Partner Description:

Asociación Costa Rica Grameen is a nonprofit microfinance organization (NGO), which has been in the market for 19 years, serving more than 27,000 female clients nationwide. The institution was founded in 2006 with the purpose of supporting women in vulnerable situations and promote their economic and social development.


A unique lending approach:

Asociación Costa Rica Grameen leverages Kiva financing to expand access to credit for women entrepreneurs across Costa Rica. The organization employs a solidarity group lending methodology, ensuring strong community support and repayment accountability, with all of its borrowers being women. Asociación Costa Rica Grameen is also recognized for its fully digital credit process.


Repayment Performance on Kiva

    This Lending Partner All Kiva Partners
  Start Date On Kiva Dec 17, 2025 Oct 12, 2005
Total Loans $1,250 $2,205,987,915
Amount of raised Inactive loans $625 $346,000
Number of raised Inactive loans 1 88
Amount of Paying Back Loans $625 $158,643,730
Number of Paying Back Loans 1 188,589
Amount of Ended Loans $0 $2,046,998,185
Number of Ended Loans 0 2,696,388
Delinquency Rate 0.00% 10.47%
Amount in Arrears $0 $10,373,965
Outstanding Portfolio $0 $99,112,603
Number of Loans Delinquent 0 60,347
Default Rate 0.00% 1.81%
Amount of Ended Loans Defaulted $0 $37,126,339
Number of Ended Loans Defaulted 0 97,511
Currency Exchange Loss Rate 0.00% 0.40%
Amount of Currency Exchange Loss $0 $13,736,253
Refund Rate 0.00% 0.52%
Amount of Refunded Loans $0 $11,561,335
Number of Refunded Loans 0 9,974

Loan Characteristics On Kiva

    This Lending Partner All Kiva Partners
  Loans to Women Borrowers 100.00% 78.91%
Average Loan Size $625 $407
Average Individual Loan Size $625 $603
Average Group Loan Size $0 $1,962
Average number of borrowers per group 0 8.4
Average GDP per capita (PPP) in local country $12,900 $5,584
Average Loan Size / GDP per capita (PPP) 4.84% 7.29%
Average Time to Fund a Loan 0.36 days 9.2 days
Average Dollars Raised Per Day Per Loan $1,724.91 $44.29
  Average Loan Term 13.17 months 11.52 months

Journaling Performance on Kiva

    This Lending Partner All Kiva Partners
  Total Journals 0 1,303,822
  Journaling Rate 0.00% 41.69%
  Average Number of Comments Per Journal 0.00 0.02
  Average Number of Recommendations Per Journal 0.00 0.52

Borrowing Cost Comparison (based on 2009 data)

    This Lending Partner Median for MFI's in Country All Kiva Partners
  Average Cost to Borrower N/A N/A 28.52% PY
  Profitability (return on assets) 5.36% N/A -1.40%
  Average Loan Size (% of per capita income) N/A N/A 0.00%

Country Fast Facts

Lending Partner Staff

Diana Mendoza
Mario Morera
Alfredo Salazar