microfunds.
Thank you for supporting Kiva’s mission of connecting people through lending for the sake of alleviating poverty!
Join Kiva and Yoovolution in 3D!
We’re pleased to announce that Kiva’s President, Premal Shah, is teaming up with Yoovolution for a one-of-a kind event, the world’s largest professional and self development conference held entirely in a 3D virtual world. Together, we’re pushing the boundaries of online interaction and networking.
And, you’re invited to be a part of it!
This first ever event is open to the entire Kiva community and is not to be missed. You are on the threshold of a new world of social networking where connection and learning are unparalleled, enjoy!
In conjunction with this upcoming incredible virtual event with over 33 world-class speakers called Yoovolution, Premal will be sharing his insights on the future of micro lending, where Kiva is today, and how YOU can make a huge difference in the world ... all in a brand new virtual 3D environment - so you can enjoy it all from the comfort of your own home!
Kiva is one of the chosen charities to benefit from this event, so if you join us, you’ll be contributing to Kiva’s efforts as well.
Register for your free account now by clicking here!
We look forward to seeing you in 3D!
You are invited to Kiva's Fourth Birthday Party!
Join 4 community enterprises, Kiva, Hub Bay Area, GOOD Magazine and The David Brower Center, as we celebrate the remarkable achievement of 4 years and almost 100 million dollars in loans that Kiva has realized since its creation.
We're 4!
November 3, 2009
6:30pm - 9:30pm
The David Brower Center
2150 Allston Way
Berkeley, CA
Global Beats From Around The World
Baba Ken and the Afrobeat Connexion
Delicious Food Provided by Bay Area Favorites
and many more...
Drinks to Keep the Party Going
The Hub opened its' first US location in Berkeley, CA, joining a global network of 20 Hubs and 4500 social innovators around the Globe. Visit them in their new home at The David Brower Center, a platinum LEED certified building of 28 organizations focused on social innovation. We are also pleased to partner with GOOD Magazine, a catalyst for change through journalism and social media, to celebrate Kiva's 4th Birthday! Join us on November 3rd to learn more about how to join a Kiva lending group, jump onboard as a Hub member, and support the GOOD cause, all in the beautiful backdrop of The David Brower Center accompanied by hundreds of our closest friends!
Learn More About Us
Make sure to RSVP here as space is limited!
Stay Updated on Party News Through Facebook
Support Kiva in Bluetooth’s Sharing4Caring Campaign
Link to Facebook Connect here through the Sharing4Caring site to earn $1 for Kiva!
Together, we can rally to earn $25,000 for Kiva! Help us spread the word by sharing with your friends on Facebook. Please post the link on your wall and ask your friends to join you in supporting Kiva with a click.
If you Tweet, please share this tweet with your followers. We’ve even shortened the URL for you:
Support @Kiva in the @BluetoothSIG Sharing4Caring campaign! 1 click = $1 donation to Kiva http://bit.ly/1vpPEE
Thanks everyone!
Happy Hour in NYC this Thursday!
Calling all New Yorkers!
The Kiva New York Team is made up of Kiva lenders and volunteers, and they are hosting a happy hour event this week to bring together all lenders in the New York area. This event is open to anyone who is interested in learning more about Kiva, so share with your coworkers, friends and family in the area – they would love to meet them!
When: Thursday, October 15th (6-8:00pm)
Where: Revival Bar (near Union Square and subway lines 4, 5, 6, N, Q, R, W, L)
Visit their Facebook Invite: RSVP here!
Join the Kiva New York Lending Team to help raise awareness about Kiva. They hold monthly meetings to plan events and set goals for outreach in NYC. They’re interested in working with schools, colleges, and companies in the area, so visit their website here if you’re interested in having them help you set up an awareness event!
Visit their Kiva Lending Team page or check out their new website for more!
Support Kiva in America's Giving Challenge through Facebook Causes!
Our cause on Facebook just entered in America's Giving Challenge, which gives us a chance to win $50,000!
Please donate today: http://www.causes.com/
To win, between now and November 7th we have to get the most donations to our cause (every person can donate once per day and have it count as a unique donation). We can also win daily awards of $1,000 and $500 if we can get the most people to donate in any 24-hour period. The great thing about this Challenge is that it doesn't matter how much you give, but instead how much you do to encourage friends and family to get involved in our cause. We all need to come together and start promoting the cause if we want to win.
Each of us has tons of friends on Facebook who we can ask to donate to our cause. But let's think big too—can you put our cause in your email signature, can you throw a party and get people to donate through the cause when they enter, can you organize other people to go out and fundraise from all of their friends? As you reach out to your friends be sure to tell them why this cause matters to you. The possibilities are endless so let's talk about what we can do to win on the Wall of the cause or by replying to this bulletin.
I think we can do it! But it's going to take all of us. Check out the Giving Challenge (www.causes.com), then visit our cause to see how we're doing so far and get involved.
Donate right now by going to http://www.causes.com/
Let's win $50,000 for our cause!
