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 $4,375 $2,227,273,965
Amount of raised Inactive loans $0 $442,225
Number of raised Inactive loans 0 87
Amount of Paying Back Loans $4,375 $155,206,520
Number of Paying Back Loans 7 181,781
Amount of Ended Loans $0 $2,071,625,220
Number of Ended Loans 0 2,727,361
Delinquency Rate 0.00% 9.59%
Amount in Arrears $0 $9,145,071
Outstanding Portfolio $156 $95,376,684
Number of Loans Delinquent 0 36,999
Default Rate 0.00% 1.79%
Amount of Ended Loans Defaulted $0 $37,185,073
Number of Ended Loans Defaulted 0 97,664
Currency Exchange Loss Rate 0.00% 0.38%
Amount of Currency Exchange Loss $0 $13,796,854
Refund Rate 0.00% 0.52%
Amount of Refunded Loans $0 $11,582,460
Number of Refunded Loans 0 9,983

Loan Characteristics On Kiva

    This Lending Partner All Kiva Partners
  Loans to Women Borrowers 100.00% 78.95%
Average Loan Size $625 $408
Average Individual Loan Size $625 $604
Average Group Loan Size $0 $1,971
Average number of borrowers per group 0 8.4
Average GDP per capita (PPP) in local country $19,104 $4,377
Average Loan Size / GDP per capita (PPP) 3.27% 9.33%
Average Time to Fund a Loan 0.75 days 9.21 days
Average Dollars Raised Per Day Per Loan $830.56 $44.35
  Average Loan Term 13.17 months 11.52 months

Journaling Performance on Kiva

    This Lending Partner All Kiva Partners
  Total Journals 0 1,312,087
  Journaling Rate 0.00% 41.65%
  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 28.57% PY
  Profitability (return on assets) 5.36% N/A -1.54%
  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