How do I withdraw my funds?
To request to withdraw funds from Kiva, please go to: kiva.org/withdraw
On this page, enter the amount you want to withdraw and the email address associated with your PayPal account (you will need to enter this email twice), then follow the prompts.
We'll process your request and the funds should be deposited into your PayPal account within 1-2 weeks. Kiva isn't able to deposit funds directly into a personal bank account, but from PayPal you can transfer funds to your bank.
How do I get a loan?
Kiva is not a bank or microfinance institution, which means that most of the loans fundraising on our website were not provided by Kiva directly. Because we know that finding the right loan can be a challenging process here are a few options to consider:
If you’re an entrepreneur in the U.S. --
Kiva supports entrepreneurs in the U.S. with interest-free loans which are crowdfunded by lenders across the globe and are paid back over the course of a couple of months to a few years. Kiva U.S. loans can be as large as $10,000.
Rather than assessing credit history and financial statements, Kiva U.S. relies on trust networks as a measure of creditworthiness. For that reason, applicants are required to secure initial lenders from within their own network prior to fundraising on Kiva (and sometimes a Trustee as well). To learn more and apply for a loan please visit: kiva.org/borrow
Questions about applying for a U.S. loan can be sent here: borrowers@kiva.org
If you live in another country around the world --
Kiva partners with Lending Partners in many countries around the world who may be able to make a loan to you. These loans vary in interest rates, loan amounts and requirements. To apply for a loan through a Lending Partner, please contact them directly. A list of Kiva's Lending Partners and their contact information can be found at: kiva.org/about/where-kiva-works
If you can’t find a partner near you please try the MIX Market, which is a great website that collects data on microfinance institutions around the world. Please refer to their website: mixmarket.org
Please note, MIX Market is an information service and doesn’t provide funding. Also note that Kiva does not have a say in which businesses are selected by our Lending Partners. Contact each partner directly for more information on loan requirements and underwriting guidelines.
How do I view my transaction history?
You can see a record of all your transactions on Kiva by clicking "Transaction history" on the left side of your Portfolio page or directly at this link: kiva.org/portfolio/transactions
This page will allow you to check on all of your past deposits, purchases, repayments or withdrawals.
How do I lend on Kiva?
You can lend on Kiva by following these steps:
1. Go to kiva.org/login and sign into your account or create a Kiva account.
2. Click "Lend" and find a borrower to support. Then click "Lend $25" to add that loan to your basket.
3. Add additional loans to your basket or click "Basket" to check out.
4. On the basket page you'll see your loans, and be asked to make an optional donation to Kiva. You can edit the suggested donation by clicking the pencil icon next to the amount and entering how much you want to donate ($0 is an option). Click "Update" to save your changes.
5. You'll either see your available Kiva credit automatically deducted from your total (if you have credit), or you'll see options to pay using a credit card or PayPal account. Click the blue button at the bottom of the page to confirm your purchase.
Upon completion of your purchase you will be directed to an order confirmation page as well as receive an emailed receipt.
How do I lend the credit in my account?
To lend your Kiva credit, please follow these steps:
1. Go to kiva.org/login and sign into your account.
2. Click "Lend" and find a borrower to support. Then click "Lend $25" to add that loan to your basket.
3. Add additional loans to your basket or click "Checkout now".
4. On the basket page you'll see your loans, and be asked to make an optional donation to Kiva. You can edit the suggested donation by clicking the pencil icon next to the amount and changing how much you want to donate ($0 is an option). Click "Update" to save your changes.
5. You'll see your available Kiva credit automatically deducted from your total at the bottom of the page. Review your transaction and click the blue button at the bottom to confirm your purchase. If your total exceeds the credit in your account, your credit will be deducted from your total first and you will then be directed to PayPal to pay for the remainder of your purchase with funds from a credit card or PayPal account.
Upon completion of your purchase you will see an order confirmation page as well as receive an emailed receipt.
Do I have to donate to Kiva's operating expenses?
Donations to Kiva's operating expenses are always optional, although vital to what we do.
100% of every dollar lent on Kiva goes toward funding loans, and we never take a cut -- instead, we support our operations through donations from our lender community. While a donation is automatically suggested during checkout, you can always opt-out on the Basket page by clicking the pencil icon next to the donation amount and then the "No donation to Kiva" link.
Can I combine or merge Kiva accounts?
At the moment we're unfortunately not able to move loans from one Kiva account to another, or combine 2 accounts. The best ways to combine accounts is to either purchase a Kiva Card, which you can redeem from the account you'd like to lend from going forward, or withdraw your funds and deposit the balance into that account.
How do I close my Kiva account?
To close your Kiva account, please go to: kiva.org/settings/data
Under the "Account termination" section at the bottom of the page, you'll see an option to close your account. Please note, if you have available credit or outstanding loans, you will need to either withdraw those funds or allow them to be donated to Kiva before closing your account. Once your account is closed, this is irreversible and you won't be able to access your past lending activity.
I'm having trouble using Kiva's website. Can you help me troubleshoot?
Hopefully some quick browser adjustments will resolve this issue. Here are a few troubleshooting tips which may help:
-Clearing your browser cache and deleting your cookies
-Using a private browser or "incognito mode"
-Using a different browser or upgrading your browser to the most current version
-Enabling cookies
-Changing your browser's security settings to allow Kiva as a trusted site
-Checking to ensure you don't have any browser plugins (such as ad blockers) that may be conflicting with kiva.org
If the problem continues, please let us know.
How do I redeem a Kiva Card?
To use your Kiva Card, go to: kiva.org/redeem
On this page, you'll see a box where you can enter the card's gift code and click "Apply." Once you've entered the code, click the blue "Get Started, Find a Loan" button to find a list of all loans in need of support. When you find a loan that interests you, add it to your basket by clicking the blue "Lend $25" button. When you're ready to checkout click "Basket" at the top of the page. This will begin the checkout process.
In order to use a Kiva Card, you will need to sign up for a Kiva account if you don't already have one. Please also note that if your total exceeds the amount on your Kiva Card, you'll be directed to PayPal to pay for the difference between the total due and the amount of your Kiva Card. Upon completing your purchase, you will be directed to an order confirmation page on Kiva's website. You will also receive an emailed receipt for your purchase.
How can my organization become a Lending Partner?
The best place to learn about our criteria for Lending Partners is on our website here: kiva.org/partners/info
In order to apply for partnership, an organization must at a minimum:
--Display a strong commitment to serving the needs of poor, vulnerable, and/or excluded populations.
--Operate an existing lending program with portfolio quality that aligns with market context and industry standards, or be prepared and legally able to set up a lending program.
--Provide a specific proposal for using Kiva’s capital to fund loans with a) high social or environmental impact and b) pricing that aligns with market context and industry standards.
--Be able to post at least $50,000 USD in loans in the first 12 months on the Kiva website, with the capacity to grow in subsequent years.
--Have assets or operating revenues of at least $100,000 USD.
--Be able to legally accept and repay US Dollar debt capital and manage currency risk.
--Be legally registered in its country of operation.
On the above page, there is a Partnership Inquiry Form that can be used to start a conversation with our team. If our field staff is interested in learning more, they will respond and request further documentation.
Can I forgive a loan or request that a borrower not have to repay?
While offers to forgive loans are very generous, Kiva's lending process is designed to accommodate loans and not donations. This means that all funding requests posted to Kiva are considered loans, and there unfortunately isn't a way to request that a borrower not repay your portion of the loan they received.
We hope that once you've been repaid, you'll recycle your credit to make even more loans on Kiva -- helping reach even more borrowers around the world.
What's the difference between a Kiva loan and a donation?
Lending on and donating to Kiva are distinct actions that are easy to confuse.
To clarify, loans are made to borrowers, while donations are made to our operating expenses. When you lend to a borrower, your loans are not tax-deductible. We hope that all Kiva loans will be repaid so you can use your funds to lend again.
When you donate to Kiva, you're helping cover the costs of running the website and allowing our nonprofit to continue providing loans worldwide. Donations, unlike loans, are one-time gifts that don't return to you but are eligible for a tax deduction in the U.S.
You can see a detailed breakdown explaining how your donations are used and why it's important to donate to Kiva in this blog post: https://www.kiva.org/blog/why-donate-to-kiva
Please note that when you lend you're also given the opportunity to donate to Kiva in addition to your loan. You can also donate to Kiva at any time here: kiva.org/about/supportus
Can I lend less than $25?
Kiva used to divide loans into $25 amounts and the minimum amount that you could contribute to a loan was $25. However, Kiva now offers 2 different ways to make loans for less than $25.
The first way to lend less than $25 is by enabling $5 notes on your Monthly Good subscription. Please note, your Monthly Good deposit must be less than $30 to lend in increments that are less than $25. If you do not have a Monthly Good subscription, you can sign up by signing into your Kiva account and visiting the following link: https://www.kiva.org/settings/credit
The second way to lend less than $25 on Kiva is by sorting 'Amount left' and lending to a loan that has less than $25 as the 'funding to go' amount. You can sort for these loans by signing into your Kiva account and visiting the following link: https://www.kiva.org/lend/filter?sortBy=amountLeft
Whether a loan has $5, $10, $15, or $20 to go, you are required to fund the full remaining amount and are not given the option to select a lower amount. Please keep this in mind if you have a low account balance you are attempting to lend without depositing additional credit at checkout.
Please let our team know if you have additional questions regarding this update to minimum loan amounts. Our team is here to clarify or listen, should anything else come up.
How do I redeem free credit I've earned?
If you have free credit, it should automatically be applied to the next loan you make. Sign into your Kiva account, click "Lend my free credit" at the top of the page, choose a loan and proceed through the checkout process.
Please note that free credit cannot be applied to direct loans, loans with repayment terms over 21 months, or loans from Lending Partners with risk ratings below 3 stars. You’ll be able to see if a loan is eligible on both the loan profile and in your basket. To find loans that are eligible using free credit, you can also use this link: kiva.org/lend/bonusEligibleLoans
How do I change the email address registered with my account?
To change the email address associated with your Kiva account, please sign into your account and go to: kiva.org/settings/account
Enter your new email address (and current password) in the fields provided and click "Update email" to save.
Clicking this button will send you a verification email. As a final step in this process, you'll need to click the link in that email to successfully update your account email.
How do I purchase a Kiva Card?
You can purchase a Kiva Card by going to: kiva.org/gifts/kiva-cards
On this page select the delivery method, value and quantity of the Kiva Cards you want to buy. Once you've done that and agreed to the terms and conditions, including the 12 month lending period, add the card to your basket by clicking "Add to Basket" or "Add to Basket and Checkout". To begin the checkout process click "Basket" at the top of the page.
Upon completion of your purchase, you'll be directed to an order confirmation page and also receive an emailed receipt. You can view and/or print the Kiva Cards you've purchased at any time by signing into your Kiva account and going to: kiva.org/portfolio/kiva-cards
How can I get a tax receipt for my donations?
To print a tax receipt for your donations to Kiva, please sign into your account and go to: kiva.org/portfolio/donations
This page displays a list of all donations you've made to Kiva's operating expenses and also gives you the option to download receipts according to the tax year.
How can my company partner with Kiva?
Kiva has a number of institutional supporters, and we appreciate your company's interest in partnering with us. If you'd like to support Kiva through a small business partnership, revenue sharing program, or simply by making loans on behalf of your company, you can learn more here: kiva.org/about/supportus/smallbusiness
Please note, Kiva can only facilitate partnerships with a contribution of $50K or more. If your company can't make a contribution of this level, please refer to the "Other ways to support us" section at the bottom of this page.
If you'd instead like to apply to be a Lending Partner or Trustee to help facilitate loans and endorse borrowers, you can learn more here: kiva.org/partners/info and kiva.org/trustees
If you have any questions about these ways to get involved, please let us know.
What are Kiva Cards and how do they work?
A Kiva Card is a gift that combines the ability to make both a loan and a donation to Kiva. When you give a Kiva Card, you give someone else the chance to make a loan to a borrower who inspires them. When their loan is repaid, they can use those funds again and again to make even more loans on Kiva. If the recipient does not use their Kiva Card within 12 months of the purchase date the funds are automatically converted into a donation to Kiva's operating expenses.
To learn more about Kiva Cards, please visit: kiva.org/gifts/kiva-cards
How do I add Kiva credit to my account?
You can add credit to your Kiva account by signing in and going to: kiva.org/portfolio
Click the "Add Credit" link in the column on the left side of the page (or go directly to: kiva.org/portfolio/credit/deposit). Enter the amount of credit you want to add and click "Checkout with PayPal" to proceed through the payment process. Once you’ve completed payment you'll be directed back to Kiva's website and your Kiva credit will appear in your account.
Please note, Kiva also has the option to set up a monthly deposit into your Kiva account. For more information, please visit: kiva.org/auto-deposit
What does it mean that my loan is delinquent?
Loans can become delinquent if either the borrower or Lending Partner falls behind on making repayments according to the repayment schedule that was set when the loan was posted to Kiva. If you click on the "Repayment Schedule" link on a loan profile and then "Show advanced", you'll be able to see further explanation for why the loan is delinquent.
If a loan is marked as delinquent, this means that Kiva still expects repayments to be made on the loan. In the case of a borrower's delinquency, you can assume that the Lending Partner is working with the borrower to reschedule the loan term, if necessary, to try to recover eventual repayment of the loan. If the delinquency is due to a Lending Partner being late in repaying Kiva lenders, you can assume that a member of the Kiva team is following up with the partner to work on recovering the amount owed to lenders.
If Kiva or the Lending Partner determines the collection of funds is doubtful, the loan will be marked as defaulted and you'll be notified by email. Until then, we will continue making efforts to recover lender funds.
How do I print or view the Kiva Cards I purchased?
You can print or view your Kiva Cards anytime before the gift has been redeemed by going to: kiva.org/portfolio/kiva-cards
This page will list all the Kiva Cards you've purchased as well as their redemption status. Next to each unredeemed Kiva Card, you'll see a link to print. When the gift has been redeemed, the name of the redeemer will appear next to the code.
Do I have to use PayPal when I checkout?
You're welcome to pay with a debit or credit card instead of PayPal. To do so, please look for the "Pay with card" option on the checkout page. Then you will be able to enter your credit card details.
Please keep in mind that regardless of which option you choose, PayPal will process your payment and send you a receipt. Kiva uses PayPal to process all of our financial transactions as they provide us with free payment processing, which saves us about $1 million annually and helps keep our operating expenses low.
Our usual process for sending lenders repayments on their loans is through PayPal, however, if you don't have a PayPal account, you can email us at refunds@kiva.org with your address to request a check.
What is auto-lending?
Auto-lending is a feature that ensures your Kiva credit is always being put to use. When you turn on auto-lending, our system automatically recycles your available credit whenever the balance reaches $25.
To turn on auto-lending, please sign into your Kiva account and go to: kiva.org/settings/credit
Click "Automatically lend my Kiva credit" at the bottom and use the options provided to select your preferences. Once you do, click the "Save auto-lending settings" button to enable auto-lending.
I live in the U.S., how do I get a loan?
If you're a small business owner in the United States you may be interested in learning more about our direct lending program, Kiva U.S. Kiva U.S. supports entrepreneurs in the United States with interest-free loans for their businesses. These loans are crowdfunded by lenders across the world and are repaid over the course of a few months to a few years. Kiva U.S. loans can be as large as $15,000 (depending on the applicant's qualifications).
Rather than exclusively relying on credit history and past financial statements, Kiva U.S. relies on the borrowers' trust networks to measure creditworthiness. For this reason, applicants are required to secure their initial lenders from within their own network prior to fundraising on the Kiva website. They may also be required to recruit a Trustee to vouch for them.
To learn more and apply for a loan, please visit: kiva.org/borrow If you have further questions about applying for a loan through Kiva U.S. please email the U.S. team at: borrowers@kiva.org
Why doesn’t my Kiva Card amount show up in my Kiva credit balance?
Kiva Cards actually don’t have cash value so as a result, can’t be deposited into your account for later use. That is why the funds from your Kiva Card won’t show up in your Kiva credit noted at the top of the page. However, if you are logged into your existing Kiva account and have applied the code from your Kiva Card at kiva.org/redeem, the funds will be applied after you choose a loan and reach the Basket page during checkout.
Please note that if you do not apply the total amount of your Kiva Card toward loans at the time you redeem it, the remaining amount on your Kiva Card will be reflected in your total Kiva credit. However, in order to redeem it, you will need to make at least one $25 loan. Any remaining funds deposited in your Kiva account also can’t be withdrawn without first being lent to a borrower.
Can I make a loan by paying with a check rather than a credit card?
We strongly encourage you to make online deposits via PayPal or credit card, which can be done here: https://www.kiva.org/portfolio/credit/deposit
If you're unable to use PayPal or pay by card, it is possible to add credit to your Kiva account via check. However, the processing of checks has a high operational cost for Kiva’s Finance team. Additionally, checks make it difficult to distinguish whether the check is for lending or donating (or a combination of the two).
If you are unable to deposit funds online, please follow these steps to send us a check for lending:
1. Create a Kiva account (if you don't already have one)
2. Write your check payable to "Kiva User Funds LLC"
3. Write the email address associated with your Kiva account on the back of the check to ensure the funds are deposited into the correct account
PLEASE NOTE: It’s important you indicate on the check how much you'd like to be credited to your account for lending versus how much you’d like to be donated to Kiva's operating expenses (we typically suggest a donation of 5-10% to help cover the administrative costs associated with check processing). We want to allocate the funds according to your preferences. However, in the absence of lending account details (account username/email), the funds will be donated to Kiva’s operating expenses by default.
4. Mail the check to:
Kiva User Funds LLC
Attn: Finance Department
986 Mission St, 4th Floor San Francisco, CA 94103
Once your check has been processed (which can take up to two weeks), we'll credit your account and notify you by email. You can then sign into your Kiva account and use the credit in your account for lending.
I forgot my password. How do I change it?
You can reset your Kiva password by going to kiva.org/login and clicking the "Forgot your password?" link.
Enter your email address and we'll send you instructions for how to reset your password. Please be sure to change your password as soon as possible, as this link will expire within a few hours for security purposes.
How can I view the loans in my portfolio?
You can review the loans in your portfolio at any time by signing into your Kiva account and clicking "My Loans", or by going to: kiva.org/portfolio/loans
How do I cancel or edit my Monthly Good contribution?
Monthly Good can be canceled or edited at any time by going to: kiva.org/settings/credit
I know someone who needs a loan. How do they apply?
Kiva is not a bank or microfinance institution, which means that most of the loans fundraising on our website were not provided by Kiva directly. Because we know that finding the right loan can be a challenging process, here are a few options for your friend to consider:
If they're an entrepreneur in the U.S.:
Kiva supports entrepreneurs in the U.S. with interest-free loans which are crowdfunded by lenders across the globe and are paid back over the course of a couple of months to a few years. Kiva U.S. loans can be as large as $10,000. Rather than assessing credit history and financial statements, Kiva U.S. relies on trust networks as a measure of creditworthiness. For that reason, applicants are required to secure a Trustee or initial lenders from within their own network prior to fundraising on Kiva. To learn more, please have your friend visit and apply at: borrow.kiva.org
Questions about applying for a U.S. loan can be sent here: borrowers@kiva.org
If they live in another country around the world:
Outside of the U.S. Kiva partners with Lending Partners in many countries around the world who may be able to make a loan to your friend. These loans vary in interest rates, loan amounts and requirements. To apply for a loan through a Lending Partner, your friend would need to contact them directly. A list of Kiva's Lending Partners and their contact information can be found at: kiva.org/about/where-kiva-works
If your friend can't find a partner near them please have them try the MIX Market, which is a great website that collects data on microfinance institutions around the world: mixmarket.org
Please note, MIX Market is an information service and doesn't provide funding. Also note that Kiva does not have a say in which businesses are selected by our Lending Partners. Have them contact each partner directly for more information on loan requirements and underwriting guidelines.
How do I attribute loans to my lending team?
To attribute a loan to a team, you will see a drop-down box on the "Basket" page next to "Team." Use this drop-down box to select the correct team.
If you'd like loans to be attributed to your team automatically, you can set a preferred team on the My Teams page at: kiva.org/teams/my-teams
Under the headline "Lending Teams I Belong To" you'll see a pulldown box where you can set your preferred team next to the team of your choice.
You can also count loans toward a lending team for up to 14 days after the loan is made. To do so, just go to kiva.org/portfolio/loans and use the drop-down next to the loan to select a team to attribute it to. After 14 days there is unfortunately no way to attribute that loan to your team.
Why are there no loans matching my area of interest?
At Kiva we rely on our Lending Partners to upload loans to the website. Sometimes the demand for specific loans outpaces our partners' ability to upload these loans. Additionally, many partners are currently unable to post loans due to restrictions in place to prevent the spread of COVID-19.
This may be the reason you are not seeing the specific type of loans that you're looking for. To respond to the COVID-19 crisis, we have created a loan category for borrowers whose businesses have been impacted by the pandemic. You can find these loans here: https://www.kiva.org/lend-by-category/covid-19
In that category, you’ll see loans to Lending Partners whose operations are impacted by the pandemic. These Crisis Support Loans are a great way to extend support to the organizations who normally administer loans to borrowers to help them continue to provide loans during and after the crisis.
If you wish to support borrowers impacted by COVID-19 as they become available, you can also make a one-time or reoccurring contribution to the COVID-19 Response Fund here: https://www.kiva.org/covid19response
Please note, when you contribute to the COVID-19 Response Fund, at this time there is not a way to further specify loan characteristics (such as location or business type) within this category.
If you prefer to wait for a particular type of loan to become available, Kiva allows you to save searches and be notified when new loans matching your search criteria become available on the website.
To sign up for these alerts, you'll first need to sign in and save a search for that criteria. To do so, please go to: kiva.org/lend and use the search filters to find loans matching your preferences (using either the keyword search at the top of the page, or "Filters" on the left).
When you're done click "Save this search" at the top of the page. A pop-up will appear where you can opt into receiving emails when loans within that search are posted.
To manage your saved searches and email alerts later, just go to: kiva.org/lend/saved-search or use the drop-down menu on the "Lend" tab and click "Saved searches" under "My Kiva". If you can't find loans matching your preferences please continue to check back as new loans are posted every day.
How do I donate my credit to Kiva?
You can donate your credit to Kiva's operating expenses by signing into your Kiva account and going to: kiva.org/donate
On this page, you have the option of making either a one-time gift or a monthly donation. Select the option you prefer, then select the amount you'd like to donate. When you've made your selections, click "Donate" to add this donation to your basket.
Review your order and click the blue "Continue" button to complete your donation. You'll receive an email notification letting you know that your donation to Kiva was completed successfully. Please keep this email for your tax records or go to: kiva.org/portfolio/donations to print an official tax receipt.
Thanks for your support of Kiva!
Can I change the recipient information or delivery method of a Kiva Card after it's been purchased?
Unfortunately it isn't possible to change any details associated with your Kiva Card after it's been purchased. However, all the recipient needs to redeem their gift is the 16 digit code. You can find the code for any Kiva Card you've purchased by signing into your account and clicking "Purchased Kiva Cards" at the left of your Portfolio, or by going to: kiva.org/portfolio/kiva-cards
Alternatively, we can cancel this Kiva Card for you and return the funds to your account as available credit, which you can then use to purchase another Kiva Card with the correct information.
Why was my loan application rejected? Or why was I not approved for a loan?
Kiva's direct loan program is very competitive, and we’re unfortunately not able to accept every application that is received. While we’re not able to disclose specific information on the internal review process, we can assure you that our team reviews each application closely based on our minimum requirements.
If you have further questions about the application process, please feel free to review our application guidelines here: kiva.org/borrow
How does auto-lending work?
Kiva's auto-lending tool enables you to make sure your funds are always active, even if you can't make a loan yourself. Lenders can customize the feature so that auto-lending happens automatically after repayments reach $25, or lenders can set a window of time (up to 4 months) to make a loan manually before auto-lending takes effect. Auto-loan categories, as well as other details, can also be customized to match your lending preferences.
Please note that the system gives precedence to active lending. The amount of loans being made through auto-lending depends on the supply of fundraising loans and demand from other lenders choosing loans manually. This also means that for popular or very specific kinds of loans, there's a chance those loans will be fully funded before auto-lending kicks in. Take this into account when customizing your loan preferences - if your criteria are too narrow, we may not be able to lend your funds.
Can I forgive a loan or request a deferral on repayments for a borrower due to COVID-19?
Your concern for borrowers is truly appreciated. While offers to forgive loans are very generous, Kiva's lending process and that of the Lending Partners that facilitate loans are designed to accommodate loans and not donations. This means that all funding requests posted to Kiva are considered loans, and there unfortunately isn't a way to request that a borrower not repay your portion of the loan they received.