First Kiva Team to Reach $1 Million!
Congratulations!!
The first Kiva Lending Team to reach $1,000,000 in loans is the Atheists, Agnostics, Skeptics, Freethinkers, Secular Humanists and the Non-Religious!
The team consists of almost 6,000 Kiva Lenders and together they have made 32,946 loans totaling $1,000,625.00 to Kiva Entrepreneurs - quite the feat and something we at Kiva are super excited about!
We've enjoyed following this team's goals that they set for themselves via their message board; you can also check out their team communication on their team blog here.
To start your own Lending Team visit Kiva's community page here.
Live Love Lend - Party in Boston!
And, if you can't go to the event, but still want to help out, you can join the Lending Team called "Live. Love. Lend." All you have to do is go to the "community" tab, enter "Live. Love. Lend." in the search tab, join the team and start lending!
Come to Kiva's 4th Birthday Party!
In San Francisco we'll be celebrating this event by co-hosting a party at the Brower Center in Berkeley, CA, with The Hub Bay Area and GOOD Magazine. It'll be a chance for us to get together with members of the Kiva community - and the cool cats of GOOD and The Hub - to celebrate what Kiva has become over 4 years of work.
The party will be held in a few weeks (late October/early November), but although we haven't quite pinned down the date, we wanted to make sure you knew we have a celebration on the way. As soon as we have the details they will be shared here, on the Kiva Blog, so keep your eyes peeled as we will be asking guests to RSVP.
All four organizations are innovative models that have sprung from this same desire - that through collaboration we can create radical change! Together, we will share the underlying story of Kiva's milestone and the global inspiration it has created through pioneering community building for social change. YOU have played a critical role in helping to make this all possible and we're excited to celebrate with you! For those who are unable to physically attend our birthday party in Berkeley, but still wish to participate, we invite you to join our celebration in spirit on Facebook here!
Kiva staff 2006
Kiva staff 2009
Get your picture taken to support Kiva
Shop Fair Trade and Support Kiva
Over the last year we have all been hearing about the impact of the recession around the globe. It does not just affect big retailers and multinational corporations, but also small retailers working with producer communities and artisans. Some of these retailers are cancelling orders, resulting in an inventory build up for many fair trade producer groups. Last year, our friends Priya Haji and Robert Chatwani launched WorldofGood.com, an online, ethical, multi-seller marketplace that is based on the concept of connecting small producers around the world to consumers in the U.S. market. With the state of the economy and the uncertainty facing many of these producer groups in mind, they have collected some of this overstock and created a special promotion for Kiva users: For every transaction through the WorldofGood.com/Kiva, $5 will be donated back to Kiva!
Not only can this help producer communities and artisans during such a crucial time (WorldofGood.com works with artisan producers in over 70 countries) but it also helps Kiva! Help spread the word and keep WorldofGood.com/Kiva bookmarked, because this promotion will run through the end of the year. Right now, more than ever, whatever you choose to spend is a vote to help companies with good purpose survive.
Yola matches your Kiva loans!
Thanks to Yola.com, Kiva will have a presence at SOCAP09 this week and we’re thrilled about the opportunity!
Kiva is proudly partnering with both Yola.com and ACCION USA to help talented entrepreneurs get online and grow their businesses. Since 2007, Yola has helped more than 2 million people build websites to grow their businesses and achieve their social goals. And now, with support from ACCION USA, Kiva entrepreneurs will benefit from their service! 
To celebrate this partnership, Yola will be matching all loans made on their Kiva Lending Team – up to $10,000 – between now and the end of SOCAP09 (Sept 1-3). And we want to invite you, as part of Kiva’s growing community, to take part in this matching program! Please go to yola.com/kiva.html to learn more.
For more information on the conference this week, check out the SOCAP09 website here.
Kiva Go Game For Good raises $1000 in London!
Thankfully, I hadn't just 'done a Ross', and even more thankfully, nor had I splashed out the extorionate amount of cash needed for a wedding in central London. I was in fact taking part in a Kiva fundraising event organised by The Go Game, a San Francisco based innovator in technology-driven teambuilding games.
On Saturday August 15th over forty people gathered in an (almost) secret location near Oxford Circus to take part in the game. Described only as a "hi-tech treasure hunt", attendees were eager to find out what they'd got themselves into. We were rewarded with a hilarious, fun, and surreal afternoon chasing through the busy streets solving puzzles, completing photo and video missions, talking to total strangers, singing to pirates, and chasing cows, brides, and fairies.
The event culminated in side-splitting video and photo presentation of the highlights of each team's efforts. Notable pant-wetting moments included a frankly scary reconstruction of the evolution of man in a city park, the best/worst chat up line of the day ("Do you like my t-shirt? Yes. Do you know what it's made of? No. It's made of boyfriend material"), a business model based on carrying members of the public across the street for a small fee, too many people in a phone box, human speedbumps, and a mad cow galavanting around the streets.
