What are the options for partnering with Kiva?

Kiva partners with a range of organizational types, including microfinance institutions (MFIs), social businesses, schools and non-profit organizations. All of these partners are united by a common commitment to serve the needs of people at the bottom of the pyramid, either through financial services or by using credit to help expand access to pro-poor products and services.

Because our partners have a range of financial needs, we have developed a tiered due diligence structure to accommodate organizations' needs. At one end of the spectrum, we spend time on-site and conduct an in-depth financial analysis before bringing on a partner. This represents our full due diligence process.

At the other end of the spectrum, we allow partners to test out Kiva experimentally at small dollar amounts before we mutually agree to scale up. For these partners, we have less in-depth knowledge about their operational and financial situations, but we have solid reasons to trust their social mission and intentions. Here is a look at the 3 tiers of partnership available to organizations:

  • Full Due Diligence: Partners with a full due diligence designation are able to raise large dollar amounts on Kiva, with credit lines of up to $2 million. These partnerships are reviewed and approved on a case-by-case basis by Kiva's investment team.
  • Basic Due Diligence: Partners with a basic due diligence designation are able to raise mid-sized dollar amounts on Kiva, with credit lines of up to $200,000. These partnerships are reviewed and approved on a case-by-case basis by Kiva's investment team.
  • Experimental Partnership: Partners with an experimental designation are able to raise small dollar amounts on Kiva, with credit lines up to $20,000 to $50,000, depending on their organizational maturity and ability to manage loan programs. These partnerships are not reviewed by Kiva's investment team, and little to no due diligence is conducted.
This tiered partnership structure allows Kiva to accommodate a diversity of organizations, and to conduct due diligence efforts that are commensurate with the financial needs of our partners. As the financial needs of an organization grow, so too can their involvement with Kiva. We encourage "upward mobility" in our partnership structure and invest resources in growing our partnerships.

What are the requirements to become a Field Partner?

All potential Kiva Field Partners must, at a minimum:

  • Display a strong commitment to serving the needs of the bottom of the pyramid
  • Have a specific and defined need for small-scale, beneficiary-level finance
  • Have the capacity to maintain a partnership with Kiva, including posting and managing online loan profiles
  • Be registered as a legal entity in its country of operation
In addition, microfinance partners must, at a minimum:
  • Serve at least 1,000 active borrowers with microfinance services (Not a requirement for US partners)
  • Have a history (at least 2-3 years) of lending to poor, excluded, and/or vulnerable people for the purpose of alleviating poverty or reducing vulnerability
  • Have at least one year of financial statements (unaudited financials are acceptable for basic due diligence partners)
  • Have a strong social mission and a clearly defined use for Kiva funding
  • We also prefer an MFI to have a profile on the MIX Market
Fit the minimum criteria?

  • Microfinance institutions, i.e. organizations focused on lending: Now accepting applications for basic and full partnerships. Apply here.
  • Non-MFI partners, i.e. organizations without a primary focus on lending that could benefit from integrating financing into their models: Now accepting applications for experimental, basic and full partnerships. Apply here.

Information for prospective Field Partners

Our Work

Named as one of the top ideas in 2006 by the New York Times Magazine, Kiva enables microfinance institutions (MFIs), social businesses, schools and non-profit organizations to raise debt capital directly from social investors via the internet. Kiva provides organizations 0% interest US dollar debt capital in exchange for client impact transparency on the internet. Organizations on-lend this capital at prevailing interest rates and keep the interest income. Losses arising from client default are borne by Kiva's social investors.

Our Growth

Since launching in October 2005, over 180 MFIs in more than 60 countries have had access to 0% interest capital from 700,000+ Kiva lenders. Kiva partners with highly reputable organizations across the globe. Click here to see a list of our Field Partners. As an online fundraising platform, well-established organizations use Kiva to access low-cost debt financing from social investors via the internet. Smaller, less established organizations also use Kiva's online platform as a source of growth capital and a way to prove their legitimacy to larger funders over time.

All Kiva Field Partners benefit significantly by reducing their cost of capital and exhibiting their work and impact to an international audience. Kiva is the most trafficked website in microfinance with hundreds of thousands of site visitors each month. In fact, Kiva is on track to be one of the largest microfinance funds, experiencing an average month-to-month growth rate of over 30%.

Do you need additional information? Do you have a recommendation for a Field Partner? Wondering why Kiva does not have a partner in a country? Are you an organization looking for a different type of partnership? Want to learn more about non-MFI partnerships? Get your questions answered.