However, our Lending Partners are working to address the current economic crisis with their borrowers. Kiva’s risk-tolerant capital grants Lending Partners greater flexibility in rescheduling repayments and offering more impactful loan products during this time.
For example, some Lending Partners have begun to provide loans with a grace period on repayment, and to help borrowers refinance loans. Through the loan disbursement and collection process, our Lending Partners remain deeply committed to client protection.
While we are not able to defer repayments for individual borrowers, we do anticipate continued delays in repayment over the next few months and will stand by partners and borrowers during this time. Our hope is that lenders will choose to recycle repayments to continue helping more borrowers around the world during this crisis.
Kiva is also developing new loan products that are designed to support borrowers and Lending Partners through the COVID-19 pandemic, such as the Global COVID-19 Response fund, and Crisis Support Loans. You can learn more here: https://www.kiva.org/blog/introducing-crisis-support-loans-how-we-can-support-our-field-partners
How will I receive repayments?
Repayments on your loans are returned to your Kiva account's available credit. By default, you'll receive a monthly notification of your repayments. You can also track all your transactions, including repayments, in your portfolio's transaction history: kiva.org/portfolio/transactions
Once you've been repaid you can relend, donate, or withdraw the repayments made to your account.
How does my free credit differ from Kiva credit?
Any free credit you receive is funded by a sponsor and can only be used to make loans. Unlike Kiva credit, free credit typically has an expiration date and cannot be withdrawn or donated to Kiva's operating expenses. Repayments on loans made using free credit are returned to the sponsor rather than you as the lender.
Why does it take so long for my withdrawal to complete?
Completing withdrawals via PayPal is a manual process, and as such takes longer than accepting funds. Kiva needs to manually compile all withdrawal requests, review them, and then send them to PayPal for processing.
Depending on our capacity we try to process withdrawals once a week, meaning you'll most likely see these funds in your PayPal account this coming Friday. From time to time, however, withdrawal processing can be delayed (which is why the confirmation email you should have received said it can take 1-2 weeks).
Once Kiva sends withdrawn funds to PayPal, you should be able to access them immediately.
Why isn't Kiva working in a certain country?
Kiva's priority is working in developing countries to reach borrowers who, were it not for Kiva, wouldn't have access to microfinance. Kiva currently works with Lending Partners in more than 80 countries and hopes to eventually operate in every country in the world. To find a list of countries where Kiva operates, please visit: kiva.org/partners
If Kiva doesn't work in a given country it's usually due to one of the following challenges:
--Restrictive government policies
--Banking regulations (which occasionally don't allow money to flow in and out of a country on a monthly basis, making it difficult for our model to work)
--Kiva hasn't yet been able to identify a viable Lending Partner
--An unstable political climate
Can Kiva relend my Kiva credit for me?
While we can't make specific loans on your behalf, Kiva does have a feature called auto-lending which will automatically relend the credit in your account according to lending preferences you set up.
To turn on auto-lending, please sign into your Kiva account and go to: kiva.org/settings/credit
Check the box next to "Automatically lend my Kiva credit" to see a list of options.
Once you've selected your auto-lending preferences, click the "Save auto-lending settings" button at the bottom of the page to turn on auto-lending.
How do I update my credit card information?
Thanks so much for reaching out. At Kiva, we don't handle any lender financial information on payments made through PayPal accounts. Instead, PayPal provides us with free payment processing on all online transactions. This means that if you use a credit card via PayPal Guest Checkout or a PayPal account to make loans on Kiva, PayPal will process your payment and send you a receipt. If you're paying with a PayPal account, you will need to update the credit card associated with the account by logging into PayPal before going to Kiva and adding the new card details in the "Bank and cards" section of your account.
If you have any trouble with your PayPal account, please visit their website at paypal.com/help or contact their customer service team at 888-221-1161 (Toll Free US) or 402-952-8811 (International) / Monday through Friday / 8AM-5PM CST.
If you choose the "Pay with card" option at checkout, you can enter your new credit card details directly, and there is an option to save your card. If you'd like to delete a saved card, you can do so by navigating to your Payment Methods page here: kiva.org/settings/payments
On this page you will have the option to select a default card and "Remove" any saved payment methods.
Can you provide me with information for my original academic research project?
Unfortunately, Kiva is usually unable to fulfill specific research requests. However, we encourage you to fill out our research request form, and someone may get back to you if your request is possible: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1n7sUZDgQTLaDsDVzUOuFNm-kT8bjo3kB93fLvq5QqnY/viewform?edit_requested=true
Additionally, here are a few pages of our site that may provide useful information for your research:
--kiva.org/about
--kiva.org/labs
--cgap.org
--mftransparency.org
--mixmarket.org
Many researchers have also found our API to be a valuable resource. You can learn more about what information is available via our API at: kiva.org/build
Lastly, students and educators have also found the Kiva U resources and materials helpful as they look to incorporate Kiva into their academic programs and studies. For more information, check out: KivaU.org
Thank you for your interest in including Kiva in your study, and it would be great to hear what results you eventually find through your research. Please feel free to send us a link to your published article.
How can I request a Kiva speaker for an event?
While we greatly appreciate invitations to speak at events, please know that we are only able to accept a small number of requests due to our limited staff. However, if you fill out the following form, we'll do our best to find someone who can interview by phone or video call: https://kiva.tfaforms.net/121
Please note as well that Kiva is headquartered in San Francisco. As a small nonprofit, we do not have a travel budget for speaking engagements and therefore request that all travel costs be reimbursed for events outside of the Bay Area. That said, it is possible we can find someone closer to you (for example, a former Kiva fellow who now lives in your area).
Can I donate funds instead of lending funds to a borrower?
While offers to forgive loans are very generous, Kiva's lending process is designed to accommodate loans and not donations. This means that all funding requests posted to Kiva are considered loans, and there unfortunately isn't a way to request that a borrower not repay your portion of the loan they received.
Our hope is that once you've been repaid you'll recycle your credit toward other loans on Kiva -- helping reach even more borrowers around the world.
Does Kiva have any open positions?
We appreciate your interest in working at Kiva! You can browse all open positions here: kiva.org/jobs
Can I contact the borrower?
Unfortunately, Kiva and its Lending Partners are unable to facilitate direct communication between lenders and borrowers at this time. However, if there is an update on a loan you can post a comment in response for the Lending Partner to see.
If being able to communicate with borrowers interests you, we recommend checking out Kiva's direct lending program in the United States. One of the features of direct loans is that they allow borrowers and lenders to communicate more directly through lender comments. You can view currently fundraising U.S. loans here: https://www.kiva.org/lend/kiva-u-s
Can you cancel or refund my loan purchase?
Once you've completed your loan purchase, we unfortunately aren't able to issue a refund or cancel the loan (please see our Terms of Use: kiva.org/legal/terms).
However, if the loan expires before becoming fully funded, a refund will automatically be credited back to your Kiva account. Otherwise, you will likely receive repayments according to the loan's repayment schedule.
Repayment schedule
A loan's repayment schedule describes the frequency with which repayments are sent to Kiva lenders:
Monthly: One repayment made per month
End of term: One repayment made at the end of the loan term
Irregular: Any other repayment schedule
To see a detailed repayment schedule for a specific loan, click the "Repayment schedule" link on the loan profile under "Loan details."
I want to use my credit card but am directed to PayPal's site to pay. What do I do?
We now have direct credit card processing, which makes it easy to pay with your credit card. At checkout, please look for the "Pay by card" tab next to the PayPal login screen to enter your credit card details directly.
What happens if a loan defaults?
In microfinance, it's common to try and reschedule delinquent loans in order to accommodate the eventual repayment of the loan. However, despite these efforts to be flexible, a loan will sometimes end in default. At Kiva, default (non-repayment) happens when:
1. Kiva determines that collection of funds from a borrower or Lending Partner is doubtful, or:
2. The cumulative amount repaid as of our quarterly reconciliation process is less than what was expected as of 360 days prior, and when there have been no repayments reported to Kiva during this time.
When a loan defaults, we notify all contributing lenders by email and these lenders can consider the remaining amount outstanding as a loss.
Where is my Kiva Card?
Kiva Cards take 7-10 business days to be shipped after being ordered. We unfortunately do not have tracking available but if you ordered your Kiva Card more than 10 business days ago, please email contactus@kiva.org and we can request a re-shipment of your Kiva Card.
Why is my balance different from my repayment amount?
Here are the most common reasons your account balance might not match your repayments:
1. Your auto-lending settings are turned on.
If you have auto-lending turned on, your funds may have already been lent to another borrower. Auto-lending is a feature that ensures your Kiva balance is always being put to use. When you turn on auto-lending, our system automatically relends your funds whenever your available balance reaches $25. You’ll automatically lend to borrowers, countries, and sectors based on your lending history, and you can customize these settings at any time at kiva.org/settings/autolending
2. You made a loan or withdrew your funds before the repayment email was sent.
We send regular updates on your loan repayments and Kiva account balance, and sometimes schedule these emails in advance. If you made a loan after we scheduled the email, your balance might not match. You can always log into your account to see your transaction history at kiva.org/portfolio/transactions
3. You used lending credits to make your loan.
When you use lending credits, whether from Kiva promotions or matching funds from our partners, repayments for those credits will return to Kiva, while loans made with your own funds will return repayments to your Kiva account.
4. You have “donate repayments” turned on.
As a Kiva lender, you can choose where funds go when a borrower repays your loan. The default setting will deposit repayments back into your Kiva account so you can relend to a new borrower or withdraw your funds. You can also select to automatically donate repayments to support Kiva’s mission—building a more financially inclusive world.
It’s thanks to donations from lenders like you that enable us to facilitate life-changing loans around the world. Thank you!
5. Your account has become inactive.
If you haven’t used your Kiva account for 24 consecutive months, your account will be considered inactive. You can update your inactivity settings to either donate your remaining balance to Kiva or be returned to your PayPal account. Periodically signing into your Kiva account, making a loan, or receiving a repayment will keep your account active!
For details about your account, to see your transaction history, and to edit your settings at any time, log in at kiva.org/settings/credit
Why didn't I receive repayments on a loan made using free credit?
Free credit is designed to allow you to make a one-time loan of your choice. Because this credit is funded by our generous partners and is meant to be recycled to support many other Kiva campaigns, all repayments on these loans are returned to Kiva, rather than to you as a lender.
Can I withdraw funds to my credit card or bank account?
Because PayPal processes all of Kiva's online financial transactions, our standard process is to withdraw funds from your Kiva account to your PayPal account. Kiva is unfortunately unable to transfer the funds to your bank account directly; however, once the funds are returned to PayPal you can then transfer them into your bank account.
If you do not have a PayPal account, please create one PayPal account at: paypal.com
For questions about setting up a PayPal account, please visit PayPal's help center (paypal.com/help) or contact their customer team at 888-445-5032 (Toll Free US) or 402-952-8811 (International).
How do I turn off auto-lending?
To turn off auto-lending, sign into your Kiva account and go to: kiva.org/settings/autolending
Then, you will need to update "Auto-lending status" to "Off" and click "Save" before exiting out of this screen.
Can I donate by check?
While Kiva can receive check donations, we greatly appreciate online donations where at all possible. Check processing has a significant operational cost for Kiva’s Finance team. Online donations can be made here: kiva.org/donate
Additionally, checks make it difficult to distinguish which amount of the check is for loans versus donations to Kiva’s operating expenses.
To donate by check, please follow these steps:
1. Write your check payable to "Kiva Microfunds."
2. On the back of the check, write "Donate All" and the mailing address where you'd like to receive a donation receipt (if different from the address on the check)
3. Mail the check to:
Kiva Microfunds
Attn: Finance Department
986 Mission St, 4th Floor
San Francisco, CA 94103
Please note that donations made via check will not be reflected in your Kiva account. Tax receipts are provided for donations above $250 at year-end.
If you would like to add funds to your account for lending, please see the Help Center article titled “Can I make a loan by paying with a check rather than a credit card”?
How do I turn on auto-lending?
To turn on auto-lending, sign into your Kiva account and go to: kiva.org/settings/autolending
Click "Automatically lend my Kiva credit" and use the options to select your lending preferences, then click "Save".
Why are there no Lending Partners or borrowers in country X?
Kiva works with Lending Partners in over 95 countries and this number is growing as our staff finds and approves new partnerships. We hope to eventually work in every country, but must also grow at a pace that's healthy for both our current partners and for Kiva.
A complete list of our partners and where they work can be found at: kiva.org/about/where-kiva-works
Can I make a loan in a currency besides the US dollar?
Kiva's working currency is the US dollar, so all loans on Kiva are posted in USD. If you live outside of the United States you can pay using your local currency, but your funds will be changed to USD before being sent to Kiva. We hope to one day internationalize our site, but until then all lending will occur in US dollars.
Our direct credit card processor also supports a number of foreign currencies, and the free and exchange rate for these charges will depend on your bank card. If you use PayPal, they may charge a small conversion fee.
How do I edit my auto-lending settings?
You’ll always have control over your auto-lending settings. If you want to update your settings at any time, you can do so on your auto-lending settings page: http://www.kiva.org/settings/autolending
Under "Auto-lending settings" click "Automatically lend my Kiva credit." You'll then see options for keywords, countries, sectors, partners, risk rating, repayment terms, and gender.
Please note that Kiva's system gives precedence to active lending. The amount of loans being made through auto-lending, then, depends on the supply of fundraising loans and demand from active lenders. This also means that for popular or very specific kinds of loans, there's a chance those loans will be fully funded before your auto-lending kicks in.
Our system also takes recent lending activity into account when selecting which account to auto-lend from, using funds from accounts that have been inactive for longer first. This means that if you're actively lending to other borrowers, other accounts with similar auto-lending preferences that have been inactive longer will be used first. That said, your credit should eventually be lent out according to your preferences.
How does Monthly Good differ from auto deposit?
While Monthly Good and auto deposit are both recurring contributions to Kiva, they function a bit differently.
When you sign up for Monthly Good, your balance will be automatically lent to borrowers on Kiva as soon as you have $25+ in your account. As a Monthly Good contributor, you’ll receive an inspiring email from Kiva once a month telling you whom you supported and why it mattered, but will not receive other emails related to your loans, such as repayment notifications or updates. Additionally, Monthly Good gives you the option to make recurring contributions with card payments or your PayPal account, while auto deposit contributions can only be made through PayPal.
When you sign up for auto deposit, funds will be added to your account on a monthly basis, and available for you to lend to the borrowers of your choosing. You can also choose to enable auto-lending on your account, to automatically have your funds lent out to borrowers according to your lending preferences.
Why are your Lending Partners' interest rates so high?
We often get questions about the interest and fees our Lending Partners charges, as the rates on Kiva are often higher than what lenders are used to seeing. The average interest rate charged by a partner is noted in the “Average Cost to Borrower” field on a loan profile. At Kiva, sustainability is critical to reaching more families and communities worldwide, and charging interest to borrowers allows our Lending Partners to cover the high operational costs of microfinance.
As only some partners pay a small fee for using Kiva as a fundraising platform, Kiva loans give our partners the flexibility to reach more communities -- mainly rural and underserved populations. Most Kiva Lending Partners charge interest in some form; however, Kiva will not partner with an organization that charges unreasonable interest rates, and we require our partners to disclose their rates fully. In addition, Kiva only partners with microfinance institutions and other organizations with a social mission to serve the poor, unbanked, and underserved.
Here are a couple of things to consider when thinking about interest rates:
1. Because many of our partners serve rural communities, the labor of distributing and collecting loan payments can add to their operating expenses.
2. Comparisons of interest rates in developed countries with those in developing countries can be misleading. A developed banking system can provide funds at lower rates, and when a bank facilitates larger loans, its transactional expenses are reduced. Microfinance is expensive, partly because big banks don’t provide small loans in the first place.
3. Developing countries typically have high inflation rates, which must be factored into a partner’s interest rates. For example, an interest rate of 13% per year in a country where the inflation rate was 15% per year would not cover costs.
We also list our Lending Partners’ return on assets (ROA) on their partner pages (kiva.org/partners) so lenders can see how much money the partner is making based on the loans they’re providing. ROA is a measure of profitability, and our partners currently average a negative ROA.
We also encourage you to read the following articles if you are interested in further educating yourself on the topic: Microfinance 101 (https://www.kiva.org/microfinance), Top 10 things to know about microfinance (https://www.kiva.org/blog/top-10-things-to-know-about-microfinance), Microfinance interest rates explained (https://www.kiva.org/blog/whats-up-with-microfinance-interest-rates)
How do I cancel my auto deposit?
To cancel your auto deposit, just go to: kiva.org/settings/credit
On this page click the "Cancel auto deposit" link to cancel your auto deposit.
If you cannot cancel it directly from this page, you will need to go to PayPal to do so. Here are steps for how to cancel your recurring contribution to Kiva in PayPal:
1. Log in to your PayPal account at paypal.com
2. Click on the gear icon on the upper right of the page3. On the profile page, select the "Payments" tab
4. Click on "Preapproved Payments"
5. Select "Active" from the drop down menu and click "Go" to see all your active subscriptions
6. Click on "Kiva User Funds" to be taken to the "details" page. There you can cancel the scheduled payments.
You should receive a confirmation email from PayPal of the cancellation once it is complete.
I received a journal update with an incorrect translation/untranslated. Can you translate it?
Updates on borrowers are usually provided by Kiva's Lending Partners and are often written in their native language. We unfortunately don't have the resource to translate every update by hand, and while some Lending Partners use a translation software to provide updates in English, it is not required.
From time to time there are minor errors in translation, but we hope the partner's message still comes across clear enough for lenders to understand. In this case, since the update has not been translated, we'd be happy to run it through Google translate for you, which is a tool that you can use to translate any updates going forward.
1) Scheduling an offsite BV
[NOTE TO SENDER: CC IM ON THIS EMAIL]
I hope all is well at [PARTNER NAME]!
It is now time for us to conduct your next Kiva Borrower Verification (BV). A BV is part of the regular operational monitoring that we conduct every 12 to 24 months with all of our Lending Partners. The purpose is to confirm the accuracy of information published to the Kiva platform and verify compliance with our policies.
In order to be most efficient for you and Kiva, we will do the Borrower Verification process remotely, meaning we will not actually visit the clients on site. As we also do with on site Borrower Verifications, we will select a sample of [5 OR 10] borrowers randomly and ask you to provide relevant documentation for these borrowers such as MIS reports, Client Waivers and loan contracts.
For remote Borrower Verifications, it is necessary that we receive all of the requested information within 48 hours of our request. I want to choose a suitable date to send you the sample.
Is [INSERT DATE HERE] acceptable for you? This means we would need the information to be returned to us by [INSERT DATE TWO DAYS LATER HERE].
So you’re aware of what to expect of this process moving forward:
On the pre-selected date, I will send you an email with the list of borrowers and the relevant information you will need to submit for each borrower within two business days.
Once the requested documents have been received, I will review them, follow-up with any questions and submit a report for your Investment Manager to review.
Your Investment Manager will review my report and communicate your final results to you, including any corrections or improvements that need to be made to your Kiva processes in order to remain compliant with Kiva's policies.
For more information on Borrower Verifications, refer to this article in the PA2 Help Center.
The BV is an important part of being a Kiva partner, so we thank you in advance for your cooperation throughout this process! Please confirm that the proposed date will work for you or not by [INSERT DEADLINE]. Let me know if you have any questions; I look forward to hearing back from you.
How do I save a search?
To save a search, start by logging into your Kiva account and then going to kiva.org/lend. Use the filters to find loans aligned with your preferences and click "Save this search" at the top of the results. You'll see light box where you can save that search and opt into receiving emails when new loans matching that search become available. Click "Create Saved Search" to save.
To manage your saved searches and email updates in the future, please go to: kiva.org/lend/saved-search
How do I create a lending team?
You can create a lending team by going to: kiva.org/teams
Click the blue "Start a team" button and you'll be taken to a page where you can enter in information about your team. You'll be given the chance to recruit team members or you can continue without inviting others. You'll then be taken to your lending team page. You will automatically be made the captain which gives you administrative privileges such as editing the team information, accepting or dismissing team members, appointing co-captains, and deleting messages on the message board.
Please check out the Lending Team Playbook for tips on establishing and growing your team: kiva.org/teams/playbook
Why do loans expire on the Kiva website?
Kiva allows lenders to make choices about who they support with their Kiva credit. Every loan has 30 days to become fully funded, and many loans are funded within a matter of days.
Loans fundraise on either a flexible or fixed funding model. Flexible means that any funds raised will be sent to the field, whereas fixed funding loans are returned to contributing lenders if the full amount is not reached within the fundraising period. Any previous mention of "Expiring soon" will now be labeled "Ending soon" to include both models of funding.
Does Kiva charge interest?
Kiva never collects interest on loans and lenders do not receive interest from the loans they fund.
However, many of our Lending Partners do charge some interest to borrowers. Self-sustainability is critical to creating long-term solutions to poverty, so charging interest is often necessary for our partners to achieve this. While our Lending Partners are free to charge interest, Kiva will not partner with an organization that charges exorbitant interest rates and we require our partners to fully disclose their rates. You can find more information about the interest rates charged by a partner on their Lending Partner page (kiva.org/partners) as well as on each loan profile.
Microfinance is an expensive business, which is essentially why small loans aren't provided by large banks. Charging interest to borrowers enables our Lending Partners to bear these costs and achieve self-sustainability.
How do I create a Kiva account?
Registering for Kiva is free and easy. To get started, please go to kiva.org/register and follow these steps:
1. Enter your name and email address
2. Create a password
3. Check the box confirming you've read the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy, then click "Continue"
You can also sign up using Facebook by clicking the "Sign up with Facebook" button at the top of the page.
Does Kiva have any volunteer or internship positions?
Kiva volunteers are vital to what we do. You can learn more about the Kiva internship program and other volunteer opportunities here: kiva.org/volunteer
How does Kiva U.S. manage delinquent loans?
Loans are marked as delinquent when a borrower has repaid less than owed to date, as agreed upon with their repayment schedule.
In traditional finance, borrowers can be subjected to high interest rates, late fees, and inflexible collection methods. Kiva U.S. takes a more empathetic approach with our direct lending program in the United States. When Kiva U.S. loans become delinquent, our team follows up with the borrower and Trustee (if applicable) to create an open channel of communication with the goal of understanding the delinquency.
In the case of changed circumstances or business struggle, we work to create a new repayment schedule they can follow toward eventual repayment of their loan, while also encouraging them to update their lenders. Our U.S. team sets the expectation that the borrower repays their loan in full even if the business continues to struggle.
For more detailed information on delinquency management, please check out this blog post: kiva.org/businesscenter/human-centered-risk-management
Our U.S. team may post comments on the loan from time to time, but due to time and staffing constraints can't commit to doing so regularly for every loan. As a lender you're more than welcome to post a comment on loans you've supported as well. In doing so, the borrower may respond and provide more details into the challenges they're facing.
Will I receive interest on my loan?
Kiva does not pay interest to lenders. Lending on Kiva involves risk of principal loss, and loans should not be considered investment vehicles.
What is Kiva U?
Kiva U is Kiva's educational outreach program. Through experiential learning, digital collaboration and the power of human connection, Kiva U provides a platform for young people and educators to take action and change lives through microfinance. Check out the Kiva U website at: www.KivaU.org .
At Kiva U, we envision a world where students and educators are empowered with the tools and opportunities to become informed, inspired, and mobilized global citizens. On the Kiva U site, you will find a number of toolkits that can be used by both teachers and students. Feel free to take a look at our Kiva toolkit page here: https://www.kiva.org/kivau/toolkits . There are also curricular materials for teachers, activities for student clubs, and even specialized activities for very young children. You can connect with Kiva U through social media: Facebook: facebook.com/groups/KivaU/ Twitter: @Kiva_U
Do Kiva Cards expire?
Kiva Cards, unlike gift cards, do not expire but are built as a delayed donation to Kiva with a temporary lending period. If not redeemed toward a loan within 12 months after purchase, Kiva Card funds will be converted into a donation to our operating expenses.
Before a Kiva Card converts into a donation, the purchaser will receive email notifications that it hasn't been redeemed so they can remind the recipient, use the code themselves toward a loan, or cancel the card.
If a Kiva Card is not redeemed and is converted into a donation, the purchaser receives a donation receipt via email. To learn more, please go to: kiva.org/gifts/kiva-cards/terms
What's a Lending Partner?
Kiva is able to reach more borrowers in some of the most remote places around the world through our global network of Lending Partners. These partners are local organizations working in communities to vet borrowers, disburse loans, collect repayments, provide services and administer loans on the ground in general.
Our Lending Partners are nonprofit organizations, microfinance institutions, schools, and social enterprises. Many provide services alongside their loans, such as entrepreneurial training or finanical literacy development. Our partners all share one thing in common: a desire to improve people's lives through access to safe and affordable credit. You can see a list of Kiva Lending Partners here: kiva.org/partners
How do I recognize spam and phishing emails?