A huge thanks to everyone that took part, and special thanks to Mei and Chris at The Go Game for giving up their time and resources for free, and to the actors for forfeiting their dignity. Also thank you to Ahkun.org for shipping over some original Cambodian Kramas made by Kiva borrower Kakeda Sun to give out as prizes. A big apology to the man with the eyepatch who was unfortunate enough to be on the same street as our unidentified pirate actor.
The event raised $1000 for the Kiva Fellows Program and generated some great publicity. If you missed it, don't fret, just make sure you come along next time!
Kieran Ball (former Kiva Fellow)
Introducing Kiva's Lending Team Playbook!
Kiva’s Community Outreach Team is thrilled to announce the recent release of the Lending Team Playbook, spearheaded by Kiva Interns, Colette Kessler (content) and Hannah Day (design)! A huge thanks goes out to all contributors, including star lending team captains, KivaFriends.org, and other committed volunteers.
The Playbook is a step-by-step guide on how to deepen your involvement with Kiva by engaging your communities. While it was created primarily for Lending Team Captains, we encourage all Kiva users to look to it for inspiration! The Playbook will show you how you can help raise awareness on Kiva, on the Internet, and in the world beyond your doorstep.
If you don’t yet have your own Lending Team, consider starting one today by clicking here! The Playbook can act as your guide to building a strong team and bringing Kiva to life for your family and friends. For any questions about the Playbook or Lending Teams that you can’t find on the website, feel free to contact the Community Outreach Team at kivacommunity@gmail.com
Kiva in the Classroom at South Medford High School
It's almost time to go back to school!Mr. L (pictured at left) is a 9th Grade World Studies teacher, and has been incorporating Kiva into his classroom for two years. Read about his experience using Kiva as an educational tool, and get inspired for the new school year!
"I am a 9th grade World Studies teacher to about 150 students each year, at South Medford High School in southern Oregon. Two years ago, I began using Kiva after my students were asking what they could do about the global economic disparity we were "discovering." I showed them an inspiring film about microfinance, Small Fortunes, with glimpses of Muhammad Yunus, the Nobel Prize winner for his work with microfinance. The students were immediately excited, especially when they learned how Kiva made it possible for them to lend to micro-entrepreneurs such as they saw in the film. We began incorporating Kiva into the class, and we set up a lending account for the class.
The more my students worked with Kiva, the more things we learned. For the first year, I simply let my students navigate the website to see how much information it contained. Then they used the classroom "Activboard," a blackboard-sized interactive computer screen at the front of the class, to teach the class how to get information from the Kiva website. Students initially gave presentations about geography and economics. Then they began to see embedded in the Kiva site information about math, writing, story-telling, cultures, languages, photography, business, transportation, teamwork, time and trust. Classes were competing to raise $25 increments and made loans as they repeatedly hit the $25 mark. How they made their loans that first year was based on sheer enthusiasm. I was excited by the parents’ emails, letters and telephone calls regarding their child’s increased enthusiasm, compassion or understanding of socio-economic issues.
Then students wanted to know how they could spread the word. They contacted the local newspaper and television stations, and generated press like this story in the Daily Tribune. They made it a point to teach their interviewers how to make Kiva micro-loans. Students learned how to prepare for a newspaper interview and a television interview so that the students told the story they wanted told. Community members began donating money to the students to invest. Some community members came to my World Studies classes so they could participate with the class to make the Kiva investment. It was great to see the two generations learning from each other.
The second year, my Assistant Principle, Hal Jones, helped secure a small Gates Foundation grant which helped allow two other World Studies teachers, Sean Johnston and Kelly Baugh, use Kiva in their classes. That allows all 500 freshman to participate to improve their world using microfinance and Kiva. The Economics teacher for our seniors, Greg Jost, approached me to see if any of my freshman would be interested in teaching micro-lending and Kiva to his senior Economics classes. My students enthusiastically prepared presentations and were emboldened by the attention and respect the seniors gave to them. Jost and I saw this improvement in school culture as a surprise benefit.
Jost and I worked on ideas to make the loan-making process more structured. We settled on dividing our classes into teams of 3-6 students. Each team was its own "bank." Each team named their bank, developed a bank-specific loan-making criteria, analyzed potential clients from the Kiva website using their bank’s criteria, and finally presented and defended their bank’s loan choice to the class. The only significant difficulty occurred during days when Kiva did not have enough entrepreneurs to give the class time to decide before the loans were fully funded.
One of the Jost’s seniors took a lead role for the Economics classes as part of his senior project (35 hours of required community service), to help the "banks" coordinate their loans. This senior has gone on to make community presentations about microfinance and its growing influence.
The students at South Medford High School have made over 100 loans to people around the world. At first, Kiva was a means for my students to try to improve their world after learning about its inequities. They have now used Kiva as a hands-on learning tool in World Studies and Economics, and I can see how we might easily incorporate Kiva into our English, Communications, Arts, Business, and Math classes. In short, more teachers and students at South Medford are finding Kiva an exciting tool to make learning a real and sustainable way to improve their world."
| 