Kiva has been alerted that from time to time spammers send out emails impersonating Kiva, with the goal of gathering information. We want to clarify a few things to help people avoid falling victim to these messages and to quickly react if they do.
What Kiva will NEVER ask in a message:
--Kiva will never ask for your password
--Kiva will never ask you to send financial information
What shows that a message is from Kiva:
--A message from Kiva would come from an @kiva.org domain
-- (Please note that e mails from Kiva will always come from an @kiva.org address, but phishers and scammers may also imitate an @kiva.org address. If you receive a questionable email from an @kiva.org address, please alert contactus@kiva.org)
Who/what to consult if you're not sure if a message is from Kiva:
-- Forward the original message with the complete email headers to contactus@kiva.org
Steps to take if you fall victim to spam:
--Change the password associated with your Kiva account immediately
--Change any other passwords associated with other accounts (email, online banking, PayPal, etc.)
For more information, check out this blog post: blog.kiva.org/kivablog/2013/10/01/a-note-about-kiva-and-phishing-for-national-cyber-security-awareness-month
Can I lend or donate in someone's memory?
Kiva unfortunately doesn't have a way to make a loan in honor of someone else, but lenders have come up with a variety of ways to use Kiva in memory of someone.
One idea is to start a memorial fund by lending through a lending team. To create a team, start by going to: kiva.org/teams. Click the blue "Start a New Team" button at the top leftof the page. You can then invite others to join the team.
Alternatively, you can make a loan or donation to Kiva and print the emailed receipt to add to a card, or forward the email to those you want to share it with. You could also buy a Kiva Card, which will automatically convert to a donation in the recipient's name if not redeemed toward a loan within 12 months. To learn more about Kiva Cards, please go to: kiva.org/gifts/kiva-cards
Is my loan tax-deductible?
Kiva loans are not considered a tax-deductible donation because there is a possibility that you will be repaid. However, we can't guarantee that your loans will be repaid or that you will recover your principal.
Donations made to Kiva's operating expenses, unlike loans made to borrowers, are eligible for a tax-deduction in the U.S., where Kiva is a registered 501(c)3 nonprofit.
What is Monthly Good?
Monthly Good is the simplest way to have an ongoing impact in the lives of borrowers around the world through Kiva. With Monthly Good, you sign up to make recurring payments using your card or PayPal account and choose a monthly amount that works for you. Kiva will then automatically lend 100% of your funds to borrowers who need help reaching their goals. You’ll receive an update once a month, letting you know whom you supported and why it mattered.
Can I count old loans to my lending team?
You can count loans toward a lending team for up to 14 days after the loan is made. To do so, just go to kiva.org/portfolio/loans and use the drop-down next to the loan to select a team to attribute it to. After 14 days there is unfortunately no way to attribute that loan to your team.
If you'd like loans to be attributed to your team automatically, you can set a preferred lending team by signing into your Kiva account and going to: kiva.org/teams/my-teams
Under the headline "Lending Teams I Belong To" you'll see a pulldown box where you can set your preferred team next to the team of your choice.
How do I apply for a Kiva U.S. loan?
If you're interested in applying for a Kiva U.S. loan, you can start your application by creating a Kiva account (if you haven't already) and going to https://www.kiva.org/my/borrower/application
To access helpful application tips and learn more about what to expect, I would recommend checking out our application guidelines page here: https://www.kivaushub.org/borrowers
After completing your application, a member of the Kiva U.S. team will reach out to you to better understand the business and ask any follow up questions. After reviewing the completed application, the Kiva U.S. team will determine if you qualify for the full loan request.
If you have any questions during the application process, please email borrowers@kiva.org.
Why does Kiva allow loans to be posted when they're for non-sustainable farming methods?
While the use of chemical fertilizers and pesticides isn't necessarily an environmentally friendly practice or proven to be the most sustainable method of farming, we allow borrowers who use these types of products to be posted on Kiva because it's such a normal and necessary practice in many parts of the developing world. Until cheap, sustainable ways of growing and harvesting crops are more common in these regions, people are likely to continue using these products and farming methods. This issue introduces a much greater development challenge that Kiva can't take on alone, but we certainly hope that sustainable methods of farming will become more commonplace in the developing world in the future.
We have a sector on our website for "Green" loans, which may help you to better find borrowers whose activities are related to sustainable farming methods, solar power, wind power, biofuels or energy efficiency. As we grow we hope to continue to expand our green loan offerings so there will be more loans for organic and sustainable farming on Kiva. You can find green loans by going to: www.kiva.org/lend?attribute=1
There is also a tag for "Sustainable Ag" that you can find on the Filters menu, or at this link: www.kiva.org/lend?tag=8
If you know of any organizations working in the area of sustainable agriculture who you think would make a great Kiva Field Partner please encourage them to check out our partner criteria at: kiva.org/partners/info
What does "Partner covers currency loss" mean & how could it affect my Kiva loans?
When lending internationally, the local currency in a borrower's country may lose some of its value compared to the US dollar -- requiring the partner to use more of its local currency to repay Kiva in USD. We offer some Lending Partners the option to protect themselves against currency fluctuations by choosing to pass on these losses to Kiva lenders. By bearing this risk, lenders protect the partner and its borrowers from catastrophic currency devaluations and contribute to the sustainability of their operations.
Potential for currency exchange loss is noted on every loan profile under the loan details:
"Yes" means the Lending Partner will cover any currency loss. Lenders will not bear losses due to currency fluctuation
"Partial" means that the Lending Partner has opted to cover losses only up to 10%. If the U.S. dollar appreciates more than 10% against the local currency, those losses will be passed onto lenders.
"No" means that the Lending Partner is not covering any currency losses and all losses will be passed onto lenders.
"N/A" means the Lending Partner disburses loans to borrowers in USD so their loans are not subject to any currency fluctuation.
How does Kiva's repayment system work?
Kiva’s repayment system is designed to accurately reflect the way that our Lending Partners collect funds from borrowers in the field.
When one of Kiva’s Lending Partners uploads a borrower’s loan request to Kiva, they set the anticipated repayment dates for the loan and the date that the loan is set to be disbursed to the borrower. Our Lending Partners have until the end of the month that each anticipated repayment is due to let Kiva know whether or not they actually collected the repayment. Once we have all of this information, we use it to generate a bill to charge our Lending Partners for all of the repayments they collected that month.
Because we work on a net billing system with our partners, it means that for any given month we subtract the amount of repayments that a partner owes to lenders from the amount that a partner fundraises for new loans on the Kiva website.
If the balance is positive, that means that the Lending Partner has raised more than they need to repay, and we use those funds to credit lender account with the repayments due and send the remaining amount to the Lending Partner via wire transfer. If the balance is negative, then the Lending Partner has 30 days to send us a payment for the balance. As soon as we receive that payment, we use those funds to credit lenders account with the repayments due.
Once the repayment is made into a lender's Kiva account, they can choose to relend the funds, donate them to Kiva’s operating expenses, purchase a Kiva Card or withdraw them into a PayPal account. Please note that Kiva's repayment system doesn't take into account transactions between the Lending Partner and the borrower that do not involve Kiva, such as interest payments, fees paid or any mandatory savings.
Will I receive updates about the borrowers I have supported?
It's possible you will receive updates from Kiva Lending Partners and borrowers as your loan is repaid. We encourage, but don't require, our partners to provide updates on a regular basis. Due to time constraints and limited staff they may not be able to do so regularly.
You can check a Lending Partner's journaling rate on their partner page (kiva.org/partners) to get an idea of how frequently they share loan updates with lenders. Please note as well that our direct lending program in the United States does not require partners, meaning updates are shared more frequently.
Another place to read updates and stories from the field is on our blog: kiva.org/updates/kiva
What is Kiva's mission?
Kiva's mission is to expand financial access to help underserved communities thrive. To learn more about our values and beliefs, please go to: kiva.org/about
Does Kiva charge a fee when I lend?
Kiva never takes a fee from lenders, which means 100% of the funds you lend on Kiva go to supporting borrowers’ loans.
We support our operations through optional donations from our lending community and it's estimated that for every $1 donated to Kiva's operating expenses, we are ablt to facilitate $8 in loans to borrowers.
When you check out on Kiva with a loan, you'll see an optional donation automatically added to your basket. If you'd like to change this donation amount, you can do so on the "Basket" page by clicking the pencil icon next to the donation amount. Enter a custom amount or click "No donation to Kiva" and submit your changes. When checking out with a Kiva Card or donation, you can edit the amount directly and click "Update".
If you'd like to support Kiva by making a lump-sum donation instead, you can do so at: kiva.org/donate
Can I recommend a Lending Partner?
We hope to one day expand our reach to every country around the globe and rely on finding partnerships with reliable, mission-driven organizations in order to do so.
If the organization you know of fits our minimum criteria, please contact them directly and ask them to review this criteria to ensure they're a good fit. A list of this criteria and a Partnership Inquiry Form can be found at: kiva.org/partners/info
The organization must fill out that form to start a conversation with our Investments team. They will reach out if they're interested in learning more and request further documentation.
Do I have to sign in with Facebook?
You do not need to sign into a Facebook account to access your Kiva account. You're more than welcome to sign in using your email address and password. To do so, just go to kiva.org/login. Enter your email address and password, then click the blue "Sign In" button to sign into your Kiva account.
I have a question about the Kiva Store or my order. Who do I contact?
The Kiva Store is powered by our Lending Partner NOVICA, so all questions about the Kiva Store or your orders with the store should be directed to their support team via this contact form: store.kiva.org/contact-us
You can also find a list of commonly asked questions in the Kiva Store FAQ section: store.kiva.org/help
Sorry we can't be of more direct help!
How does Kiva use donations?
Kiva's staff and volunteers work hard to ensure every dollar donated to Kiva is used efficiently. Donations support a variety of programs, which include but are not limited to:
--Performing due diligence and monitoring for Lending Partners around the world.
--Building and maintaining the complex technical infrastructure that facilitates an average of $2.5 million in weekly loans.
--Training and supporting over 450 volunteers annually who translate and edit every loan posted on the Kiva website.
--Answering thousands of support emails and phone calls per month.
If you live in the United States, your donation is eligible for a tax deduction. To learn more about how Kiva puts donations to use, check out our most recent annual report: https://www.kiva.org/about/finances#annualreport
You can see a detailed breakdown explaining how your donations are used and why it's important to donate to Kiva in this blog post: https://www.kiva.org/blog/why-donate-to-kiva
What is a lending team?
Lending teams are self-organized groups of lenders built around common interests such as school affiliation or geography. Team members continue to lend as individuals, choosing their own loans, but can track their collective impact as a group by attributing their loans to their team. To browse through lending teams on Kiva and join or create one, please go to: kiva.org/teams
Where does Kiva work?
Kiva works in over 80 countries around the world. This work is made possible through a network of 300+ Lending Partners plus a direct lending program in the United States. To find a list of the countries where our partners operate check out: kiva.org/about/where-kiva-works
Why didn't I receive an update on why my loan is delinquent?
Thank you for your interest in learning more about the status of your loan. The updates lenders receive about borrowers are written by our Lending Partners, and we highly encourage partners to post updates about how borrowers are doing. However, we understand they have their own time and staffing constraints so we don't require them to do so.
One of the reasons updates can be difficult to obtain is because many borrowers live in remote and difficult-to-reach locations, and the flow of information between borrower and Kiva can be lengthy and costly. A borrower may only interact with a loan officer, who would then need to report that information back to the branch manager, who would then have to report that information back to the Kiva Coordinator at the partner's main office, who would then translate the information and post it to the Kiva website.
If receiving updates on borrowers is important to you, you may want to lend through Lending Partners with a reputation for posting updates. You can check out the journaling rate of a Lending Partner by clicking on “More about [the partner’s name]” in the Lending Partner section of a loan, or by checking this list: kiva.org/partners (scroll down on the partner's profile to see their journaling rate).
How do I reclaim funds that have been sent to the state?
If you haven't signed into or modified your Kiva account for 2 years we consider your account inactive, and your inactivity settings kick in. If you don't have any inactivity settings enabled, we may be required to turn your available credit over to your state government (if you don't live in the U.S. your funds will be sent to the state of California).
If this happens, we'll send you an email notifying you that we've sent your credit to the state. To reclaim your funds, please visit: unclaimed.org
What is Kiva's international response to COVID-19?
We are monitoring developments around the world for our Lending Partners in other countries, and are in close contact with them to assess operational impacts. We expect to see our Lending Partners introduce flexible payment terms to accommodate quarantine measures. These measures would be taken to ease the impact their operations and their borrowers’ businesses have experienced as reduced economic activity follows COVID-19. In the aftermath of the crisis, Kiva will support Lending Partners in their efforts to design new loan products tailored to help borrowers recover and restart their businesses.
While offers to forgive loans are generous, our system was built to accommodate loans not donations. This means that all funding requests posted to Kiva are considered loans, and there unfortunately isn't a way to request that a borrower not repay your portion of the loan they received.
Kiva has set up a Global COVID-19 Response fund in order to engage lenders in an effort to help borrowers and Lending Partners make it through the challenges brought on by COVID-19. We believe this community has an important role to play, as credit is an appropriate tool to address the immediate crisis Lending Partners and borrowers are facing.
We have also launched a new product, called Crisis Support Loans. You can learn more here: https://www.kiva.org/blog/introducing-crisis-support-loans-how-we-can-support-our-field-partners
You can also find information on our response here: https://www.kiva.org/blog/covid
How is Kiva responding to COVID-19 in the U.S.?
Thanks for reaching out and for your interest in supporting businesses that have been impacted by the coronavirus.
For borrowers in the U.S., we have taken action to address the financial hardship small and medium sized business are already facing. Specifically,
U.S. applicants for a Kiva loan will now have access to the following: . Expanded eligibility: More businesses in the US will be eligible for a Kiva loan. . Larger loans: The maximum loan on the Kiva platform will increase from $10,000 to $15,000 . Grace period: New borrowers may access a grace period of up to 6 months for greater financial flexibilityWe recognize that the COVID-19 pandemic has global impact, and we're exploring ways to help as many people affected by this crisis as possible. Currently, the U.S. market is the place we have the most agility to deploy financial assistance. To read more about Kiva's response to coronavirus, check out this blog: https://www.kiva.org/blog/support-local-businesses-during-the-coronavirus-pandemic
How does loan matching work?
Loans marked with a "x2" icon on Kiva's website will be eligible for matching funds from our sponsors, which means that if you lend $25 to that borrower, a fund set up by the loan matcher will also lend $25 to that borrower -- essentially doubling the contribution made to that loan and helping it reach its goal. Repayments on the matched amount will return to the sponsor, not your Kiva account.
Please note while loans with a "x2" icon on them should be matched by a sponsor, we do not guarantee that all loans will be matched. Matching will occur as long as matching funds are available that meet the criteria of that loan and the matched amount does not exceed the total loan amount. You can also find matched loans by going to: kiva.org/lend?matchedOnly=true
How do I purchase more than one Kiva Card?
You can purchase multiple Kiva Cards by going to: kiva.org/gifts/kiva-cards
Select the delivery method for your Kiva Card and fill out the required fields (those with an asterisk (*)). Click "Add to Basket" to add that Kiva Card to your basket. Repeat the process until you've added all the Kiva Cards to your basket. Check the terms and conditions, then click "Add to Basket and Checkout" to begin the checkout process.
For a quicker option, if you don't need the Kiva Cards personalized, you can select print or postal delivery and leave the recipient name blank. Then adjust the value and quantity accordingly at the bottom of the order form. For email delivery, enter the email addresses of each recipient separated by commas.
How do I change the name associated with my Kiva account?
To change the name associated with your Kiva account or displayed on your public lender page, sign into your Kiva account and go to: kiva.org/settings/account
Can I have a copy of Kiva's logo?
Copies of the Kiva logo are in our Image Gallery: https://app.coschedule.com/shared/35d4d9e1-0b5a-45b2-9b83-a24cb4148749/digital_asset_folder/7224?childDigitalAssetFolderId=7226
These logos can be for the purposes of promotion of Kiva, for publication by the press or for supporters who've made a minimum contribution to Kiva of $25,000. More guidelines for logo use can be found on this page.
If you are a business or individual supporter of Kiva who contributes less than $25,000 but is interested in using a logo to help highlight your support of Kiva, we request that you use the Kiva Supporter logo.
We also suggest that you link directly to your personal lender profile page (which you can find at: kiva.org/settings/account) or lending team page on Kiva so that your customers can see your involvement more directly.
Why isn't my donor-advised fund contribution reflected in my account?
All donations made to Kiva via a donor-advised fund, such as Fidelity or Charles Schwab, will unfortunately not be reflected in your Kiva account. We also are not able to email a receipt directly for these donations.
To get a receipt or confirmation, please follow up directly with the account manager at your fund. Please note that donor-advised fund contributions are also always made as charitable contributions to Kiva's operating expenses, and cannot be applied to loans of your choice.
If you'd like to have your donations to Kiva tracked in your Kiva account, please donate directly on our website at: kiva.org/donate
Can I support the same borrower more than once?
Borrowers may take out successive or concurrent loans on Kiva, and when they do we encourage Lending Partners to use a feature called "relisting" to post them on the website, which notifies lenders who've previously supported that borrower by email.
If you subscribe to loan updates (www.kiva.org/settings/email), you should receive notices when a borrower you've lent to in the past posts a new loan. You can also filter loans by the Repeat borrower tag to find all borrowers who have had a previous loan on Kiva: https://www.kiva.org/lend?tag=28
Is the mobile app available in my country?
At this time, the Kiva app can only be downloaded from the U.S. and Canadian Apple App stores and Google Play stores.
I don't live in the United States. Is my donation to Kiva's operating expenses tax-deductible?
Kiva is a United States 501(c)3 nonprofit organization and we unfortunately don't yet have tax-deductible status in any other countries. Please consult a tax professional to see if your donation to Kiva's operating expenses may be tax-deductible for you.
What is the automatic withdrawal inactivity setting?
If your Kiva account becomes inactive (not used for 24 consecutive months), you can select to have your credit sent to the PayPal account of your choosing. To enable this option in your inactivity settings, go to: kiva.org/settings/credit
Under "Inactivity Settings" select “Return my credit to my PayPal account” and enter the email address associated with your PayPal account. When you’re done, click “Save settings." If your account becomes inactive we will automatically initiate a withdrawal request for you.
Do you have brochures or promotional materials?
We have a printable flyer available here: https://app.coschedule.com/shared/f1c73e94-66b6-45f8-97f5-5d8588128c79/digital_asset_folder/8058?expanded=true&selectedAssetId=31477126
Thanks for spreading the word about Kiva!
How do I become a Trustee?
Although most of our Trustees join by invitation, we are currently accepting applications from organizations focused on providing economic development opportunities in the communities they serve. Before you apply, please familiarize yourself with the responsibilities and commitments associated with a Trustee by visiting: https://www.kivaushub.org/what-is-a-trustee
If your organization would like to apply, we encourage you to fill out our Trustee application on this page: www.kiva.org/trustees/apply, at which point someone from our staff will reach out.
If my loan expires, what happens to the lenders' contributions?
If your loan expires, your lenders will receive the funds they contributed back in their Kiva account as Kiva credit. At that point, they can choose to relend the funds to another entrepreneur or withdraw their funds from Kiva to their PayPal account.
My Kiva Card converted into a donation, can you change it back so I can use it for loans?
A Kiva Card is a gift product that combines the ability to make both a loan and a donation to Kiva. When you give a Kiva Card, you give someone else the chance to make a loan to a borrower who inspires them. When their loan is repaid, they can use those funds again and again to make even more loans on Kiva. If the recipient does not use their Kiva Card within 12 months of the purchase date the funds are automatically converted into a donation to Kiva's operating expenses.
Unfortunately, once a Kiva Card is converted into a donation there's no way to reverse the donation or apply those funds toward a Kiva loan. Please be assured that these funds are still being put to good use, as every $1 donated to Kiva helps us raise $8 in loans.
For more information, please review the Kiva Card terms and conditions: kiva.org/gifts/kiva-cards/terms
Is it possible to set up a group account?
Kiva does not differentiate between individual and group accounts. If you'd like to create a Kiva account for your group, just enter the group's name instead of your name in the "First Name" and "Last Name" fields when registering the account. Please note that whoever owns the email address associated with your Kiva account is that account's owner. If you'd prefer to create a lending team where individual lenders make their own loans and then attribute them to your team, you can do so at: kiva.org/teams
My loan expired. Why wasn't my money refunded to me?
Because Kiva does not have access to your original method of payment, we're unfortunately unable to automatically refund you if your loan expires. Instead, your contribution is returned to your account as Kiva credit. To request a refund, please email us at refunds@kiva.org and confirm that the original payment source is still valid.
How does Kiva ensure its Lending Partners are offering fair and appropriate interest rates?
Kiva chooses to partner only with organizations that have a strong commitment to serving the needs of poor, vulnerable and/or excluded populations, either through financial services or by using credit to expand access to beneficial products and services. We also require that all of our Lending Partners endorse the Smart Campaign's Client Protection Principles (smartcampaign.org/about/smart-microfinance-and-the-client-protection-principles), an industry-wide initiative to establish a baseline for responsible microfinance. So far, the vast majority of our partners have endorsed the principles, helping safeguard borrowers against over-indebtedness and ensure transparent pricing for borrowers.
We ensure that our partners are adhering to the "responsible pricing" principle by reviewing their audited financial statements and calculating the return on assets (ROA) and Average Cost to Borrower, adjusted for inflation. Our Lending Partners with the highest cost to borrowers and return on assets, in addition to those with a real ROA above 5% and a Lending Partner Premium (Lending Partner Premium = portfolio yield adjusted for inflation - financial expense) above 30%, are subject to additional scrutiny, such as collecting compensation information for executive staff, reviewing loan schedules and calculating APR on all loan products.
Based on this information, Kiva has chosen to exit relationships with partners where the justification for their pricing could not be established.
Can I visit a Lending Partner or borrower?
We really appreciate interest in visiting the field, however, Kiva and its Lending Partners are unable to facilitate visits from lenders due to limited bandwidth and resources. Our partners are required to do a lot for Kiva in terms of writing loan profiles, updates and repayment reporting. We want to respect their small teams and make sure they have time for business as usual.
Thanks for your understanding.
How do I change my inactivity settings?
Kiva accounts are considered inactive if they haven't been used or modified for 2 years. That means that all it takes to keep your account active is to sign in periodically.
To edit your inactivity settings in the case that your account does become inactive, just sign into your account and go to: kiva.org/settings/credit
This page will give you the option to designate a PayPal account to have inactive funds automatically sent to, or to donate those funds to Kiva. The Auto-Lending section on that page will also give you the choice to have your funds automatically lent after a certain period of inactivity.
Can I lend more than $25?
Lenders on Kiva can lend any amount in increments of $25.
On each loan profile you'll see a drop-down box under the borrower's name, which gives you different options for how much you want to lend. The default is $25 but you can click the box to select a different amount. Select the amount you wish to lend and click "Lend now" to add the loan to your basket.
If you'd like to lend more than $500 just add the loan to your basket at any amount and proceed to the "Basket" page. There you'll see another drop-down box that will allow you to contribute up to the total amount left.
Why do the loan descriptions from certain Lending Partners seem so similar?
The loan descriptions on Kiva's website are written by our Field Partners. To help the staff at our partners, who may not have English as a first language, our team will sometimes provide loan description templates. These templates help make it easier for our Lending Partners to draft loan descriptions by allowing them to fill in different facts about the borrower, such as number of children, marital status, etc. Because some of our partners have and use these templates, you may see similarities in the style of different loan descriptions from the same Lending Partner.
While these similarities shouldn't be cause for alarm, please know that Kiva does use a process called borrower verification to to confirm the accuracy of the information included in borrower profiles. To read more about this process, please check out this Fellows Blog: https://www.kiva.org/blog/on-the-road-again-borrower-visits-throughout-southern-uganda
Why are there no women education loans funding now?
At Kiva we rely on our Lending Partners to upload loan requests to the website. Education loans to women and girls tend to be very popular and therefore fund more quickly, which is why you may not see many loans to women borrowers.
As we grow, one of the areas in which we're looking to expand is education, so we hope to see more education loans posted to the site in the future, particularly those for women and girls. To find these loans, you can use the "Education" and "Women" filters at kiva.org/lend to narrow your search and find more of these loans when they're fundraising: kiva.org/lend?gender=female§or=15
You can also use the "Female education" tag on Filters or go to: kiva.org/lend?tag=37
What is a risk rating?
There are many levels of risk associated with Kiva loans, which are explained on our website here: kiva.org/about/risk
The Lending Partner risk rating reflects the risk of institutional default associated with each of Kiva’s Lending Partners. A 0.5-star rating means the organization has a relatively higher risk of institutional default, while a 5-star rating indicates the organization is at a relatively lower risk of default, based on Kiva's analysis and the available information displayed in the Lending Partner section of every loan. Lending Partners with the lowest credit tier undergo a lighter level of due diligence and do not receive a risk rating; instead, in places where a risk rating would normally appear, these partners are labeled as “Experimental.” For more information, see "What is an Experimental Lending Partner?"
Direct loans also do not receive a formal risk rating. Instead, these loans are approved through “social underwriting”, where trustworthiness is determined by friends & family lending a portion of the loan request, or by a Kiva approved Trustee vouching for the borrower. Direct loans will appear as "Unrated" and lenders should always assume these loans represent the highest level of repayment risk on Kiva.
What is Kiva's phone number?
Kiva does not provide live phone support but you're more than welcome to leave a message for our community team at (828) 479-5482. However, due to the small size of our team we're able to respond to emails faster than calls. You can reach us at: contactus@kiva.org
Can you alert me when a particular type of loan becomes available?
Kiva allows you to save searches and be notified when new loans matching your search criteria become available on the website.
To sign up for these alerts, you'll first need to sign in and save a search for that criteria. To do so, please go to: kiva.org/lend and use the search filters to find loans matching your preferences (using either the keyword search at the top of the page, or "Filters" on the left).
When you're done click "Save this search" at the top of the page. A pop-up will appear where you can opt into receiving emails when loans within that search are posted.
To manage your saved searches and email alerts later, just go to: kiva.org/lend/saved-search or use the drop-down menu on the "Lend" tab and click "Saved searches" under "My Kiva". If you can't find loans matching your preferences please continue to check back as new loans are posted every day!
How do I include Kiva in my will, trust or estate planning?
We really appreciate your interest in designating Kiva as a beneficiary in your will, trust, or estate planning. To learn more about options for supporting Kiva beyond your lifetime, please go to: kiva.org/legacygiving
If you'd like to donate your account funds to Kiva's operating expenses, all you need to do is make note of Kiva's EIN or Tax ID number: 71-0992446. If you'd prefer your funds to be lent out to borrowers in perpetuity, we encourage you to set up auto-lending on your account. You can turn on auto-lending by signing into your Kiva account and going to: kiva.org/settings/credit
We also encourage you to assign someone to be the manager of your Kiva account should any problems arise with your account. We are also able to provide your account login details and funds to the executor of your estate if they provide documentation.
Why can't I sign into my account?
Account login issues are usually caused by problems with your password or email address. First, please be sure the email address you're entering is the one used to create your account.
If you know what email address you used but can't remember your password, please try using the "Forgot your password?" link on the login page to reset your password.
If you've reset your password and the login information still isn't working, please make sure you are entering this new password manually, as sometimes your browser or password manager may be auto-filling old login details.
How can I confirm if my loan was matched?
To confirm whether a loan you supported was matched sign into your Kiva account and go to: kiva.org/portfolio/loans
If your loan was matched by a sponsor you'll see a "x2" icon noted next to the loan on this page.
How can I minimize my risk of currency loss?
Currency exchange losses will be a possibility for most loans on Kiva’s site. However, some Lending Partners choose to bear this risk themselves instead of passing it on to lenders. Lenders can learn more about the level of risk associated with each loan by referring to the currency risk section on the loan profile page.
Lenders can also choose how much risk they’d like to take on by filtering their loan search in Advanced filters (kiva.org/lend) with the checkbox labeled “Exclude loans with currency risk.” This will narrow the search to loans without the risk of currency loss.
To minimize currency risk, lenders can also diversify their portfolio across various countries. This helps to limit exposure to currency losses in any one region.
I'm researching Kiva. Can you help me with my school project?
We're so happy to hear that you're interested in learning more about Kiva for your school project. Kiva's education program, Kiva U, has a lot of toolkits for students who are interested in learning about poverty, microfinance, Kiva, and other related topics. The Kiva U webpage (kiva.org/kivau) is a great place to start!
You can also learn more about Kiva on our website here:
kiva.org/aboutkiva.org/partnerskiva.org/labs
As for any school project, don't forget to give credit to the sources you use (and ask your teacher if you have any questions about how to do this). We always love hearing from students about their finished projects, so please consider sharing your project with us when you're done.
Good luck!
Why wasn't my free credit returned to me when my loan expired?
Free credit is designed to allow you to make a one-time loan so if the loan expires or is refunded, the funds will not be returned to your account but instead go back to Kiva. We are happy to replace free credits in this case, it just won't happen automatically.
How do I join a lending team?
You can join a lending team at: kiva.org/teams
On this page you can use the search box to browse teams according to keywords and once you've found a team you'd like to join, click "Join Team."
If the team is closed, click "Request to Join" to send a request to the team captain. Once the team captain approves your request you'll receive an email confirmation.
If you'd like to join a team but aren't sure where to get started, you can check out the Welcome to Kiva team at: kiva.org/team/welcome_to_kiva
How does Kiva ensure that loans aren't over-indebting borrowers?
At Kiva, we take concerns about over-indebtedness and client protection very seriously. Kiva performs rigorous due diligence and ongoing monitoring of all investees, with the amount of diligence tied to the funding provided. Our diligence considers financial performance and stability, social performance, quality of internal systems and staff, product quality and pricing, and market conditions. A great place to read more about our efforts and approach is on our website here: https://www.kiva.org/about/due-diligence
Kiva partners with organizations that have a strong social mission, and when conducting due diligence on potential partners, we favor organizations that excel in:
1. Client protection (especially when it comes to the prevention of over-indebtedness), fair and transparent pricing, good collection practices, and the security of client information
2. Client outreach that ensures vital services reach the poor, unbanked, and under-served
3. Innovative loan products, savings, and non-financial services specifically tailored to the needs of the target group
4. Measuring outcomes in the lives of borrowers
Kiva is a member of the Social Performance Task Force (https://sptf.info/working-groups/investors) and is a signing member (https://sptf.info/images/cp-pathway-joint_statement-siwg-20220128.pdf) of the joint statement calling on financial service providers to join the Client Protection Pathway. Kiva partnered with Cerise, who leads the microfinance industry in coordinating and harmonizing social performance and client protection efforts, in working with our partners to implement best practices. More than half of our MFI partners have attained SMART certification (https://www.centerforfinancialinclusion.org/about/what-we-do/the-smart-campaign), Client Protection Certifications (https://sptf.info/client-protection/the-client-protection-pathway), or other gold standard social performance certifications. 100% of Kiva's microfinance partners conduct a cash flow analysis before approving a loan, and more than 90% have a maximum loan amount as determined by a percentage of the borrower's income.
Kiva's partners are chosen for their responsible lending practices and because of the additional services they provide to their clients. These additional services ensure that clients receive responsible financial products and are supported by Kiva's partners to increase their chances of improving their lives. For example, more than half of Kiva borrowers also receive access to a savings account through their Kiva partner. Almost one-quarter of Kiva borrowers receive business or financial literacy training, nearly half of Kiva borrowers have access to health services or health insurance, and more than a quarter of Kiva borrowers have access to life insurance with their Kiva loan.
We conduct social audits of all active partners to ensure they understand their strengths and weaknesses as an organization. Kiva's partners include both for-profit and non-profit institutions, and all must have interest rates comparable to other institutions in their region.
Kiva also supports its partners by helping them to conduct impact evaluations and borrower surveys to measure the social impact that their products are having. For example, in 2021, Kiva collaborated with UNESCAP (https://www.kiva.global/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/Kiva-Report_Final_2022.pdf) to work with three Kiva partners to better understand the needs and impacts that their women customers experience. Kiva also works with a customer research company, 60 decibels, to better measure the impact and client protection of Kiva borrowers. Borrower surveys help Kiva ensure that customers benefit from loans even if the interest rates may seem initially high. For example, one partner in Uganda has an APR of 84%, yet an independent impact study found that only 6% of customers consider the loan's cost expensive. Furthermore, 92% reported they understood and agreed with the terms and conditions of the loan, and 98% reported their income has increased (52% very much increase) because of the Kiva lender.
Lastly, we have dedicated staff responsible for selecting, servicing, and monitoring our partners. This investment of resources reflects Kiva's commitment to working with the right organizations. Kiva staff themselves are selected from a competitive pool to ensure excellence, accountability, and commitment to our mission of creating a financially inclusive world where all people hold the power to improve their lives.
We also encourage you to read the following articles if you are interested in further educating yourself on the topic: Microfinance 101 (https://www.kiva.org/microfinance), Top 10 things to know about microfinance (https://www.kiva.org/blog/top-10-things-to-know-about-microfinance), Microfinance interest rates explained (https://www.kiva.org/blog/whats-up-with-microfinance-interest-rates)
What happens if a loan doesn't fully fund on Kiva?
Kiva loans have 30 days to become fully funded. If a loan is unsuccessful in doing so, it expires and all lenders have their contributions returned to their available credit.
The borrower actually isn't directly affected in the case of most partner loans. If their loan expires, most Lending Partners will use their own capital to fund the loan. There are some situations, however, where borrowers will not receive their loan if it expires. This happens with direct loans and partner loans that are not pre-disbursed, or when the Lending Partner does not have the resources to cover the loan.
We know it can be hard to see a loan expire, which is why we're working hard every day to grow our community of lenders making positive impacts in the lives of Kiva borrowers and their communities.
I'm a student interested in promoting Kiva at my school. Can you help?
Thanks so much for your interest in supporting Kiva at your school! Kiva is a great way to engage in poverty alleviation and learn more about making a big impact by supporting microfinance around the world. Our educational program, Kiva U, has a lot of resources for students. You can visit Kiva U's website here: KivaU.org
On the Kiva U site you'll find toolkits (kiva.org/kivau/toolkits) and other materials for learning about both Kiva and microfinance, as well as some handy guides for starting a Kiva club or hosting an event at your school. We would also encourage you to start a lending team for your school. Lending teams are a great way to track the impact your group is having on Kiva. To create a lending team, please go to kiva.org/do-more/kivau/directory and click "Start a New Team."
I can't lend on Kiva because PayPal doesn't work in my country. What do I do?
Kiva offers 2 payment options:
PayPal: limited to the countries found here: paypal.com/us/webapps/mpp/country-worldwide
"Pay with card": limited to the countries found here: https://developers.braintreepayments.com/reference/general/currencies
At Kiva we use PayPal to process all our online transactions, as they provide us with free payment processing and help us keep our operational expenses low. Unfortunately PayPal does not work everywhere, and there are sometimes limitations on what they can process in your country.
If you select the PayPal option, you can read more about country restrictions at: paypal.com/us/webapps/mpp/country-worldwide
However, if you select ¨Pay with card,¨ you might be able to pay directly by credit card.
We're sorry if your location impacts your ability to lend on Kiva. You're more than welcome to deposit funds into your account by check. Just make your check payable to "Kiva User Funds LLC" and on the back note the email address associated with your account. Then mail the check to:
Kiva User Funds LLC
Attn: Finance Department
986 Mission St, 4th FloorSan Francisco, CA 94103USA
Do Kiva borrowers pay any interest on their loans?
Yes, most Kiva borrowers do pay interest to our Lending Partners in some form. Kiva and Kiva lenders themselves do not receive interest on these loans.
Our partners collect interest from borrowers because there are many operational expenses associated with microfinance in developing markets, especially in rural areas. Many of Kiva's Lending Partners also provide additional services alongside their loan products such as business training, financial literacy lessons, or health services.
Kiva will not partner with an organization that charges unreasonable interest rates, and we require Lending Partners to fully disclose their rates. In addition, we only partner with microfinance institutions and organizations that have a social mission to serve the poor, unbanked, and underserved.
There are some 0% interest loans on Kiva, including all direct loans in the United States. To learn more about the interest rates Kiva borrowers pay, you can review the "Average cost to borrower" field on a loan profile.
We also encourage you to read the following articles if you are interested in further educating yourself on the topic: Microfinance 101 (https://www.kiva.org/microfinance), Top 10 things to know about microfinance (https://www.kiva.org/blog/top-10-things-to-know-about-microfinance), Microfinance interest rates explained (https://www.kiva.org/blog/whats-up-with-microfinance-interest-rates)
When I pay through PayPal, is PayPal taking a fee?
Kiva uses PayPal and Braintree to process credit card payments, which saves us about $1 million per year and ensures that 100% of lenders' loan contributions are sent to borrowers.
Lenders outside the United States who select a PayPal payment option may be charged a fee to convert their local currency into US dollars, Kiva's working currency.
However, we recently implemented direct credit card processing via Braintree, which does not charge fees. If you are using a non-U.S. credit card, you can select "Pay by card" tab next to the PayPal login screen and pay without any additional fees beyond what your credit card or bank charge for international transactions. Please contact your card provider for more details on exchange rates and fees.
Why is there a difference between my total deposits and total amount lent?
The total amount lent listed in your portfolio is the sum of funds that you have applied to Kiva loans, which includes loans made using repaid Kiva credit. For example: if you deposit $25 to make a loan, get repaid, and then make another $25 loan with those repayments, then your total amount lent will be $50 but only $25 is still due to return to you.
You can see the total amount you've deposited into Kiva at: kiva.org/portfolio
You can also review your transaction history at kiva.org/portfolio/transactions (to see deposits only, use the pull-down menu to select "Deposits" and sort your transactions).
How can I share my loans on Facebook?
When you make a loan on Kiva you'll be given the option to share your loans on Facebook. When you get to the "Thank You" (or receipt) page after you've made your loan, you'll see a section entitled "Lending with friends is more impactful" which has a number of icons allowing you to share your loans on social media. Click the blue Facebook icon and you'll see a window where you can share your loan on Facebook.
What is inactive credit?
Kiva accounts are considered inactive if they haven't been used or modified for 24 or more consecutive months. This means that all it takes to keep your account active is to periodically sign in. Any time you receive a repayment or sign into your account, we consider that activity.
Why are there no India loans available?
Kiva currently works with a Lending Partner in India, Milaap, which you can learn more about on their partner page here: kiva.org/about/where-kiva-works/partners/428
While we have worked with other Indian partners in the past, but many of these partnerships have been affected by regulatory changes made in India in recent years.
At Kiva we rely on our Lending Partners to upload loan requests to the site, and sometimes the demand for loans outpaces our partners' ability to upload these requests. If you aren't seeing any India loans at the moment, it means they've already been fully funded by other lenders. Please keep checking back for more loans, or consider adding a saved search for India loans.
What is loan matching?
Loan matching is a feature that allows your loan on Kiva to be matched by an individual or larger organization that has set up a loan matching fund.
If you lend $25 to a borrower whose loan is being matched, the matcher will lend $25 to that borrower as well. Matchers may match all Kiva loans or just a particular type of loan (loans in a specific area, through a particular Lending Partner, to a particular type of borrower, etc.).
To find loans that are eligible for matching, look for a "x2" icon on the loan, or search for these loans using this direct link: www.kiva.org/lend?matchedOnly=true
Due to the popularity of matching, our sponsors’ funds are often used very quickly. Therefore we cannot 100% guarantee your loan will be matched. If a loan has a "x2" icon on it, it means that matching funds will match your contribution made to the loan, so long as sponsors’ funds are still available. To confirm if your loan was matched, please visit kiva.org/portfolio/loans after your transaction is complete.
Can I deposit funds into my account and lend them later?
You can add funds to your Kiva account at any time by clicking "Add credit" on the left side of your Portfolio page, or by going to: kiva.org/portfolio/credit/deposit
Enter the amount you'd like to deposit and click "Continue" then "PayPal" to pay with a PayPal account, debit or credit card. Once you've completed your payment you'll be returned to Kiva and the credit will appear in your account. However, you will not be able to deposit funds unless you've previously made a loan. Please note that you also have the option of setting up a monthly auto deposit into your account. For more information, please visit: kiva.org/auto-deposit
How do I view or edit my public lender page?
To view and/or edit your public lender page on Kiva, please sign into your account and go to: kiva.org/settings/account
Scroll down to where it says "My Lender Profile." To preview your lender page, click "View your lender page." You may also want to bookmark your lender page for easier access. To edit the information displayed on your lender page, enter your changes noted in this section and click "Save profile info" below.
Why do loan repayments come back to Kiva on dedicated loans?
Loan dedications allowed Kiva lenders to make two gifts for the price of one. When you dedicated a loan, you were able to both honor a friend or family member by supporting a loan in their name while also supporting Kiva with a donation to our operating expenses. For this reason all dedicated loan repayments are automatically donated to Kiva rather than returned to your account.
What type of monitoring does Kiva do with its Lending Partners?
Kiva conducts routine monitoring of our Lending Partners, including:
-- With the exception of certain safety-related travel restrictions, Lending Partners are physically visited by staff at Kiva at a frequency that corresponds with the amount of funding they are allowed to raise on the Kiva platform (i.e. partners with a larger credit limit are visited more frequently).
-- Many Lending Partners also host Kiva Fellows who expand Kiva's on-the-ground ability to monitor and support our partners. To learn more about the Fellows Program, please visit: kiva.org/fellows
-- Each year Kiva reviews in detail the financial statements and relevant ratios of each Lending Partner (with the exception of experimental partners).
-- If a Lending Partner has been given a risk rating, that rating is updated 1x per year with the most recently available qualitative and quantitative information.
-- Kiva conducts periodic audits of a sample of each Lending Partner's borrowers posted to Kiva, which is a process called borrower verification.
-- Kiva examines each Lending Partner's loan pricing on an annual basis, and if we learn that a partner is charging borrowers a higher than usual rate, we collect extra details about the Lending Partner and the country to better understand the decision-making and context behind this pricing.
As part of our ongoing monitoring, we may discover potential issues of concern at a partner. In these cases, we work to investigate and, if possible, resolve the issues as quickly as possible. While we investigate we may, at times, pause a partner’s ability to raise funds and/or delay the timing of distribution of collected repayment to lenders until the investigation is resolved. If a partnership is paused, we will share more information with lenders via the partner page: kiva.org/partners
Can I automatically deposit funds into my account each month?
Kiva's auto deposit feature allows you to make monthly deposits into your Kiva account (or a monthly donation to Kiva). To set up an auto deposit, go to: kiva.org/auto-deposit
Please note that you'll need a PayPal account to set up an auto deposit.
Can I contact a Lending Partner?
We prefer that lenders work through Kiva to resolve any partner-related issues. Some of our Lending Partners have limited access to the internet, may not speak English, and/or have very few staff. For these reasons it would be difficult for a partner to respond to your question or concern.
Kiva has established contacts at each of our Lending Partners to help us efficiently address any concerns you may have. If you have a question about one of our partners please email us at contactus@kiva.org.
How do I edit a monthly PayPal subscription to Kiva?
The best way to edit your monthly donation or deposit subscription to Kiva is to cancel your current subscription and then set up new contribution in a different amount.
To cancel your monthly subscription for Kiva, please follow these steps:
1. Log in to your PayPal account at paypal.com
2. Click on the gear icon on the upper right of the page
3. On the profile page, select the "Payments" tab
4. Click on "Preapproved Payments"
5. Select "Active" from the drop down menu and click "Go" to see all your active subscriptions
6. Click on "Kiva User Funds" to be taken to the "details" page. There you can cancel the scheduled payments
Then, you can sign back into your Kiva account and go to kiva.org/settings/credit to re-enable your subscription.
What are green loans?
Green loans allow borrowers and their families to gain access to environmentally friendly products that reduce pollution and waste, provide solar energy, or deal with recycling and repurposing used materials.
You can find green loans by clicking "Green" under Attributes or by going to: www.kiva.org/lend?attribute=1
Why is Kiva not registered as a charity outside of the United States?
Kiva is a U.S. 501(c)3 nonprofit organization. While we would love to attain charitable or nonprofit status in other countries, we unfortunately do not yet have the staffing or legal resources to do so.
Why is the loan listed for a woman when the description says the it's for her husband?
There are some microfinance institutions that make loans to women for use of the entire family in order to support their family business. In many of the communities where our borrowers live, women have no role at all in the family business. In order to empower these women, the Lending Partner will lend money to a woman to help grow her family's business. Even if her husband runs the day-to-day operations, the wife becomes their money manager and is responsible for the loan -- making repayments and applying for any future loans.
Our hope is that this will give women a direct role in the business, which she may never have had before. Many of these women, after establishing a good repayment history, can use this history to get a loan of their own and work to establish their own businesses.
That said, we know lenders have different preferences for how to use their money on Kiva. If you're not compelled by these stories, I'd encourage you to continue contributing to loans that better align with your preferences. If you're explicitly looking for woman-owned business, please use our "Woman Owned Biz" tag: kiva.org/lend?tag=6
Why don't I receive an email each time a repayment is made?
By default, lenders receive a repayment summary email once a month letting them know all of the repayments that have been applied to their account that month. If you'd like to receive updates more often, you can change your email settings to receive more frequent repayment notifications.
To update your email settings, go to: kiva.org/settings/email
On this page you'll see checkboxes and drop-down menus for each of our email lists. Uncheck the boxes for the emails you're no longer interested in receiving, and select your email settings from the drop-down menus.
To change the frequency of repayment notifications, use the drop-down menu below "Portfolio and balance updates" and click "Save email settings" to save your changes.
How can I get involved or support Kiva beyond lending?
There are some formal volunteer opportunities listed here, with various locations and time commitments: https://www.kiva.org/work-with-us
If you have an interest in business evaluation or due diligence, you may be interested in vetting social enterprise loan applications with Kiva. You can find out how to get involved here: https://www.crowdvet.org
You could also consider serving as a Kiva Ambassador, sharing about Kiva with friends and family: https://www.kiva.org/ambassadors
If you're not already a captain of a lending team, that is a wonderful way to engage others through lending - whether members of your own community or existing Kiva lenders from around the world: kiva.org/teams
If you work for a company that might be interested in a matching or employee engagement program, you could help get them started. You can read more at: https://www.kiva.org/partner-with-us
How do I know if the recipient has used the Kiva Card?
You can check on the status of your Kiva Cards by signing into your Kiva account and going to: kiva.org/portfolio/kiva-cards
This page will display all the Kiva Cards you've purchased, as well as the redemption status of each Kiva Card. If the Kiva Card was redeemed, the recipient's name will appear to the left and the date of redemption noted on the right. Otherwise, the date the Kiva Card will convert to a donation will be noted.
Can I post a borrower's photo or information on my own website?
We appreciate lenders' interest in spreading the word about Kiva on their own websites, however we unfortunately cannot grant permission to copy borrower information or photos to other websites.
Kiva borrowers have all signed a form granting permission for their photo and story to be published on Kiva’s websites, but not elsewhere on the Internet. One of Kiva’s core values is respect, and we strive to respect our borrowers by limiting their information to Kiva’s own sites.
Instead of copying information from Kiva onto your website, we encourage you to link directly to loan profiles on Kiva, or to your public lender page, which shows all the loans you've supported. This way, your website visitors can still read about Kiva borrowers, but the information is being displayed in a way that the borrowers themselves have agreed to. You can access your lender page by going to: kiva.org/portfolio and clicking the link “Public lender profile” link in the menu bar. You can then copy and paste your unique lender profile URL to post on your own website.
Thanks so much for understanding and for your support of borrowers around the world through Kiva.
Can I help translate Kiva's website into another language?
We'd love to translate Kiva into languages other than English as our staff grows and we gain the engineering resources to do so. At the moment, however, this project is too large in scale for us to take on. If you'd like to help translate Kiva loan profiles, you can apply to volunteer for our Review and Translation Program. To find out more please visit: kiva.org/work-with-us/reviewers
How do I sign up for Monthly Good?
You can learn more about Monthly Good and sign up at kiva.org/monthlygood
What is Kiva's EIN / Tax ID number?
Kiva's EIN or Tax ID number is 71-0992446.
What guidelines are there for borrowers’ loan photos?
The loan photo must meet the following criteria:
1. Shows you, clearly, smiling and happy!
2. Displays your business or is represents your business
3. Is bright and colorful
4. Is horizontally (landscape) oriented
5. No selfies or collages
As well as meeting all of these criteria, the best photos are colorful and well lit, and feature smiling borrowers.
For some examples of great borrower photos, please go here: http://www.kivaushub.org/profile-photo
How can I find out which loans in my portfolio are delinquent or defaulted?
You can find out the status of any loan you've made, including those that are delinquent or defaulted, by logging into your Kiva account and going to: kiva.org/portfolio/loans Use the drop-down menu to sort your loans by status. Delinquent loans will have the status "Paying back delinquent" whereas defaulted loans will be categorized as "Ended in default."
If you click on a borrower's name, you can go to the "Repayment schedule" section of the loan and then click "Show advanced" to learn more about whether the delinquency is due to non-repayment from the borrower or Lending Partner. You can also check the Comments section of the loan for a summary of updates from the partner.
How do I contact PayPal for assistance with their website?
PayPal's customer service can be reached at 888-445-5032 (toll-free U.S.) or 402-952-8811 (International).
How do repayments get back to lenders?
Loan funds are repaid from borrowers to lenders through Kiva's Lending Partners, or by utilizing PayPal.
For partner loans, local Lending Partners collect repayments from the borrowers, based on each loan repayment schedule and the borrower's ability to repay. The partner then repays Kiva and repayments are deposited into your individual Kiva lender account. This typically happens on a monthly basis. Lenders should be aware that this introduces a layer of risk: repayment of Lending Partner loans relies on the borrower repaying the Lending Partner, and the Lending Partner repaying Kiva. For direct loans, borrowers use PayPal to transmit repayments and Kiva deposits repaid funds into your individual Kiva lender account. Lenders should be aware that this model introduces a different kind of risk: there is no Lending Partner working on the ground to follow up with the borrower and encourage or collect repayments. In either case, as you're repaid you can withdraw your money, donate it to Kiva, or relend it to another borrower. Learn more about the risks of lending on our website here: kiva.org/about/risk
Can I visit Kiva's headquarters?
We wish we could accommodate visitors in the Kiva office, but we are a relatively small staff and aren't always able to offer formal tours or presentations. If you have any specific questions about our organization, please visit our Help Center or email us directly at contactus@kiva.org with your interests and we can possibly find a volunteer to host you.
How do I upload a new lender picture or update the information on my lender page?
You can update the information on your lender page by signing into your Kiva account and going to: kiva.org/settings/account
Under "My Lender Profile", you can edit the information displayed on your lender page, as well as upload a new picture. Just click "Save profile info" at the bottom of the page when you're done.
Can I choose a specific type or category of loan for my Monthly Good to support?
At this time, Monthly Good has a few specific category of loans to support with your contributions: women, farmers, refugees, students, eco-friendly loans, U.S. borrowers, and COVID-19 support. If there is enough interest to expand these categories, we may build out that functionality in the future.
In the meantime, if you’d like your funds to be automatically lent out to a more specific type of loan you select, you can use auto-lending. To enable auto-lending on your account, sign in and go to: kiva.org/settings/credit
You can also sign up for a recurring deposit of new funds to be added to your account and auto-lent (once that’s enabled) by going to: kiva.org/auto-deposit
What kinds of seeds does One Acre Fund supply to its farmers?
One Acre Fund uses natural hybrid seeds (i.e., from natural cross-pollination) which are professionally-grown in country, commercially graded, and quality-controlled. These qualities of seed are necessary for farmers to achieve a level of crop growth which enables them to produce enough to feed themselves and their families. One Acre Fund does not use or distribute genetically-modified seed, which is outlawed in the areas where they work.
For more information about One Acre Fund and the type of farming they promote in their program, please visit their website: oneacrefund.org
I live in Singapore. Why can I not pay for my loans using PayPal?
Due to a policy change, PayPal in Singapore unfortunately no longer accepts payments directed to non-profit organizations and/or charities registered outside the country (such as Kiva). However, you should be able to pay with a credit card using the "Pay with card" tab on our checkout page.
You're also more than welcome to mail Kiva a check. Just make your check payable to "Kiva User Funds LLC" and on the back note the email address associated with your account. Then mail the check to:
Kiva User Funds LLC
Attn: Finance Department
986 Mission St, 4th Floor
San Francisco, CA 94103
How does Kiva measure impact?
Kiva has developed a multi-method approach to measuring impact across its wide, Lending Partner-driven, portfolio. This approach incorporates external data (i.e. poverty and financial exclusion data from the World Bank, robust evaluation evidence of impact of loans) and data we intentionally go out and collect ourselves (at both the partner and borrower level) to inform the following key questions:
1. Who are we reaching? Are our borrowers poor, marginalized, or otherwise financially excluded?
2. How well do our loan products serve our borrowers? What loan attributes or features are known to make the biggest impact?
3. Are our Lending Partners aligned with us in both mission and practice? Do they understand, track, and report on their impact at the borrower-level? What is the quality of the service they provide and how do they maintain it?
We have an impact measurement system that quantifies each of these 3 major components into a targeting score, product impact score, and partner process quality score. These scores inform whether we’ll work with a particular organization, and if so, which products to provide to which borrowers.
Additionally, Kiva regularly partners with foundations, academic institutions, and research institutions to design and conduct larger studies. This includes impact evaluations within our Lending Partner portfolios (i.e. the impact of a riskier loan type at Partner X) as well as broad, multi-stakeholder impact assessments (i.e. data on borrower households, financial histories, businesses, and longer-term impact of loans).
We are currently evaluating how to better share all of the above with more transparency and frequency throughout the Kiva website, content pieces, and other channels, to highlight the work we’re already doing more publicly.
For now, you can read a bit more about our approach to impact on our website here: kiva.org/about/impact
And read some individual success stories of Kiva borrowers on our website here: kiva.org/about/impact/success-stories
Can Kiva complete my matching request?
Thanks for supporting Kiva through your company's matching program!
If you're unsure whether or not your company offers donation matching, please check out this website: doublethedonation.com/kiva
Loans made through Kiva are not tax-deductible as there is an expectation of repayment, meaning we are unfortunately unable to fulfill matching requests for loans you've made. However, donations to Kiva's operating expenses are tax-deductible in the United States as we are a registered 501(c)(3) non-profit in the U.S. We can complete matching requests for donations. Please note that these donations will be matched offline so the matched amount will not show up in your Kiva account.
If you would like Kiva to fill out a matching request form for your donations to Kiva, please send the form to:
Kiva Microfunds Attn: Finance Department
986 Mission St, 4th FloorSan Francisco, CA 94103
You can also send the form as an email attachment to: matchinggifts@kiva.org
What is Kiva's mailing address?
Kiva is headquartered in San Francisco with small offices in Portland, New York, Bangkok, and Nairobi. The mailing addresses for San Francisco, New York, and Nairobi are as follows:
Kiva
986 Mission Street, 4th Floor
San Francisco, CA 94103
Kiva
394 Broadway, 5th Floor
New York, NY 10013
Kiva
Hurlighum-Starwood Apartments, Apt. No. A4
Argwings Kodhek Road, P.O. Box 27603-00506 Nairobi
Have you received my check?
Processing checks is done manually by our accounting team, so it can take up to a month to receive a check, deposit it and send you a receipt. Additionally, as our headquarters is currently working remotely our finance team is checking for mail just once a week.
If you mailed in your check over six weeks ago and still haven't heard anything from Kiva, please let us know when the check was sent, the check number and whether it was intended as a donation or loan funds. We'd be happy to look into it for you.
How do I delete a saved search?
You can manage and/or delete your saved searches by signing into your account and going to: kiva.org/lend/saved-search
How old do you have to be to lend on Kiva? / What's the minimum age to be a Kiva lender?
The Kiva website is intended to be used by adults, as we prefer not to collect personal information for users who are under the age of 13 without a parent's knowledge and involvement. If a parent would like to open a Kiva account for their child who is under 13 years of age, we recommend carefully overseeing the information posted and monitor the child's activity to avoid any unwanted sharing of personal and financial information.
Kiva has been incorporated into classrooms and different teaching environments under teacher and adult supervision and can be a rich learning experience for students of all ages with proper guidance. For more information check out Kiva U: kivau.org
You can read more about Kiva's privacy policy and terms of use here: kiva.org/legal/privacy and kiva.org/legal/terms
Can Kiva accept Bitcoin or other PayPal alternatives?
Currently Kiva uses PayPal and Braintree to process all of our online payments, as they provide us with free payment processing, helping us to keep our operating expenses low. We don’t have current plans to enable cryptocurrency donations or loans at this time.
How do I tell which of my loans are delinquent?
Information about your loans can be found in your Kiva portfolio here: kiva.org/portfolio/loans
To find more information about the repayments made on a loan, please check out the "Repayment Schedule" tab on the loan profile page, which lists both expected and actual payments. If the comments section reads, "Delinquent," that means that the due date for a repayment has passed and the funds have not been returned to Kiva lenders. Delinquencies can be caused by the borrower or the Lending Partner falling behind on repayments. To learn more about why a repayment is late, click "Show Advanced" to see an explanation.
What loans can I make with my free credit?
Most loans on Kiva can be funded with free credit. However, free credit cannot be applied to direct loans, loans with repayment terms longer than 21 months, or loans from Lending Partners with risk ratings below 3 stars. To find loans that match these criteria, please use this link: ow.ly/axuF3024Nsx
Why don't my estimated repayments accurately represent my outstanding loans?
The estimated repayments noted in your Kiva portfolio (kiva.org/portfolio/estimated-repayments) are calculated based on the original repayment schedule for each of your loans. These estimates don't account for delinquencies, defaults, currency loss, or for when borrowers pay more than was scheduled and the principal has been paid down. This means that if a borrower ends up making repayments early on their loan, this early repayment will not be reflected in the estimated repayments schedule.
For example, if a borrower ended up paying back their loan in full in February, but wasn't scheduled to be paid back until May, it would still show up as a portion of the estimated repayments for May. The amount repaid in February wouldn't be removed from your estimated repayments just because it was paid back early.
How does Kiva define default?
In microfinance, it's common to try rescheduling delinquent or defaulted loans to accommodate the eventual repayment of the loan. At Kiva we define default (non-repayment) as the time when Kiva determines repayment from a borrower (or partner) is doubtful, or when the cumulative amount repaid as of our quarterly reconciliation is less than the amount expected 360 days prior (with no repayments reported to Kiva during that time).
Kiva typically processes defaults on a quarterly basis for partner loans, and on a monthly basis for direct loans (however, case by case exceptions may be made if future repayments are possible). Lending Partners also have the option to default loans at any time should they determine further repayments are unlikely.
When a Kiva loan defaults all lenders are notified by email.
Was my transaction successful?
When you successfully complete a transaction you should receive an email receipt from Kiva confirming your loan purchase. You can also sign into your Kiva account at any time to view your transaction history or review the loans you've made.
To see your transaction history, just sign into your account and go to: kiva.org/portfolio/transactions
To view the loans you've made, please go to: kiva.org/portfolio/loans
How does loan expiration affect the borrower?
In many cases, when a loan expires on Kiva the borrower isn't negatively affected. For partner loans, it's common for Lending Partners to use their own capital to fund a loan before posting it on Kiva and then backfill that amount with funds provided by lenders.
In these cases, while a loan expiration may not directly impact the borrower, it can sometimes negatively impact the partner -- especially if they continue to experience a large number of expirations that reduce the availability of their capital reserves.
Direct loans are made without a Lending Partner, so if these loans expire, the borrowers will not receive any funding from Kiva lenders.
Can I forgive loans to borrowers who have been affected by a natural disaster?
While offers to forgive loans are very generous, Kiva's lending process is designed to accommodate loans and not donations. This means that all funding requests posted to Kiva are considered loans, and there unfortunately isn't a way to request that a borrower not repay your portion of the loan they received. Instead, we rely on our Lending Partners to let us know which borrowers are affected in the event of a natural disaster. If a borrower you've supported has been affected and can no longer repay their loan, the partner administering the loan may not require them to repay and in that case will hopefully notify you by email with an update.
How do I make a payment on my loan?
All payments are processed through PayPal. You can either sign up for automatic payments, click through to complete your payment through monthly reminder emails, or submit a manual payment.
In order to make a monthly payment:
1. Log into your Kiva Account
2. Click on “Make repayment” or “Pay now”
3. Make sure to log into your PayPal account (DO NOT checkout as a guest)
4. Choose your payment method and then click “Send payment now.”
In order to enter a custom amount or make a lump-sum payment:
1. Visit www.paypal.me/kivaus
2. Enter the desired payment amount
3. Make sure you are logged into your PayPal account when sending any payment to Kiva
We recommend setting up automatic repayments if you can. To learn more about how to set up automatic repayments, please use the following resource: https://www.kiva.org/businesscenter/new-feature-automatic-repayments
Do I need to create a Kiva account to make a loan?
You will need to create a Kiva account in order to make a loan in order to receive the repayments. As repayments are made on your loan, they will be repaid back into your account. You can then choose to relend those funds to other borrowers, donate them to Kiva or withdraw them into a PayPal account,
To create an account, please go to: kiva.org/register
What is Kiva U.S.?
Kiva U.S. is a lending program through which lenders make loans directly to borrowers in the United States. Unlike partner loans, direct loans are not facilitated through a Lending Partner, so they carry higher risk, but are also benefiting entrepreneurs who are financially excluded or having a social impact in their communities.
This program was originally launched as a pilot in November 2011 under the name Kiva Zip, and graduated out of beta in June 2016. Currently, the program only funds loans for business purposes.
If my loan is pre-disbursed, is the money I lend on Kiva going to support the borrower I choose?
We get this question often, and here’s what we want to make clear: although your loan may be pre-disbursed, there is a direct 1:1 relationship between you and the borrower you choose to support. If you lend money to Tarek in Lebanon, for example, to purchase seeds for his farm, those funds are going to cover the pre-disbursed loan to Tarek. In addition, your repayment is 100% tied to his repayment. If Tarek makes a loan repayment, that repayment will be passed along to you. If he doesn't make a payment, the Lending Partner will let us know that and you won't get repaid. This establishes a true financial link between lenders and the borrowers they choose to support.
To learn more about this, you can also check out this extensive Q&A which also talks a bit more about disbursal dates for Kiva loans: blog.kiva.org/faqs/direct-loans-qa
What is the Kiva Store?
The Kiva Store is a partnership between Kiva and Kiva’s Lending Partner NOVICA, a mission-driven company that works with artisans around the world. Through the Kiva Store, people can purchase products made by artisans around the world (many of which are Kiva borrowers) as well as Kiva-branded gear.
The store is powered by NOVICA, which means all payment processing and product fulfillment is handled by NOVICA. Kiva is highly involved with product development, product packaging and messages.
Visit the Kiva Store at: store.kiva.org
How can I make my account anonymous?
You can change the visibility of your public lender page by going to: kiva.org/settings/account Uncheck the box next to "Make my page and loans public" to make your account anonymous. Once you've done so, click "Save profile info" at the bottom of the page.
After you make your account anonymous, your name will no longer show up on loan pages under "contributing lenders" or on lending teams, and you will not be able to comment on loan pages. Additionally, you will no longer have a public loan page accessible to others showing your personal impact. If you'd prefer, you could instead change your name under My Lender Profile to an alias or initial to anonymize yourself but be able to comment on loans and share your public loan page with those you choose.
How do I set my preferred lending team?
If you're a member of more than 1 lending team, you may want to set a preferred lending team, which will be the default team listed in your basket, making it easy to count your loans toward your team's impact automatically, whether you are lending manually or via auto-lending.
You can set your preferred team by signing into your Kiva account and going to My Teams (kiva.org/teams/my-teams)
Under the headline "Lending Teams I Belong To" you'll see a pulldown box where you can set your preferred team next to the team of your choice.
How do I edit my lending team’s details?
As long as you are the captain of a lending team, you can edit the team's details by going to the team page, which you can find by clicking "My Teams" or at kiva.org/teams/my-teams
Click on the team you'd like to edit, then click the "Edit team info" button. Update any of the information listed on the page and when you're finished, click "Update" to save your edits.
Can I pay without using my Kiva credit?
When you checkout on Kiva, our system automatically applies your available Kiva credit to your total amount due. However, you do not have to use your credit when making a purchase on Kiva. To remove your Kiva credit, click the "remove" link next to the "Kiva credit" line item on the basket page of checkout.
How do I purchase a Kiva Card using Kiva credit?
You can purchase a Kiva Card using your current Kiva credit balance by following these steps:
1. Sign into your Kiva account at: kiva.org/login
2. Click "Gifts" in the footer, or go directly to: kiva.org/gifts/kiva-cards
3. Select the delivery method and fill in all the details marked with an asterisk (*) including Kiva Card value and quantity. Everything marked with an asterisk is required. You can also personalize the Kiva Card by filling in the optional message section.
Check the box saying that you've reviewed the Kiva Card Terms and Conditions and click either the "Add to Basket: or "Add to Basket and Checkout" button.
4. Once you're ready to check out, click "Basket" at the top of the page, where you'll be directed through the checkout process.
5. You'll be asked to make an optional donation to Kiva's operating expenses in addition to your Kiva Card purchase, but can edit this suggested donation by clicking the "Edit" link under the donation amount and selecting the amount you wish to donate ($0.00 is an option).
6. From there, click "Continue" to be taken to the "Review & Pay" page where you will see your credit deducted from the total amount due. Review your purchase and click "Complete order" or "Pay Now".
Please note, if the total amount due exceeds the amount of credit in your account you'll be directed to PayPal's website to complete payment of the remainder amount.
Upon completion of your purchase you will be directed back to a "Thank You" page on Kiva's website. This confirms that you have successfully purchased your Kiva Card.
You will also receive an email from Kiva confirming your purchase. This email contains a link to a printable Kiva Card. Please note that you can also log into your Kiva account at any time to view and/or print the Kiva Cards that you have purchased.
How does Kiva choose its Lending Partners?
Kiva partners with a variety of organizations including microfinance institutions (MFIs), social businesses, nonprofits and schools. These organizations are united in their commitment to serving the needs of poor, vulnerable, and/or excluded populations. You can read more about how we create opportunity through our partners on our blog here: blog.kiva.org/2013/02/28/catalytic-loans-how-kiva-is-pushing-boundaries-to-make-loans-do-more
In summary, all Kiva Lending Partners must:
--Display a strong commitment to serving the needs of poor, vulnerable, and/or excluded populations - Operate an existing lending program with portfolio quality in line with market context and industry standards (or be prepared and legally capable of setting up a lending program)
--Provide a specific proposal for using Kiva capital to fund loans with high social or environmental impact and pricing in line with market context and industry standards --Be able to post at least $50,000 in loans within the first 12 months on Kiva, and demonstrate a capacity to grow in subsequent years
--Have assets or operating revenues of at least $100,000
--Be able to legally accept and repay U.S. dollar debt capital and manage currency risk
--Be legally registered in their country of operation. For more information about how Kiva selects Lending Partners, check out these pages on our website:kiva.org/partners/info kiva.org/about/risk kiva.org/about/socialperformance kiva.org/labs
Does Kiva prohibit certain businesses from fundraising on Kiva?
At Kiva we trust our Lending Partners to determine whether or not a loan request is appropriate. We only prohibit loans for business activities that are illegal in the borrower's country or violate major UN conventions. We trust our partners to make these decisions because they're familiar with the communities and cultures where borrowers live and work. A loan that is inappropriate to one person may be perfectly reasonable in another cultural context.
We understand some lenders are less comfortable supporting these loans than others, and we always recommend lenders exercise their consumer choice in selecting loans that match their values and preferences. If a specific kind of loan product continues to expire before it can be fully funded then our partners know they shouldn't post loans of that nature in the future.
What is the Global COVID-19 Response fund?
The Global COVID-19 Response fund is an effort to support loans around the world in order to provide economic relief due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The fund is a Monthly Good category, enabling you to set a monthly deposit and donation amount. When you sign up for the reoccurring Global COVID-19 Response fund, your balance will be automatically lent to borrowers by Kiva as soon as you have $25+ in your account. Once a month, you will receive a summary of the loans you supported telling you why it mattered.
Please note, if you're already signed up for Monthly Good, you update your subscription to the "COVID-19 coronavirus" category here: kiva.org/settings/credit
What is a Trustee?
Trustees are organizations invested in economic development in their communities. Trustees are often already providing wrap-around services to small business owners in their community and use their relationships to source entrepreneurs they believe would benefit from Kiva’s capital. Trustees also publicly vouch for them as borrowers on the Kiva website through “endorsements.” Trustees have no financial liability for loans, but their reputation is tied to the repayment rate of the borrowers they endorse.
For more information, please go to https://www.kiva.org/trustees where you can also find the profiles of current trustees. Kiva US is only accepting Trustee applications by invitation at this time. If you are interested in partnering with Kiva, please e-mail trustees@kiva.org. If you are affiliated with LISC, please mention this in your e-mail.
How does the money for the loan get to each borrower?
Loan funds reach borrowers through Kiva's Lending Partners or PayPal, depending on the type of loan.
For most loans on Kiva, our local Lending Partners are responsible for distributing the funds to borrowers. Depending on the Lending Partner, the funds may be given to each borrower before, during or after the individual loan is posted on Kiva. Most partners give the funds out before the loan is posted (which is called pre-disbursal) because it allows borrowers to use the funds immediately. When a lender supports a partner-facilitated loan on Kiva, the borrower may already have those funds in hand. However, support for that loan is still needed to backfill the loan and allow the partner to sustain their operations. As the borrower makes repayments, they're passed along to the specific Kiva lenders who supported the loan, securing a true lender-borrower connection.
With Lending Partners, Kiva sends lender funds by international wire to the respective Lending Partner. This process happens on a monthly basis. To speed things up and to minimize the number of wire transfers being sent overseas, Kiva works on a net billing system. That means, for any given month, we subtract the amount of repayments that a Lending Partner owes to Kiva lenders from the amount that a partner fundraises for new loans on Kiva, and either the Lending Partner or Kiva sends a wire of funds for the difference.
For direct loans, once the loan is fully crowdfunded on Kiva, funds are transmitted to the borrower via PayPal.
How can I invite my friends to Kiva?
To invite your friends to Kiva, sign into your account and go to: kiva.org/portfolio/invites
On this page you'll see a variety of ways to invite your friends. You can send invitations via email, Facebook, Twitter, or your personal invite URL.
If you choose email, you will be given the opportunity to enter the email addresses of those you wish to invite. You're more than welcome to use the pre-written message or to write one yourself. If you choose Facebook or Twitter, you will be prompted to sign in to your account before being able to send an invitation.
Where do I find the delinquency, default and currency loss rate for my portfolio?
You can find a number of stats related to your activity on Kiva within your portfolio. Please navigate to the "My loans" page, or go directly to kiva.org/portfolio/loans to find this information.
How do I redeem multiple Kiva Cards?
You can use multiple Kiva Cards in the same transaction by entering in each gift code during the checkout process.
Once you've signed into your account and selected the loans you want to support using your Kiva Cards, click "My Basket" at the top of the screen to begin the checkout process. On both the "Basket" and "Review & Pay" pages, you'll be given the opportunity to apply your Kiva Cards. Look for the "Have a Kiva Card?" box and enter in your first Kiva Card gift code. Then click "Apply." Repeat this process for each Kiva Card you are trying to use. When you're finished, click "Complete order" or "Pay Now" to complete your purchase.
Please note, if your total amount due exceeds the amount of your Kiva Cards, you will be directed to PayPal to pay for the remainder of your purchase with funds from a credit card or a PayPal account.
Can I see Kiva's audited financials?
You can see Kiva's audited financials on our website at: kiva.org/about/finances
For a breakdown of how we apply our budget to achieve our mission, please see our profile on Charity Navigator: www.charitynavigator.org/index.cfm?bay=search.summary&orgid=12978
If my loan defaults, can I then claim it as a tax-deductible donation?
Loan defaults are not considered charitable donations to Kiva because the funds stay with the Lending Partner or borrower, depending on the source of default. Please consult your tax advisor to see if you may be able to deduct the losses on your Kiva loans.
Can I pay another way other than PayPal?
At this time we are only able to accept payments through PayPal. However, if you're having trouble using your PayPal account, please let us know so we can help. Here are some possible options for you to explore:
1. You can set up an alternate PayPal account from your usual one, and make the payment from there.
2. If you have a friend or family member with a PayPal account, they can make a payment on your behalf.
If you choose either of these options, please notify us of the email address associated with the PayPal account you're using to make the payment prior to sending it in. That way, we can ensure the payment is properly allocated to your account.
To give you some background information on this situation - PayPal provides Kiva with free payment processing on all financial transactions. This means that regardless of whether you pay using your credit card or PayPal account, PayPal will process your payment and send you a receipt.
What is borrower verification?
Borrower verification is a process Kiva uses to verify the accuracy of the information included in the borrower profiles posted on the Kiva website.
To conduct a borrower verification, a Kiva staff member or Kiva Fellow obtains a random sample of 10 borrowers. The Kiva representative must then obtain contact information for each selected borrower, including instructions on how and where to locate them. If necessary, the Kiva representative will arrange for a Lending Partner employee to visit the borrowers with them. When visiting borrowers, the Kiva's representative will confirm the borrower's identity by checking it against the name on their national ID card, voter registration card or utility bill. They must visually compare the borrower to their profile photo on Kiva and take a photograph of the borrower during the visit.
Kiva's representative must also obtain a copy of the borrower’s loan activity record and compare it to the loan information entered on their Kiva profile, making sure that the disbursal date, the loan amount and the loan term match on both records. They must also verify the profile details listed on Kiva and the borrower's repayment history as it is reported to Kiva. Lastly, they will verify the client waiver and make sure that the borrower signed the loan description and photo waiver.
Once the borrower verification is completed, the Kiva representative will write up a report for Kiva's Portfolio Team. Borrower verification reports are used to monitor our Lending Partners and make sure that the loans being posted on Kiva are for real people and contain accurate information on the borrowers.
Many of our Kiva Fellows have blogged about their experience conducting borrower verifications, which you can read about here:
fellowsblog.kiva.org/fellowsblog/tags/borrower-verification
What is the due diligence process for Kiva U.S. loans?
Kiva U.S. conducts online research on borrowers and their businesses on a variety of factors, including searching through borrowers' social media to examine the extent and strength of their networks. We do our best to verify and screen borrowers prior to allowing them to fundraise on the Kiva website. As we continue to grow our due diligence processes, these process will continue to be improved upon and refined, as we learn from past experiences and work to strengthen our risk management systems.
How do I share my loans on social media?
When you complete a loan purchase you will be taken to a receipt page on Kiva. On this page you'll see a box that says "Lending with friends is more impactful. Share this borrower's story." In this box you'll see buttons to be able to share your recent loan on Facebook, Twitter, Google+ and LinkedIn.
Does Kiva mail physical Kiva Cards to recipients?
We do not offer postal Kiva Card delivery, with the exception of bulk orders. If you would like to order $4,000 or more in postal Kiva Cards, please reach out to us at community@kiva.org.
I invited a friend to join Kiva but didn't get credit for the referral. How do I get credit?
Even if your friend has already created a Kiva account, they can still give you credit for inviting them to Kiva. To do so, they will need to sign into their Kiva account and go to: kiva.org/portfolio/invites. On this page they can click the link that says "Invited to Kiva by a friend?" and they'll see a window where they can enter in your email address or the lender page URL (i.e. www.kiva.org/lender/kivastaff) and click "Submit."
Please note, this will mean your friend will show up under the invited friends section of your public lender page, but you won't receive a bonus credit toward a loan as our Bonus Program unfortunately ended.
What are loan tags?
Along with loan themes and sector/activity, loan tags help lenders find loans they want to support. Loan tags are also used frequently in matching campaigns. A corporate partner that wishes to put funds toward loan matching will inform us of their preferences, and we are able to match these requests based on loan tags, in addition to loan themes and sector/activity.
To search by loan tags, go to: kiva.org/lend
Is Kiva listed on Charity Navigator?
Kiva's Charity Navigator rating moved from 4-stars to 3-stars in mid-November 2023. Near the end of that month Charity Navigator informed us of engineering bugs potentially impacting this change as well as a new "Culture & Community Beacon" that did in fact inadvertently lower our overall rating due to it pulling incomplete data. We have addressed these new methodology changes with Charity Navigator, and their representatives have indicated our score will soon return to 4-stars, barring any additional changes to their methodology. This will be reflected in Charity Navigator’s site-wide updates that go into effect early 2024.
How do I invite people to my lending team?
To invite people to your lending team, go to the team page and click the "Recruit" tab. On this page, you can invite your friends via email, Facebook, Twitter or your personal team invite URL. As your invitees accept you'll see them appear on the "Members" section of your lending team.
How does the private fundraising period work?
When a loan is approved for fundraising, it's first posted on the website in a 15-day Private Fundraising Period (PFP). During the PFP, the borrower must recruit a given number of lenders from their personal network to lend as little as $25 to their loan and kickstart their fundraising. Once the required number of lenders has been reached, the loan will graduate into a 30-day public fundraising period, where it will then be publicly viewable by our worldwide community of lenders. The private fundraising period is the last step of our social underwriting process and Kiva uses it as a means to assess creditworthiness. Instead of asking for collateral, we choose to rely on a borrower's social capital to determine whether or not they?re able to access a loan. To learn more about PFP, please visit the Borrowers Hub at http://www.kivaushub.org/fundraising-disbursals
Why is a man pictured if the loan says it's for a woman?
There are a few cases where a man might be featured in the photo when the loan is for a woman.
Some Kiva borrowers live in conservative areas in which women are not comfortable having their photographs on the internet. In order to honor female borrowers' modesty and protect their privacy, we allow a family member to be pictured on their loan profile. The loan will be used by the borrower described, rather than by the man pictured. In these cases, information about why a male family member is being pictured should be described in the loan description.
There are also group loans that have a majority of female borrowers and are listed as to "women" but feature a male borrower in the photo. This depends on who in the group is available for a photo at the time when the partner is posting loan profiles. You should be able to read a list of names of all the group members on the loan page, the majority of which should be women.
Why was my withdrawal blocked?
Kiva's system blocks withdrawals for a variety of reasons, mostly to protect lender accounts from potential fraud. We have put a number of filters in place which allow us to check for unauthorized activity, as well as unloaned Kiva credit (which needs to be refunded to the original method of payment rather than manually withdrawn -- see: Kiva Withdrawal Policy). Our systems tends to block withdrawals if you've requested more than you've been repaid, multiple withdrawals to the same PayPal account, or a withdrawal to a PayPal account you haven't deposited from before.
That said, please note that blocking withdrawals simply flags them for our finance team to review. They do not take any longer to process than unblocked withdrawals, as all requests are uploaded to PayPal at the same time every week.
How long will a loan remain in a lender's basket?
Loans on Kiva will remain "reserved" in a lender's basket for 45 minutes, after which time the loan will be dropped from the basket so it can be funded by other Kiva lenders. Loans that have 6 hours or less remaining to fundraise on the Kiva website will not be reserved. Instead, any number of lenders can add that loan to their basket, and the lenders who complete the checkout process first will successfully make the loan.
When I sign up for Monthly Good, do I get to choose who my funds support?
When you sign up for Monthly Good, you agree to have any funds automatically lent out to borrowers on Kiva. While you won't get to choose who you support, you can be assured that your funds will be automatically lent out to borrowers in need anytime your balance reaches $25. Monthly Good automatically lends based upon who real people are supporting on Kiva in any given moment, using the wisdom of the crowd to direct your automatic loan. You will receive a monthly update letting you know who you supported with your funds and a dose of inspiration from the field.
If you're interested in making a regular contribution to Kiva, but still want to choose what loans you support, you may be interested in auto deposit. Auto deposit allows you to set up a recurring deposit into your Kiva account each month. You can then sign in and lend out that balance to the borrowers you choose. To learn more about auto deposit, visit: kiva.org/auto-deposit
Does Kiva earn interest on lenders' funds?
Kiva earns interest on the balances in lenders' accounts. Historically these earnings have been nominal as we prioritize the safety of principal and liquidity for these funds. Kiva holds user funds in bank accounts with financial institutions, as well as investments in US treasury securities or money market funds that invest in government securities. These accounts are designed so that Kiva users’ funds (meant for lending) are fully separate from Kiva’s operational funds as a nonprofit (Kiva Microfunds) and protected.
For more information about Kiva's finances, we publish our yearly audited financials on our website here: kiva.org/about/finances
Can I view a map that shows all countries I've loaned to?
You can find a map that shows the location of all the loans you've funded by going to: kiva.org/portfolio
Scroll to "Recent loans" and click the map icon on the right side.
This information is also found on your public lender page, which you can find by going to: kiva.org/settings/account
Click the " View your lender page " link under the heading "My Lender Profile" to be taken to your lender page. You will find your map on the bottom of the page under the header, "Lending Activity by Country."
Amount of currency exchange loss
The amount of currency exchange loss is the amount of loans not repaid due to currency fluctuations. When lending internationally, the local currency in a Lending Partner’s country may lose some of its value compared to the US dollar -- requiring the partner to use more of its local currency to reimburse Kiva in USD. We offer Lending Partners the option to protect themselves against severe currency fluctuations by sharing losses with Kiva lenders. By bearing these losses, lenders protect the partner and its borrowers from currency devaluations.
What are "Islamic Finance" or Sharia-compliant Muslim loans?
A key tenet of Islam is the prohibition of interest in the lending or accepting of money. This prohibition is based on the belief that money should be seen only as a medium of exchange and that it has no value in itself.
A few of Kiva's Lending Partners who work in predominately Muslim communities have developed a sharia-compliant loan product, adapting the loan terms to fit this cultural context by attaching a 0% interest rate to the loan. In order to cover its costs, these partners do charge a servicing fee. The amount you see fundraising on Kiva includes both the principal loan and the loan servicing fee. As with all Kiva loans, you should expect to have your funds returned to you in accordance with the repayment schedule attached to this loan.
To help lenders find these loans, they are tagged with the "Islamic Finance" loan attribute, and if a loan is sharia-compliant this will be noted on the loan profile under "Additional information about this loan."
To learn more about why Kiva supports Islamic microfinance and how these loans are structurally different than other Kiva loans, I'd encourage you to check out this blog: kiva.org/updates/kiva/2012/05/01/kivas-approach-to-lending-and-islamic.html
How do I become the captain of a lending team?
There are 2 ways to become the captain of a lending team.
First, you can create a new lending team, which automatically makes you the captain.
Second, you can be made the captain of an existing lending team. To do this, one of the current team captains has to give you captainhood. As the captain of a lending team, it is your responsibility to make a good faith effort to remain involved in your team. This includes approving or declining requests to join your team, reading messages posted to the team message board, and responding to lender messages sent to you by members of your team.
In the event that a team captain fails in these responsibilities, a team member may contact Kiva and request to be appointed as an additional team captain. In these circumstances, we will reach out to the original team captain. If the captain does not respond within 7 days, the new team captain will be appointed.
Where can I find Kiva's privacy policy?
Kiva takes very seriously the privacy of both borrower and lender information. Kiva's privacy policy can be found here: kiva.org/legal/privacy
I want to host an event to raise money for Kiva. Do you have any resources?
Thanks so much for your interest in hosting an event to raise money or awareness for Kiva. You can find brand resources here: brandfolder.com/kiva/brand-guidelines
If you'd like to share a video introduction to Kiva, there are a number of choices on our YouTube channel that can be helpful for providing a brief yet powerful overview: www.youtube.com/channel/UCr304RURWaQUnDha9hDvW3g
For a printable flyer, please go to: https://coschedule2.s3.amazonaws.com/283695/da210e1b-4a7f-41fb-8702-fec7fbc1dc14/Kiva_one_pager_2016_pdf_CMmFT2Ba.pdf
Is my Kiva Card purchase tax deductible?
Kiva Cards are intended to be used to make loans on Kiva's website, which are not considered tax deductible donations because there's a possibility that the lender will be repaid. Therefore, Kiva Card purchases are also not considered donations.
However, if a Kiva Card you purchase is not redeemed, it will automatically convert into a donation to Kiva 1 year from the purchase date. At that time, as the purchaser, you will receive a receipt confirming the donation (which can be considered a tax deductible donation at that time).
For more information about Kiva Cards, please visit our Kiva Card terms and conditions: kiva.org/gifts/kiva-cards/terms
How are mixed-gender group loans categorized?
The gender of groups is determined by the group majority. That means that group loans are designated as female if more than half the borrowers in the group are women. If more than half of the borrowers are men, the group will be categorized as a male loan. Even if the group leader is a male and/or the description is of a male borrower in the group, as long as more than half the borrowers in the group are women, then the loan will be categorized as a female loan.
Why do group loan amounts seem so high?
In a group loan, the loan amount you see is the full amount of the group loan, with each member receiving a portion of that amount. For example, if there are 10 people sharing a loan of $2,000, each individual borrower will receive roughly $200 toward their chosen loan use.
Kiva has found it to be more effective for our Lending Partners to choose 1 borrower from a group to highlight in the loan description and loan use statement, instead of listing information about every member of the group and how they will use their loan. By encouraging partners to highlight 1 borrower and telling that person's story, our hope is also that lenders will feel more of a sense of connection to that borrower (and the loan).
What would cause my loan not to be matched?
Thanks so much for your interest in making a matched loan. I checked your portfolio (kiva.org/portfolio/loans), and unfortunately, it doesn't look as though the loan you made was matched.
Due to the popularity of loan matching, our sponsors' funds are often used up very quickly. Therefore we cannot 100% guarantee your loan will be matched. If a loan has a ""x2"" icon on it, it means matching funds will match your contribution to the loan as long as sponsors' funds are still available.
When a loan is almost fully funded, there may not be enough of the loan left for a matcher to match your contribution. For example, if you fund the last $25 of a loan, there would be no loan balance remaining for the matcher’s fund to support, so in that case, your loan may not be matched.
What happens if a borrower can’t repay the loan?
If a borrower is behind on paying back a loan, the Lending Partner or Kiva (in the case of a direct loan) may try to reschedule repayments on the delinquent loan in order to make it possible for the borrower to eventually repay, which is common practice in microlending. However, even with these efforts to be flexible, at times borrowers simply can't repay and their loans end in default.
When a Kiva loan defaults, we notify all contributing lenders by email and these lenders can consider the remaining amount outstanding as a loss. Lending Partners may decide not to lend to a specific individual again if they aren't able to repay, depending on their circumstances. In the case of direct loans, borrowers can't apply for another loan on Kiva unless they've repaid previous loans.
How do I contact Kiva?
The best way to get in touch with someone at Kiva is to email us at contactus@kiva.org or to fill out the Contact Us form at: kiva.org/help?contactus=1 We aim to reply to all messages within 2-3 business days. You can also leave a voicemail by calling (828) 479-5482 (but email is typically a faster response time). For instant help getting your questions answered, please explore our Help Center: kiva.org/help
Why might a borrower use their loan for another purpose than what's described in their loan profile?
While the situation of a borrower taking out a loan for one reason and using it for another purpose doesn't happen very often on Kiva, in the microfinance industry it is common for borrowers to use funds they receive for various purposes outside of the primary loan use. Due to lack of available cash flow to help meet changing needs in the life of a borrower, often times they may use some of their loan funds to meet more immediate needs instead of using the loan in its entirety for the primary purpose.
This blog post, written by one of our Kiva Fellows, does a great job at better explaining this concept: https://www.kiva.org/blog/loan-use-not-as-simple-as-you-might-think
Can I buy a product made by the borrower I lend to?
We're unfortunately not able to facilitate the purchase of goods produced by most borrowers on the site. However, our Lending Partner NOVICA has created the Kiva Store. There you can purchase Kiva gear as well as products made by Kiva borrowers around the world. To browse the products available, please visit: store.kiva.org
Additionally, Kiva U.S. borrowers are often located in a neighborhood near you. You can find nearby borrowers using the interactive map included in this blog post: https://www.kiva.org/blog/have-you-ever-wanted-to-shop-from-us-borrowers
Why didn't I receive a confirmation email for my Kiva Card purchase?
If you didn't receive an email confirming your purchase, please check your spam or junk mail folders, in case it accidentally got trapped in there. If you still don't see it, please sign into your account and go to: kiva.org/portfolio/kiva-cards
This page will list all of your Kiva Cards, along with the associated gift codes. You can also print a copy of your Kiva Cards from this page, and if it was an emailed Kiva Card, send a reminder email to the recipient.
Why are there so few education loans fundraising?
Kiva relies on our Lending Partners to upload new loan requests on Kiva’s website. Loans for educational purposes tend to be very popular with Kiva lenders, which means that when they're posted they tend to fund very quickly. The great news is that as Kiva grows, one of the areas we're looking to expand our impact in is education, which means that we're continually looking for new partners in this space. Education loans oftentimes can be seasonal in nature, matching times of the year when school fees are due, so please continue to check back for more education loans that you can support here: kiva.org/lend#/?sectors%5B%5D=15
Loan length/repayment term
The loan length or repayment term is the number of months it takes from the point that the loan is disbursed to the borrower to the point when the last repayment is due to be paid to Kiva lenders.
How do I sort the loans to find those that are expiring soon?
You can use the pulldown menu on kiva.org/lend to sort loans by expiration date. Select the "Expiring Soon" option in the "Sort by:" list, to see loans sorted in order from oldest (and therefore the closest to expiration) to newest.
You can also use this direct link: kiva.org/lend#/?sortBy=expiringSoon
Can I make up any currency losses over the entire loan term?
No. Repayments made by Lending Partners to lenders are made once local currency has already been converted into US dollars. Thus, the amount of USD you receive from these repayments has already been converted and is final.
How do I sort loans by repayment term?
To sort fundraising loans by repayment term, use the pull down menu at the top right of kiva.org/lend to select a sort by order of "Loan length". This will display loans in order of repayment term (shortest to longest).
How do I post to a team message board?
You can post a message to the team message board of any lending team you are a member of by signing into your account and going to your "My Teams" page: kiva.org/teams/my-teams
On this you'll see a list of all the teams you belong to, and using the menus next to your list of teams, you can jump directly to any of their message boards. Once you're there, type your message in the box at the top of the page. When you're done typing your message click the "Add Message" button to post it to the team message board.
Does Kiva guarantee that loans will be repaid?
Lending through Kiva involves risk of principal loss. Kiva does not guarantee repayment, nor do we offer a financial return on your loan.
Can the Kiva Card recipient select his or her own loans to fund?
Kiva Cards allow the recipient to support a loan of their choosing, paid for by the gift purchaser. All loans made by a Kiva Card recipient will be credited to that person's Kiva account, and when those loans are repaid, the repayments will be returned to them.
With repayments on the loan made with the Kiva Card, they can then choose to make new loans, donate the funds to Kiva, or withdraw them into a PayPal account. It's a gift that keeps on giving!
To learn more about Kiva Cards, please go to: kiva.org/gifts/kiva-cards
Why are there so few green loans available?
We rely on our Lending Partners to upload loan requests to Kiva's website and we don't have as many partners who post green loans as in other sectors. This often means that the demand for green loans outpaces our Lending Partners' ability to upload these loan requests.
If you're interested in supporting green loans on Kiva, please keep checking back at: kiva.org/lend#/?themes%5B%5D=Green -- our partners post new loans every day.
Do I have to create a Kiva account in order to redeem a Kiva Card?
Yes, to redeem your Kiva Card you will need to create an account if you don't already have one. The funds from your Kiva Card are yours to use when lending on Kiva, and as the loan is repaid the repayments will be returned to your Kiva account.
At that point you can choose to relend, donate, or withdraw your funds. If you don't already have a Kiva account, please register for one at: kiva.org/register
If you choose not to register for an account and redeem your Kiva Card, it will automatically be converted into a donation to Kiva's operating expenses 1 year after it was purchased (at which time a donation receipt will be sent to the person who purchased the Kiva Card).
What do “Average Cost to Borrower” and “PY” mean?
Many of Kiva's Lending Partners do charge borrowers in some form in order to make possible the long-term sustainability of their operations, reach and impact. While Lending Partners may request payment from borrowers, and some Lending Partners are profitable, Kiva carefully chooses to partner with organizations that have a social mission to serve the poor, unbanked and underserved, and our due diligence methods include thorough analyses of the costs and benefits of individual loan products. Moreover, partners with a very high cost to borrowers undergo additional annual screening by Kiva to further review their pricing rationale.
Currently, there are 4 different types of information about our Lending Partners that may appear in this Average Cost to Borrower field: Portfolio Yield (PY), Annual Percentage Rate (APR), Monthly Percentage Rate (MPR) and Not Applicable (N/A). Kiva displays only versions of these rates that are nominal, meaning that the effect of inflation in each country is not taken into account. See The World Factbook for a publicly available list of inflation rates.
For this specific Lending Partner, Kiva displays Portfolio Yield (PY), which is equal to a Lending Partner's financial earnings divided by its average loan portfolio outstanding during a given year. Currently, Kiva displays Portfolio Yield for most of its Lending Partners that are microfinance institutions (MFIs). Portfolio Yield applies to the institution as a whole, and thus is a proxy for cost to borrowers rather than a direct measurement. Kiva calculates Portfolio Yield directly from the most recently available financial statements of a Lending Partner and compares this result with other publicly available sources of pricing information such as mixmarket.org and mftransparency.org.
Although there's a strong correlation between Portfolio Yield and APR, in some circumstances Portfolio Yield underestimates borrower cost, primarily because it does not account for the cost to borrowers of mandatory savings and/or security deposits. For more information on the relationship between Portfolio Yield, APR and cost to borrowers, see this analysis. Although Portfolio Yield remains a valuable metric, Kiva is also exploring ways to simplify and standardize the process to collect, calculate, assess and share APR pricing information for more partners.
So why does Kiva choose to show Portfolio Yield for some partners?
- It's a better metric than self-reported interest rates because it includes fees and other charges, and is annualized.
- It's readily available from an analysis of a Lending Partner's financial statements.
- It's widely understood and commonly used within the microfinance industry, and many MFIs report this data publicly to Mix Market.
- It's much quicker and cheaper to calculate than APR, saving Kiva resources to invest in efforts such as expanding to new countries and supporting new and innovative lending.
How will I know if the loan I’ve funded is at risk of currency loss?
You see if the loan is at risk of currency loss by visiting the loan page. This information is noted on the right side of the page next to the label “Currency Exchange Loss.” The Lending Partner-specified currency exchange loss to lenders can be one of three values: Covered, Possible, or N/A.
Covered: The Lending Partner has opted to cover any losses on the loan that are due to currency fluctuation. Lenders will not bear losses due to currency fluctuation.
Possible: The Lending Partner has opted not to cover losses on the loan that are due to currency fluctuation. In this situation, lenders face additional risk because they will bear losses greater than 10%.
N/A: The Lending Partner disburses loans to borrowers in USD, so their loans are not subject to any foreign currency conversion.
How to transfer money from my PayPal account to my bank account?
1. Sign into your PayPal account at paypal.com
2. Once signed in, click "Withdraw" near the top of the page
3. Click "Transfer Money to Bank Account"
4. Enter the amount you want to withdraw
5. Select the bank account you want to credit, then click continue
There should be no charge to withdraw money from your PayPal balance to your local bank account, but some banks may charge a fee for transfers. Please contact your bank directly for more information. Depending on the bank, it can take 3-4 business days for the money to appear in your bank account.
You can also withdraw money from your PayPal balance by requesting a check. (There’s a fee of $1.50 USD for check withdrawals.)
How does a group loan work?
Group loans are a powerful innovation in microfinance because they are often less expensive for partners to manage in terms of time and resources. Organizations can leverage the local knowledge of individuals to select good borrowers, disburse many loans at once, and collect repayments more easily.
In a group loan, each member of the group receives an individual loan, usually an equal portion of the amount stated on the loan page. The group is there to provide support to its members and also provides a system of peer pressure in repayment of their loans. They may or may not be formally bound by a group guarantee, which requires other members to cover the loans of their fellow group member if someone has difficulty repaying.
I live in India. Why can I not pay for my loans using PayPal?
Based on the scope of PayPal's license to operate in India, PayPal is unfortunately unable to accept payments from lenders in India for the purpose of supporting microloans on Kiva. Lenders in India are still welcome to use free or promotional credit to make loans or relend any available funds in your Kiva account.
As an organization that cares deeply about our lenders, we’re sorry about how this may impact your ability to lend on Kiva going forward. PayPal and Kiva are exploring other potential options for Kiva lenders to make loans from India, but we don't foresee the ability to overcome these license limitations in the near future. In the meantime, if you'd like to support microloans in India, you may want to check out Milaap.org, which is a crowdfunding microloan website based in India, and also a Kiva Lending Partner.
What percentage of my loan goes to the borrower?
100% of every dollar lent on Kiva goes toward funding loans. Kiva never takes a cut of these loans -- instead, we support our operations through donations from our lending community.
Will my loans be repaid?
Lending on Kiva involves risk of principal loss and it is not guaranteed that loans will be repaid.
You can find Kiva's current repayment rates at: kiva.org/about/due-diligence/risk
Please note, past repayment rates may not reflect future repayment rates or the likelihood of repayment on any particular loan. By lending to multiple borrowers, rather than simply lending to one borrower, or by diversifying your loans across various Lending Partners and countries, you may be able to increase the likelihood of repayment.
For more information about how Kiva measures and manages risk, please visit our Due diligence section on this page: kiva.org/about/due-diligence
Why does the group loan only list information about 1 borrower?
Kiva has found it to be more effective and efficient for our Lending Partners to choose 1 borrower from a group to highlight in the loan description, instead of having them list information about every member of the group and how they will use their loan. By telling 1 person's story, our hope is that lenders will feel more of a sense of connection to that borrower (and the loan) than they would if the description were only a list of group names and loan uses. Therefore, it is our policy to ask our partners to choose a member of the group, typically a person who acts as a group leader or has a particularly compelling story to share, and write up more detailed information about that person in the loan description.
How do I unsubscribe from team messages?
You can change your email preferences with Kiva, including team messages, by signing into your account and going to: kiva.org/settings/email
On this page you'll see checkboxes and drop-down menus for each of our email lists. To change your email settings for different lending teams, just select your preferences for each team under "Show Per-team Settings." Then click "Save email settings" to update your preferences.
Why isn't PayPal accepting my lender's credit card?
PayPal provides Kiva with free payment processing on all financial transactions, which means that regardless of whether a lender pays using a credit card or PayPal account, PayPal will process their payment and send them a receipt. Because of this, if your lenders run into trouble using a credit card to make a payment on Kiva, we unfortunately can't do anything directly to figure out why your payment isn't going through.
To help troubleshoot the issue, you may advise them to use a different browser, use a private browser or go into "incognito mode", to clear their current browser's cache and cookies, or use a different credit card.
If they continue having trouble using their credit card, they can give PayPal's customer service team a call at 888-445-5032 (Toll Free US) or 402-952-8811 (International). For more information about lending on Kiva, please visit our lender help center here.
What is Kiva's response to COVID-19?
You can find the most up-to-date information on Kiva's response to COVID-19 here: kiva.org/blog/covid
Why am I not given the option to checkout as a PayPal guest?
If you're having trouble checking out as a PayPal guest, it may be for one of the following reasons:
1. You live in a country that doesn't offer guest checkout. A list of countries where PayPal works can be found here: paypal.com/us/cgi-bin/webscr?cmd=_display-country-functionality-outside
2. You've exceeded your guest checkout limit. PayPal allows users to check out as a guest no more than 15 times, with a spending limit of $4,000.
We recently integrated direct credit card processing, which does not have a checkout limit, although it does have some restrictions based on location. To use this option, please click "Pay by card" next to the PayPal login screen.
How do I communicate with my Kiva lenders?
Use the “updates” feature in your Borrower dashboard to thank lenders for their support of your loan, engage with them, and continue to cultivate your brand awareness of your business.
We recommend updating your lenders at least once per month. You can provide details on how the business is changing, challenges or victories you’re encountering, and ask for input or advice.
To post an update to your lenders, please follow these instructions:
1) Log into your borrower account at http://www.kiva.org/
2) Scroll down and click "next" in the "what's next" section
3) Click "update your lenders"
4) Type your update and "post update"
Will PayPal charge me a fee to withdraw funds from my Kiva account?
You won't be charged a fee to withdraw funds from your Kiva account to your PayPal account, but you may be charged a fee to move your funds from your
PayPal account to your bank account or other funding source. Additionally, if you reside outside of the United States you may be charged a currency conversion fee by PayPal if you wish to convert the funds from USD back into your local currency.
For more information about transferring funds out of PayPal, please visit PayPal's Help Center (paypal.com/help) or contact their customer service team at 888-445-5032 (Toll Free US) or 402-952-8811 (International), Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. CST.
How do I create a PayPal account?
To create a PayPal account, go to: paypal.com. Click "Sign Up" and follow the prompts to create a PayPal account.
If you have any issues in creating or updating your PayPal account, please visit PayPal's help center at paypal.com/help or try contacting their customer service team at 888-445-5032 (Toll Free US) or 402-952-8811 (International), Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. CST.
How do I quit a lending team?
To quit a lending team you're a member of, sign into your account and go to: kiva.org/teams/my-teams
Find the team you want to leave, click the arrow next to it, and then click "Quit Team."
Please note that you cannot quit a team if you're the captain unless you first make another member captain in your place. To do so, go to the Members tab of the team and click "Bestow captainhood" on someone you'd like to be the captain.
Can I see how much each of my lenders contributed and their contact information?
Due to privacy guidelines, which can be found in our lender agreement, we are not able to provide that information. However, we encourage you to reach out to your lenders in the comments section of your loan to engage with and thank them.
How does Kiva fund its operations?
100% of loans raised on Kiva are passed along to borrowers. We fund our operations primarily through the support of our lender community, many of whom make optional donations on top of the loans they make.
We also receive funding through grants, foundations, corporate sponsors and interest earned on our bank accounts. To learn more about donating to Kiva, please visit: kiva.org/donate
We are incredibly thankful for all of this support, which helps keep our site up and running so we can pursue our mission.
Can I delete a lending team?
If you are the captain of a lending team, you can delete the team by signing into your Kiva account and going to: kiva.org/teams/my-teams
On this page you'll see a list of all your teams. Click the team you want to delete and select "Go to Overview" from the drop down menu. Click "Edit team info" on the right side of the page, and then click "Delete team" at the bottom of the page. Please note, this action cannot be undone! Also, once a lending team is deleted you will not be able to use the team name or team URL to create a new team in the future.
Alternatively, you can unsubscribe from team messages by going to your Email Settings at: kiva.org/settings/email and changing your per-team preferences to "Do not send".
You can also bestow captainhood on someone else by going the Members page and clicking "Bestow captainhood" next to the person you want to grant captainhood to.
What are Islamic finance loans?
Islamic Finance loans are specifically tailored to serve borrowers within the Muslim community. A key tenet of Islam is the prohibition of interest in the lending or accepting of money. Kiva’s Lending Partners working in these communities have created a shariah-compliant loan product, attaching a 0% interest rates to the loans. Instead of interest, these partners charge a servicing fee to help cover their costs. The amount you see fundraising on Kiva includes both the principal loan and the loan servicing fees.
Can I be a Kiva lender if I reside outside the United States?
Kiva encourages lenders from all over the world to participate and we love seeing our community grow! If you live outside the United States, there may be limitations on what payment options are available to you when checking out through PayPal. You also may be charged a currency conversion fee if paying in a currency other than USD. To learn more, please visit: paypal.com/webapps/mpp/country-worldwide
What are Crisis Support Loans?
Crisis Support Loans provide loans directly to our Lending Partners and small-to-medium social enterprises, to cover their operating needs during this challenging period.
Some of these needs include paying salaries and retaining staff jobs in order to lend and operate their business as usual. They also enable investments in upgrading communication technology to be able to work remotely and continue to serve borrowers. Through these loans, Lending Partners and social enterprises will be able to create, market, and finance new emergency loan types specifically designed for borrowers affected by this crisis.
These loans are an important way for Kiva to immediately help organizations who are working to disburse loans to borrowers in the context of COVID-19.
Some loans in this category will be used to support existing Labs Social Enterprise (LSE) borrowers, who need additional financing to cover their costs. You can read more about the Labs Social Enterprise program here: www.labs.kiva.org/
To find Crisis Support loans, you can use this link: https://www.kiva.org/lend?attribute=36
You can also read more about Crisis Support Loans here: https://www.kiva.org/blog/introducing-crisis-support-loans-how-we-can-support-our-field-partners
How is free credit funded?
Free credit is typically funded by generous Kiva supporters and corporate partners who have contributed to help us engage our lender community and attract new audiences. Free credit essentially allows you to lend a Kiva sponsor's money toward a loan of your choice, but the repayments will return to Kiva, rather than to your Kiva account, so that it can be used over and over again for future campaigns.
What are the risks involved with lending to direct loans?
Lending money to U.S. loans is inherently riskier than lending to partner-facilitated loans, as there is less on-the-ground oversight and penalties for non-repayment.
U.S. loans go through a different risk evaluation process and don't receive a formal risk rating. These loans are approved through our due diligence and social underwriting processes, which allow borrowers to prove their creditworthiness by having a Trustee vouch for them, or by recruiting their networks to lend to them before being posted publicly on Kiva.
There are many reasons why a loan might not be paid back, ranging from poor market conditions for the business to the borrower experiencing a catastrophic accident, or simply falling out of touch despite our efforts to contact them. As a newer type of lending, there are more unknown variables in direct lending that we continue to discover as we support more borrowers and perfect our risk management strategy.
Although U.S. loans carry greater risks, we're also careful to ensure they are having a high impact, providing opportunities to borrowers who are excluded from traditional funding sources or who are offering a social benefit to their community.
What is the private fundraising period?
The private fundraising period is a period of time where a borrower must recruit a certain number of lenders from their own networks to support their loan, prior to that loan be posted to the Kiva website. Most direct loans go through a private fundraising period, as do some larger partner loans.
How can I view my transaction history in Excel?
You can view all of your activity on Kiva by going to: kiva.org/portfolio/transactions
If you'd like to export the data into an Excel file, click the "Export" button.
Will I get a receipt for my loan?
When you make a loan on Kiva, you'll receive an email from Kiva confirming your purchase. You may also receive a receipt from PayPal confirming payment for your purchase.
To confirm any of your activity on Kiva, the best thing to do is to check out your Kiva transaction history by signing into your account and going to: kiva.org/portfolio/transactions
What interest rate does Kiva U.S. charge?
Kiva U.S. loans are at 0% interest and have no fees.
What happens if my loan doesn't fully fund during public fundraising?
If a Kiva U.S. loan does not reach its fundraising goal in time, all lenders to that loan are refunded their contribution, and the borrower does not receive any portion of the loan. Unfortunately, Kiva doesn't yet disburse partial loans or make up the difference of the amount that they didn't fundraise in the U.S.
However, borrowers are welcome to apply for a second time if they reached at least 50% of their goal. If your loan expires, you can begin and submit a new application at kiva.org/borrower
If you do choose to reapply, we encourage you to consider requesting a lower loan amount, while also, working to improve the quality of your profile by following these guidelines: https://www.kivaushub.org/application
What happens if my free credit expires without being used?
If free credit is not redeemed by its expiration date, funds are returned to the free credit sponsor, and will be available to fund future free credit. To request a new credit, please email contactus@kiva.org
Why does Kiva allow loans for purposes other than business?
While Kiva started out primarily offering loans to entrepreneurs looking to invest in their businesses, as we grow and work to help individuals create opportunity for themselves and others, we are challenging ourselves to find new ways for our lenders’ flexible, risk-tolerant capital to grow markets and reach even more people with innovative loan products.
You can read a bit more about this on our website at: kiva.org/updates/kiva/2012/02/13/innovating-to-expand-opportunities
Can I recommend a new loan tag?
All tagging is done by Kiva's Review and Translation Program volunteers. If you'd like to suggest a new loan tag with us at contactus@kiva.org, we’d be happy to share your suggestion(s) with the wider team.
Who can get a Kiva loan?
Kiva crowdfunds loans for borrowers in more than 80 countries who are often financially excluded and can’t access other fair and affordable sources of credit. In the U.S., Kiva crowdfunds loans for borrowers who are either financially excluded or creating social impact in their communities.
Kiva borrowers work in many industries. They may be farmers, artisans, students, shopkeepers, builders or restaurant owners. Many Kiva borrowers work multiple jobs to generate enough income to support their families.
Kiva Lending Partners and Trustees help identify and vet borrowers whose loans will be crowdfunded on Kiva. If you’re in the the U.S. and you’re interested in applying for a loan learn more at: borrow.kiva.org
Can I have a refund?
To request a withdrawal for funds that have been repaid, please go to: kiva.org/withdraw
On this page, enter the amount you want to withdraw and the email address associated with your PayPal account (you will need to enter this email twice), then follow the prompts.
We'll process your request and the funds should be deposited into your PayPal account within 2-3 weeks (withdrawals will be slightly delayed over the holiday period). Kiva isn't able to deposit funds directly into a personal bank account, but from PayPal you can transfer funds to your bank.
To request a refund for funds used toward a loan that expired, or for funds that have not been used for loans, please email us at refunds@kiva.org confirming the original method of payment is still valid, and we will process your request in 1-2 business days.
How does my Trustee endorse my loan?
To endorse a borrower, Trustees must go to their Trustee Dashboard and manually search for the name of the borrower or the name of the borrower's business. The loan will show up as long as the application has been started, even if if it is under review.
How do I make a monthly contribution to Kiva?
You can make a recurring, monthly deposit into your Kiva account by setting up an auto deposit. Auto deposit allows you to add funds to your Kiva account or make a monthly deposit to Kiva's operating expenses on a monthly basis. To learn more visit: kiva.org/auto-deposit
If you're interested in even more automation, you can then set up auto-lending or join our Monthly Good program, where your funds will automatically be lent out to borrowers in need. To sign up for auto-lending, visit: kiva.org/settings/credit
To learn more about Monthly Good, visit: kiva.org/monthlygood
How are the borrowers chosen?
Kiva's Lending Partners work locally and choose the borrowers whose loans are posted on the Kiva website. Each Lending Partner uses their own application vetting process to choose which loans to make. This application process has been reviewed by Kiva to confirm that the organization has the ability to handle Kiva's funds responsibly.
For more information, please visit our Risk and Due Diligence page here: kiva.org/about/risk
Can I search for loans by Lending Partner?
Yes, lenders can search for loans by Lending Partner. This search filter is available under the "Advanced Options."
In addition, you can also find all of the fundraising loans by a particular Lending Partner by visiting their partner page (kiva.org/partners). On each partner page there is a link that says "See all fundraising loans from this Lending Partner »" which will direct you to a list of all of that partner's currently fundraising loans.
What type of organization is Kiva?
Kiva is a 501(c)(3) non-profit public benefit corporation registered in the state of California. Your donations to Kiva itself, unlike the loans made to borrowers, are eligible for a tax-deduction in the United States. To learn more, please go to: kiva.org/about/finances
What are the loan terms for U.S. loans?
The maximum amount that U.S. borrowers can be approved for depends on multiple factors in their application. Borrowers may request loan amounts from $1,000 to $15,000, and will be notified of the final amount they qualify for after submitting their application.
Will auto-lending make donations to Kiva when it lends?
Kiva relies on on the support of lenders to help cover the costs of running Kiva. Every time you make a loan on Kiva, we ask if you'd like to make a donation to help offset our operating expenses. This step is included on loans made via auto-lending as well. Donations to Kiva's operating expenses are always completely optional, so if you'd like to change the amount that's donated to Kiva when auto-lending is turned on, please specify that in your auto-lending settings: kiva.org/settings/credit
Use the drop down box beneath "Donate this amount to Kiva's operating expenses with each loan:" to select the amount you’d like to donate. When you're done, click "Save auto-lending settings" at the bottom of the page to save your changes.
Does Kiva measure its Lending Partners' environmental impact?
When Kiva selects new Lending Partners to work with, we certainly try to look at the holistic vision of the institution, and how it measures the progress / impact / growth of its clients in both financial and non-financial terms. The amount of information available to institutions on these issues varies widely, as do the ways that they monitor and evaluate their process. For this reason, at this time, Kiva does not have anything formal in place to evaluate our partners in regards to animal rights and environmental sustainability issues.
One way that we try to maximize the good created through Kiva is by partnering with organizations that go above and beyond to generate positive outcomes for the communities they serve. This is called social performance and you can read more about the social performance strengths of our partners on our website here: kiva.org/about/socialperformance
In addition, Kiva has focused our efforts to expand the number of green loans fundraising on our website, by specifically seeking out partner organizations focused on clean energy solutions, sustainable agriculture and the recycling and repurposing of materials. We've also been working on creating incentives to encourage our current Lending Partners to post more green loans.
As Kiva grows and we have tools in place to better measure impact, one thing we may be able to do in the future is rate businesses on our site by how "friendly" they are to the environment, to the health and safety of their communities, and to the well being of their workers (if they employ others). We look forward to exploring opportunities like this in the future.
Outstanding loans
Outstanding loans refers to the balance of loans still awaiting repayment.
Why are there so few women borrowers fundraising on Kiva right now?
At Kiva we rely on our Lending Partners to upload loan requests to our website. Loans to women tend to be more popular than loans to men and are thus funded faster. This means that sometimes the demand for loans to women outpaces our partners' ability to upload these loan requests. The good news is that Kiva's Lending Partners upload new loans every day, so please keep checking back for more.
Can a borrower take out 2 loans at once?
Borrowers are allowed to take out concurrent loans. Many of our Lending Partners allow borrowers to take out one primary business loan and a second "add-on" loan that is generally for a smaller amount and for a different purpose. Kiva's Lending Partners are careful about giving concurrent loans to borrowers, and they work to ensure that a concurrent loan does not push a borrower into over-indebtedness, but rather, that a second loan actually helps to enhance the borrower's life and business.
Why do some borrowers make early repayments on their loans?
A culture of early repayment is common in many countries where we work. Lending Partners tell us that often times borrowers will repay loans early if they have the financial means to do so. This has both social implications (i.e. pride, respect, reputation, etc.) as well as practical financial reasons for the borrower. Some partners operate on a "declining balance" payment system, which means that by paying more money early on, the borrower is charged less in total interest payments. Also, many of these partners don't charge early repayment penalties, which means there isn't a charge to the borrower should they decide to repay ahead of schedule.
How can I help Kiva as a developer?
We appreciate your interest in supporting Kiva and have a great developer website: kiva.org/build
Please consider joining our Google Group: groups.google.com/group/build-kiva to share or explore ideas with other developers.
Everything you need to get started using our API is published at: kiva.org/build
How did Kiva get started?
The best way to learn about how Kiva got started is to read these two articles, both written by co-founder Matt Flannery:
Kiva and the Birth of Person-to-Person Microfinance: https://www.kiva.org/cms/files/INNOV0201_flannery_kiva.pdf
Kiva at Four: https://www.kiva.org/cms/files/INNOV-SKOLL-2009_flannery.pdf
Can I filter loans by Average Cost to Borrower or ROA?
Yes, you can filter loans according to the average cost paid by Kiva borrowers and/or the profitability (ROA) of the Lending Partner. This option is found under the "Advanced Options" on kiva.org/lend
Why is it important that I donate to Kiva in addition to my loans?
At Kiva, we're committed to sending 100% of your loan contributions to the field. We don't take a cut of money lent on our website, and don't charge a fee for lending. However, facilitating loans in 80+ countries around the world isn't free, so we rely on lenders to make donations in addition to their loans.
In fact, individual lender donations cover more than two-thirds of our operational budget. This allows us to keep our fundraising costs low and be less reliant on larger, one-time gifts to be sustainable. Donations to Kiva are also considered tax-deductible charitable contributions in the United States.
Average cost to borrower
Many of Kiva's Lending Partners do charge borrowers in some form in order to make possible the long-term sustainability of their operations, reach and impact. There are 4 different types of information about the cost paid by Kiva borrowers to our Lending Partners that may appear in this Average cost to borrower field: Portfolio yield (PY), Annual percentage rate (APR), Monthly percentage rate (MPR) and Not applicable (N/A). Please check the loan for more information.
Can I get a copy of Kiva's annual report?
You can find a copy of Kiva's past annual reports on our Finances page: kiva.org/about/finances
Why aren't borrowers smiling in photos?
We know that many lenders prefer to support borrowers that are smiling in their photo, as it's a common practice to smile when you're in front of a camera in many Western countries. However, this is not true for all cultures and regions of the world. In fact, in some cultures it's inappropriate to smile in pictures, as it might imply that someone is foolish or doesn't take their loan or business seriously. Or, it could be that someone isn't accustomed to smiling in photos, so it didn't occur to them to smile for the loan officer when taking a photo for their Kiva loan.
Whatever the reason, we want to respect the cultures where borrowers live and work, allowing them the choice to smile or not. To read a bit more about this, check out this blog post written by one of our Kiva Fellows: https://www.kiva.org/blog/dona-elsa-meets-her-smile
Can you delete a loan tag?
Loan tags allow Kiva lenders to search for loans that match certain criteria. Kiva’s Review and Translation Program volunteers take care of tagging all loans, who review and tag all loans using a common set of definitions, a list of which can be found at: http://kivaloantaggers.blogspot.com/p/below-is-alphabetical-list-of-tag.html
Only the individual who added a loan tag can remove it, but if you see a loan tag that doesn't seem correct, please let us know.
Can I use my Kiva credit to purchase items on the Kiva Store?
The Kiva Store is run separately from Kiva, which means that you can’t use funds in your Kiva lending account to shop the Kiva Store. The Kiva Store is powered by NOVICA, a Kiva Lending Partner that works with artisans around the world, and uses a separate sign in system from your lending account. You can, however, make purchases on the Kiva Store using the same PayPal account that you use when lending on Kiva, so if you request a withdrawal to your PayPal account, you can then use those funds on the Kiva Store.
To request a withdrawal, you can go to kiva.org/withdraw. Please note that the withdrawal process takes 1-2 weeks to complete.
How do I make someone else the captain of my lending team?
If you'd like to make someone else the captain or co-captain of your lending team, you can bestow captainhood on them. To do so, sign into your Kiva account and go to: kiva.org/teams/my-teams
Click on the name of the team you are the captain of and then click “Edit Members." You’ll need to identify the person you want to become a captain and then, next to that person’s name, click “Bestow Captainhood." The person you identified will now be your co-captain.
If you do not wish to be a team captain anymore, you will need to ask the new captain to remove your captainhood.
Can I mark or save a loan and come back to it later?
If you're interested in marking a loan and lending to it in the future, once you have signed in, simply click the star on the bottom right corner of the photo. When you're ready to lend, roll over "Lend" in the header and select "Starred loans" under "My Kiva. This will show you all of your starred loans that are currently fundraising. Please note, by default, this list will only should loans that are currently fundraising, so if the loan has already been fully funded by other lenders, it will not be displayed.
Can I make money if the value of the local currency appreciates relative to the US dollar?
Kiva loans are not securities or investment vehicles and therefore can’t be used to make money via currency exchange fluctuations. While lenders will not gain funds beyond their principal loan amount if the local currency appreciates against the US dollar, gains will first be credited back to lenders to offset losses on the same loan if losses were previously experienced. If no losses were experienced, currency gains will be retained by Kiva to cover operating expenses.
How can I find Kiva on social media?
Kiva is active on a number of social media channels, including:
Facebook: facebook.com/kivaTwitter: twitter.com/kivaYouTube: youtube.com/kiva Instagram: instagram.com/kiva_microloans/LinkedIn: linkedin.com/static?key=groups_giving_kivaPinterest: pinterest.com/kivaorg/
What is a loan attribute?
Loan attributes are set by Kiva and help highlight certain characteristics of a loan product and/or population that's being served with the loan. Oftentimes attributes denote loan products, populations or regions of the world where Kiva believes lenders' capital can have a positive impact around the world.
What does "Kiva" mean?
Kiva is based on a word in a Swahili dialect meaning "agreement" or "unity."
What are higher education loans?
Higher Education loans give underprivileged and vulnerable students the opportunity to attend a vocational program, university or higher education institution. These loans can fund student fees, school supplies, or room and board.
What are the responsibilities of a team captain?
Lending team captains are a key part of keeping members active and engaged on the team. They also have administrative functions such as the ability to delete posts or write a featured post, approve or deny requests to join the team, and sometimes the need to respond to lender messages sent by team members.
Many captains choose to start lending campaigns or ask questions to get to know their fellow teammates. You can read more about how to create and maintain a successful team on our Lending Team Playbook: kiva.org/teams/playbook
We hope you find this position fun and rewarding!
When a borrower makes a repayment, can I use the funds immediately?
Your Kiva account will be credited each time a repayment is made, and you can then choose to relend your funds, donate them to Kiva's operating expenses or withdraw them into a PayPal account.
Why doesn't Kiva work in the European Union?
Kiva’s priority is to work in the developing world and reach people who, were it not for Kiva, wouldn't have access to microfinance. Unfortunately we don't plan to work with partners in the European Union for the time-being due to regulatory constraints; however, we may re-evaluate this decision in the future. To see a list of the countries where Kiva operates, please visit: kiva.org/partners
How do I sign into Kiva using my Apple ID?
If you have an existing account with Kiva and sign in with Apple using the “Share my Email” option and the email you used to set up your Kiva account, the two accounts will be linked. You will then be able to sign in with both email/password and Apple Sign In methods.
Please note: If you attempt to sign into an existing account and select the “Hide My Email” option, Kiva will not be able to match the anonymized email to your email, and will instead create a second account.
For more information on the Hide My Email option: https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT210425
What is the disbursed date?
The disbursed date indicates the date that the borrower receives their loan funds. Loan disbursal for loans on Kiva can happen anywhere from 30 days before to 90 days after the loan is posted on the Kiva website. Direct loans are always post-disbursed, and will be done only after the loan has fully fundraised on Kiva.
In the case of partner loans, many of our Lending Partners choose to disburse loan funds before the loan request is posted on Kiva. We allow pre-disbursal because it ensures that the funds reach the borrower as soon as they are needed. Loan funds from Kiva lenders then go to backfill that amount and as a lender you assume the risk of the loan. By doing this, our Lending Partners assume the risk that, if the loan isn't funded by lenders, they will have to fund the loan without any funds from Kiva.
If a partner loan is not pre-disbursed, it will be listed on Kiva with an expected "post-disbursed" date. If a post-disbursed loan is not funded on Kiva, there is a chance that the borrower may not receive their loan. Some Lending Partners choose to disburse loans with other sources of funding, while other partners don't have the resources available to fund loans without Kiva lenders' support. No direct loans will be disbursed unless they fully fundraise on Kiva.
What is an Experimental Lending Partner?
If a Lending Partner is labeled as Experimental, this means that Kiva has required only a comparatively light level of due diligence and monitoring, in exchange for only allowing this Lending Partner access to a small amount of funding through Kiva at any given time. The Experimental Lending Partner program was created to facilitate access to Kiva for small social enterprises and innovative pilot credit programs. Frequently, Kiva will conduct further due diligence on these Lending Partners after an initial testing period, potentially graduating the Lending Partner out of Experimental status. Since Kiva does not conduct a full risk analysis of Experimental Lending Partners, they are not assigned a formal risk rating on our website. Lenders should always assume that these partners represent the highest level of repayment risk on Kiva.
How do I edit team members?
If you are the captain of a lending team, you can edit your team's members.
To do so, simply sign in to your Kiva account and go to: kiva.org/teams/my-teams
Using the list on teams on the right side of the page, navigate to the team page. Once there, click on the "Members" tab. This page lists all of your team members with the option to dismiss them from the team, or bestow team captainhood to them.
How do I change my loan alert settings?
You can unsubscribe from receiving emails about loans that match your saved searches directly from the email. You can also change these email settings at any time by going to: kiva.org/lend/saved-search
Is Kiva a religious organization?
Kiva is not a religious organization, although we are open to partnering with organizations that do have a religious affiliation.
How will Kiva decide which loans my Monthly Good supports?
Monthly Good contributions are lent automatically to borrowers who need help reaching their 100% funded goal. This could be anyone on Kiva: from a farmer to a student, an artisan to a shop keeper.
This automatic lending is based on who real people are supporting on Kiva at any given moment. So when another lender supports a particular borrower, we can match that support with an automatic loan from your Monthly Good. The wisdom of the Kiva lending crowd will direct your automatic loan.
Do I qualify?
There are a number of criteria that you must meet in order to qualify for a Kiva U.S. loan. These criteria are as follows:
1. You must be at least 18 years of age.
2. You must not currently be in foreclosure, bankruptcy, or under any liens.
3. You must not have a violent or financial criminal conviction in the last 5 years.
4. You must reside and operate your business in the United States.
5. Your business cannot be registered in the states of Nevada or North Dakota
6. You must be seeking a loan for business purposes other than refinancing debt and purchasing stock or equity.
7. Your business must not be of a type deemed ineligible for a Kiva loan. Some examples are: a) federally illegal activities (e.g. gambling, hemp-related products) or b) businesses related to tobacco, pawn-shops, weapons, multi-level marketing, direct selling, cryptocurrencies, drones, or adult entertainment
8. You must have a PayPal account (that’s how you will receive and pay back your Kiva loan!)
9. You must be willing to demonstrate your social capital by having a small number of your friends, family, clients, and/or business partners make a loan to you
Can I match loans on Kiva?
The loan matching opportunity is limited to individuals or groups who would like to match $25,000 or more in loans. If you're interested in learning more about becoming a loan matcher, please email development@kiva.org
The Kiva Card recipient won't use their gift and it's about to convert to a donation. What do I do?
If you send us the code associated with the Kiva Card that hasn't been used (you can find this at kiva.org/portfolio/kiva-cards) we can cancel it and return the funds to your Kiva account. You can then use those funds to purchase a new Kiva Card or lend the funds yourself.
To avoid any confusion, we suggest contacting the recipient first to confirm that they don't want to use the Kiva Card.
How can I send lender messages?
You can send a lender message from a public lender page by clicking on the "Send Message" button. You can also reply to a message you've received by signing into your Kiva account and going to: kiva.org/account/messages
This page will display all the lender messages you've received, and if you'd like to reply to the message, just click the "Reply" button. Draft your reply and click "Send Message" to send your response.
How do I support Kiva through Amazon Smile?
Amazon has pledged to give 0.5% of purchases to various charities through its website smile.amazon.com. If you'd like to help support Kiva through your Amazon purchases, you can do so by selecting Kiva as your designated charity at smile.amazon.com.
Please note, donations made through Amazon Smile will not be reflected in your Kiva account.
Why does Kiva post loans for coal-related and other environmentally unfriendly activities?
While the sale and use of charcoal isn't an environmentally friendly or sustainable practice, we allow borrowers in this industry to be posted on Kiva because it's such a normal and necessary industry in many parts of the developing world. Until cheap, sustainable ways of cooking and heating are more common in these regions, people are likely to continue using charcoal. Kiva is working to create incentives for our Lending Partners to provide loans that help promote more sustainable energy sources, and you can find these on our website listed under the attribute "Green."
Green loans can be found on our website here: kiva.org/lend/green
Who runs the Kiva Store?
The Kiva Store (store.kiva.org) is a partnership between Kiva and Kiva’s Lending Partner NOVICA, a mission-driven company that works with artisans around the world. The store is powered by NOVICA, which means all payment processing and product fulfillment is handled by NOVICA. Kiva is highly involved with product development, product packaging and messages.
To learn more about Kiva’s partnership with NOVICA, visit: kiva.org/about/where-kiva-works/partners/225
I have a product or technology to help Kiva's Lending Partners on the ground
Kiva's Lending Partners are responsible for screening borrowers, disbursing loans, and collecting repayments on the ground. You'll find a list of our partners here: kiva.org/partners
If you have a product or technology you think may benefit their work, we encourage you to reach out to the Lending Partner directly to see if they'd be interested in working with you to implement your that service at their organization.
How do I purchase Kiva Cards totaling more than $2,000?
For security purposes, the maximum value of Kiva Cards you can buy per day is $2,000. If you'd like to purchase a larger amount, please separate your transactions over a few days.
If you are buying Kiva Cards for a company or event, please email development@kiva.org to request a bulk order.
What do I do if I can't view or print the PDF version of my Kiva Card?
Kiva's print-it-yourself Kiva Cards are delivered via PDF format. If you're unable to view the PDF in order to print your Kiva Card, it may be that you haven't set up your browser to view PDFs using Adobe Reader or another PDF viewer such as Preview. For instructions for how to set up your browser to view PDFs, go to: helpx.adobe.com/acrobat/kb/cant-view-pdf-web
Repayment schedule for direct loans
Direct loans are disbursed after the loan has fully fundraised on Kiva, and the detailed repayment schedule will be published here at the time of disbursal. This loan is scheduled to be repaid in monthly installments, and may or may not include a grace period. The loan length listed includes both the grace period (if applicable) and all anticipated monthly repayments. Disbursement and repayments on direct loans will be made via PayPal. Repayments made on delinquent loans will be applied toward the oldest payment due until the loan becomes current.
Does Kiva list the religious affiliation of Lending Partners?
We don't currently have a spot on partner pages designated for any potential religious affiliation that an organization may have, although in reading more about these organization and checking out their website, it may help you determine if they have any type of religious affiliation.
How do I view other lenders' profiles on Kiva?
We don't have a way to search for other lenders, however if you know the URL of a friend's lender page (kiva.org/lender/_______ ), you can find his or her profile that way. You can find other lenders' profiles by browsing loans or lending teams.
How do I sign out of my Kiva account?
To sign out of your Kiva account, just roll over the circle in the top right corner of the website (or click the circle if you're on a touch device). When you do this you'll see a dropdown menu appear -- the bottom option on the list is "Sign out." Click that and you'll be successfully signed out of your Kiva account.
Why do some Lending Partners decide not to pass on currency loss to Kiva lenders?
Kiva allows its Lending Partners to choose whether to pass catastrophic currency losses on to Kiva lenders. In these cases, if the value of the US dollar appreciates more than 10% against the local currency, repayments made on Kiva loans will be marked with a currency loss.
However, some Lending Partners opt to cover all losses on the loan that are due to currency fluctuation. For instance, some Lending Partners disburse loans to borrowers in US dollars, thereby posing no currency risk as the loan will never have to be converted into a local currency that might fluctuate against the USD. Other Lending Partners simply do not see foreign exchange rates posing a significant risk, as they operate in countries where the local currency exchange rate has fluctuated very little over the past several years.
Meanwhile, some Lending Partners may simply want to eliminate risk for its lenders, thereby hoping to increase the amount of loans made to the borrowers they support. These are just a few of a variety of reasons why Lending Partners may decide to opt out of sharing currency risk.
How can I grow my lending team?
We have a resource for lenders interested in developing and expanding their lending teams called the Lending Team Playbook. Please check it out at: kiva.org/do-more/playbook
Lending Partner's default rate
The default rate is the percentage of ended loans (no longer paying back) which have failed to
repay (measured in dollar volume, not units).
How this is calculated: default rate = amount of ended loans defaulted / amount of ended loans
Notes:
- Many Lending Partners do not yet have many ended loans due to their
short history on Kiva (see "Time on Kiva"). If this is the case, a more meaningful indicator
of principal risk is "delinquency rate."
- At Kiva, we define default (non-repayment) as: the time when Kiva determines that collection of funds from a borrower or partner is doubtful, or the cumulative amount repaid as of a quarterly reconciliation is less than the amount expected as of 360 days prior and there have been no repayments reported to Kiva during this time.
Kiva typically processes defaults on a semiannual basis, and case by case exceptions may be made if the partner or Kiva anticipates future repayments to be made on the loan. Lending Partners also have the option to default loans at any time, should they determine that further collection of loan repayments from the borrower is unlikely.
How do I remove someone from my lending team?
In order to remove people from your lending team, you will need to be a team captain.
From your team page, click on the "Members" tab to see a list of all your team members. Then click "Dismiss from team" next to the person you want to remove from your team.
Why can't I use my free credit to make this loan?
Free credit cannot be applied to loans with repayment terms over 21 months or with a Lending Partner risk rating below 3 stars. To find loans that are eligible to support using your free credit, please follow this link.
How does Kiva calculate currency exchange rates?
All currency conversion rates come from XE, which calculates its rates using live, up-to-the-minute mid-market currency rates. For more information, please visit: xe.com
The starting amount is calculated on the date that the loan is posted to the Kiva system by the Lending Partner, and we use the currency rates on the billing date every month to calculate whether there has been any currency exchange loss on the repayment.
When checking out on PayPal, my basket was erased when I clicked the back button. What happened to my purchase?
Unfortunately, if you continue through the checkout process on Kiva and are directed to PayPal's website to complete payment of your purchase, and then click the back button on your browser, your basket will be erased.
In the future, if you ever feel there's an error in your order and want to edit it, you should click the "Cancel and return to Kiva User Funds" link on PayPal's website, and you should be returned to Kiva and see your basket still intact.
How do I redeem a free credit using the mobile app?
To redeem a free credit, click the "Use your promo credit" link on the home screen, which will take you to loans eligible for free credit. Then, you can select a loan using the available filters.
Once you reach the checkout screen, click "Complete order" to finish making the loan.
Total deposits
Total deposits is the total amount of funds you've deposited into your Kiva account. This money can be used for lending, donating or purchasing Kiva Cards.
What does it mean for a partner to cover currency loss?
When a Lending Partner covers currency losses, they agree to cover any losses on loans due to currency fluctuations, even those in excess of 10%.
This would happen in the case where the US dollar appreciates significantly relative to a local currency. When the borrower pays back the full loan amount in a local currency, that amount converted to US dollars would be less than the original amount lent by Kiva lenders. The Lending Partner would then cover the loss, so that lenders would be repaid the full amount they originally lent.
Why can't I find the loan I previously selected?
Loans on Kiva are often funded very quickly. This means that if you found a loan you liked before, but can't find it today when you search the website, it may be that it has already been fully funded by other lenders.
By default, we only display loans that are currently fundraising, but if you want to see all loans regardless of funding status, you can use the pulldown bar under advanced search options on the Filters sidebar to view all loans. Or, use this direct link to view and search through all loans that have been posted to Kiva: kiva.org/lend#/?status=All
You can use the "favoriting" feature to star loans that you like to come back to later. To favorite a loan, click the star on the borrower's photo. Later, hover over the Lend header and click "Starred loans" under "My Kiva".
How do I get my products in the Kiva Store?
The Kiva Store is powered by NOVICA, who manages the relationships with all the artisans who supply the store.
If you’re an artist, artisan or represent an artisan group, NOVICA welcomes you to send full details and pictures of your products to: newproducts@novica.com
Please note, the Kiva Store is in pilot phase and doesn't currently feature products made by Kiva U.S. borrowers. Depending on how the store progresses, our hope would be to eventually expand our product offerings to include Kiva U.S. businesses in the future.
What happens to the funds from a Kiva Card if it isn't redeemed?
If a Kiva Card isn't redeemed within the first 12 months after the date of purchase, the funds from the Kiva Card will be automatically converted into a donation to Kiva's operating expenses.
When a Kiva Card converts into a donation, we send a notification email to the purchaser, along with a tax receipt.
Why did I receive a receipt from PayPal when I used my credit card?
PayPal processes all of Kiva's online financial transactions, meaning you'll receive a receipt from PayPal confirming payment regardless of whether you use a credit card or funds from a PayPal account.
How do I find a list of Kiva's lending teams?
You can find a list of all Kiva lending teams at: kiva.org/teams
What does "XX Days Left" mean on a loan?
All loan requests can fundraise for up to 30 days on the Kiva website. In the last 5 days of a loan's fundraising period, if the loan hasn't yet reached its full amount, we add a box to the loan profile which displays the number of days or hours left to fundraise. Our hope is that this will make it easier for lenders to know what loans are getting close to the end of this funding period.
If a loan request is not fully funded within this period, any funds that lenders contributed to that loan request will be returned to their Kiva accounts as Kiva credit.
I received an update indicating a loan has been fully repaid, but that isn't reflected in my account. Why is that?
Because Kiva works on a net billing system, there's a delay between when the borrower pays back their loan in full and when those funds are settled back into lenders' accounts. This mean that if a Lending Partner writes an update at the time in which the borrower repays their loan in full, it may be sent to lenders prior to the point in which those funds are actually returned to lenders. However, during the next billing cycle, the Lending Partner should send any repayments collected on the loan, at which time Kiva will credit your account with the repayments due to you and mark the loan as fully repaid.
To learn more about how Kiva's repayment system works, check out this answer in our Help Center: kiva.org/help/solution/how_does_kivas_repayment_system_work
Why does Kiva lend funds to borrowers in the United States?
At Kiva, we believe that access to safe, affordable capital can help enable people work towards their dreams and create better lives for themselves and their communities. This is true for people all around the world. While an entrepreneur in the United States may appear to have access to many financial resources and options, this isn't always true. Many people in the U.S. today are still excluded from traditional funding sources like banks, and are unable to access the capital they need to grow or start their business. And the need for new solutions is great: there are 46.7 million people living in poverty in the U.S. and income inequality has been growing for decades (see: cbpp.org/research/poverty-and-inequality/a-guide-to-statistics-on-historical-trends-in-income-inequality)
Kiva has facilitated loans to borrowers in the U.S. since 2009, and in 2016 our direct lending program became our main strategy for impact in the U.S. We pride ourselves on working with people from all different backgrounds, from the formerly incarcerated to veterans, immigrants and sustainable food producers. Our hope is that by providing these entrepreneurs with access to affordable capital, they'll be able to grow their businesses and their credit history, so they can access more traditional loans in the future.
That said, we know and respect that lenders have different preferences for how they want to use their money on Kiva. We encourage all lenders to direct their funds toward loans that align with where they want to make an impact, locally or abroad.
Why did repayments show up in my account the month prior to when they were due?
Kiva works on a net billing system with our Lending Partners, which means that for any given month we subtract the amount of repayments that a Lending Partner owes to Kiva lenders from the amount that the partner fundraises for borrowers on Kiva. Any money that the partner has raised during the month is first used to cover what is owed to Kiva lenders.
Lending Partners then have until the 1st of the following month to send Kiva any additional amount outstanding. This process of returning funds to Kiva lenders is called "settlement" and has historically started to run on the 17th of the month prior to when repayments are due to lenders. For example, settlement for repayments due to lenders by February 1, 2016 would start to occur on January 17, 2016. Depending on how much the partner had raised on Kiva, repayments owed to lenders may begin posting to lender accounts on the 17th of January (when settlement began) and would continue to post Kiva received additional funds from the partner, up until the 1st of February (when the actual repayments were due).
Because of this process, a month's repayment will usually show up in your account the second half of the month prior on partner loans.
Kiva Withdrawal Policy
All funds added into Kiva accounts must first be used to make microloans on Kiva's website before being withdrawn. Once funds have been loaned out and repaid, the owner of the funds may choose to withdraw that money into a PayPal account. Kiva is a charitable financial intermediary involved in philanthropic and social microlending, and is subject to the authority of the California attorney general and the Internal Revenue Service. By virtue of its status as an American organization, Kiva is required to abide by anti-money laundering and anti-terrorism funding prevention regulations applicable to all U.S. persons. In order to ensure that Kiva is in compliance with anti-money laundering and anti-terrorism funding prevention regulations applicable to all U.S. persons, Kiva monitors all lender withdrawals before sending funds to PayPal to monitor for unusual behavior. If we notice unusual behavior, we reserve the right to reach out to the requestor of a withdrawal to confirm that they understand Kiva's withdrawal policy and are in full compliance with such guidelines.
Can I purchase Kiva branded gear?
Kiva-branded gear is available through the Kiva Store, which also features borrower-made handicrafts. Check it out at: store.kiva.org/kiva-gear
What does "Keep me signed in" mean?
The "Keep me signed in" feature allows users to remain signed into their Kiva account, making it easier to use the website over time. For security purposes, certain transactions, such as withdrawals and settings, will still require additional authentication. If you want to opt-out of this feature at any time, simply click the "Sign Out" link.
What browsers does Kiva support?
Kiva supports the latest stable release browser version of Chrome, Safari, Firefox and Internet Explorer. If you're having trouble using Kiva's website, we recommend you update your browser to the latest version.
Why are some loan amounts so high?
In most emerging markets, the average microfinance loan is under $1,000, so larger loans are not necessarily considered microloans. In development terms, $50-100k is on the small end of small and medium enterprise loans. At Kiva we don't think of ourselves as only about microlending, but more focused on the broader goal of creating financial inclusion. Microloans will continue to constitute the vast majority of the loans on Kiva, but we also believe that addressing an issue as large and complex as poverty is best tackled from a variety of different angles. And today, one of the biggest unmet needs to spur economic development in less-developed countries is the Missing Middle (small enterprises that create jobs and provide large-scale solutions for poverty). We believe that by supporting both types of loans, we can all play a significant role in building the foundations for thriving communities both today and long into the future.
To learn more, please check out this blog: blog.kiva.org/kivablog/2013/12/27/bridging-the-missing-middle-the-impact-of-larger-loans-on-kiva
I made a payment several days ago. Why isn't it showing up?
Thanks so much for proactively communicating about your repayments. There are a few different reasons your payment may not have been received yet:
1. Processing Delay: The payment is still processing. Typically payments take about 1 business day to process.
2. E-check: The payment was sent as an e-check, which takes 3 to 5 days to clear. To check if your payment was sent as an e-check, log into your PayPal account, view your recent history, and confirm if the payment was sent as an e-check. Learn more about e-checks (and how to avoid them) here.
3. Wrong Email: The payment was sent to an address other than paypalzip@kiva.org. To check if it was sent to the wrong email address, log into your PayPal account and view your PayPal transaction history. If you used the wrong address, cancel your initial payment and re-send it to paypalzip@kiva.org.
4. Multiple Payments: Kiva only processes one payment per month in case borrowers accidentally make a duplicate payment. If you believe you have submitted multiple payments, please let us know and we will process the additional ones.
For any other issues related to payment, please email us at borrowers@kiva.org.
Why are borrower pictures blurred or loans listed as anonymous?
Based on the political and social challenges in the areas where certain borrowers live, personally identifiable attributes have been
altered on certain loan profiles in an effort to help protect the borrower. This can be done by either blurring portions of the
borrower in his/her picture or not indicating their name and/or location.
Because Kiva works in areas of the world where there are political and social challenges, Kiva allows our Lending Partners the
option to anonymize borrower profiles as they see fit. Rest assured, as with all borrowers on Kiva, those with blurred photos have been vetted by Kiva's Lending Partners and their names screened against U.S. Treasury and Homeland
Security anti-terrorism lists.
How can my classroom lend?
We're so excited when teachers and educators want to bring Kiva into their classrooms! If you aren't familiar with our Kiva U program, our education outreach program for teachers and students, we encourage you to check it out. Here are some great ideas and resources for getting involved with Kiva: kiva.org/do-more/kivau
Amount of ended loans
Total amount of loans raised and disbursed which are no longer in the process of being paid back by a borrower. This excludes refunded loans.
Why is the disbursal date in the past?
Loans can be disbursed to the borrower anywhere between 30 days before it's posted to Kiva to 90 days after being posted. Most partner loans are pre-disbursed, which we allow because it ensures the funds reach the borrower as soon as they are needed.
Contributions from Kiva lenders then back-fill that amount, and lenders assume the risk of that loan. If the loan is not fully funded then the Lending Partner may fund the loan from their own capital reserves.
While allowing pre-disbursal may seem to disconnect lenders and borrowers, this isn't true. As a lender, your repayments are tied to the repayments of the loan you choose to fund. By assuming the risk of a loan, you allow Kiva's Lending Partners to offer loan products to borrowers at a lower cost than traditional financial institutions.
How do abandoned property laws impact Kiva?
Organizations like Kiva are required by many state governments to turn over unclaimed property to the state for safekeeping after several years. If your account becomes inactive, Kiva will need instructions for what to do with any funds left in your account. Kiva accounts are considered inactive for purposes of unclaimed property laws if they have no activity for 24 consecutive months. “Activity” includes things like logins, loan purchases (even via auto-lending), repayments, and withdrawals.
If you haven’t selected an option in your account settings for inactivity, or if you have asked us to return your remaining credit to you but you haven’t provided a valid PayPal account for withdrawals, Kiva may be required to send your funds to your home state for safekeeping (or to the state of California if we do not know your location).
What should I do if I notice any API and developer site bugs?
The best place to report any problems with applications built on the API is the Kiva Developer Google Group: groups.google.com/group/build-kiva
That way, Kiva's engineering team, along with other developers, can work together to resolve this issue. We appreciate your help!
How is Kiva and its funding structured?
Kiva is made up of 3 corporate entities:
Kiva Microfunds is a California non-profit public benefit corporation registered as a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization. Any donations made to Kiva's operating expenses will go to support Kiva Microfunds, which are used to cover the costs of running Kiva.
Kiva User Funds LLC is a California limited liability company that is wholly-owned by Kiva Microfunds. This entity was created to hold funds belonging to Kiva's users in bank accounts "for the benefit of" (FBO) those users and their lending activities. These FBO accounts are separate from Kiva Microfunds' operational bank accounts which hold funds that pay the costs of running Kiva.
Kiva-DAF LLC is a Delaware limited liability company (registered in California) that is also wholly-owned by Kiva Microfunds. Kiva-DAF was created to operate one or more donor advised funds to facilitate lending on Kiva's platform for Kiva's institutional partners (such as charitable foundations).
How do I accept and decline request to join my team?
To edit the membership of your lending team, simply sign in to your Kiva account and go to your team's page. Once you are there, click on the "Members" tab. This page lists all of the members of your team, with the options to dismiss/accept/decline them from the team or bestow team captainhood to them.
When someone requests to join a closed team, as a captain, you should be notified via email. You can also check for requests by going to kiva.org/teams/requests
What forms of payment are accepted at the Kiva Store?
Like Kiva, the Kiva Store uses PayPal for online payment processing. If you don't have a PayPal account, you may check out as a PayPal guest.
More information about successive and concurrent loans
Lending Partners often work with borrowers over time to help them build credit and expand their businesses. In order to make it easier for partners to post loans for borrowers who have been listed on Kiva before, we allow some partners the ability to relist a loan without having to re-enter all of the borrower's information. When this occurs, you'll see an updated loan description, as well as excerpts of the original descriptions from an earlier loan.
Most borrowers take out loans consecutively, meaning that they receive a second loan after having repaid the first. However, sometimes our Lending Partners give out concurrent loans, allowing borrowers to take out one primary loan and a secondary "add-on" loan along with it. These additional loans are typically smaller than the borrower's primary loan and serve a different purpose. We trust our partners to determine whether a borrower has the means to be able to repay a successive or concurrent loan.
What does a Trustee being "paused" mean?
Trustees are paused when their overall repayment rate falls below the repayment rate required for their Trustee tier. When a Trustee is paused, they will no longer be able to endorse new loans.
How does sharing the risk of currency losses help the borrower I’ve supported?
It may appear that borrowers are not directly affected by foreign exchange risk sharing, as they both receive and pay back loans in their local currency. However, foreign exchange risk sharing offers protection for Lending Partners in these borrowers' local areas. This ensures that borrowers can continue to apply for and receive loans from their local Lending Partners. This also enables Lending Partners to serve more borrowers in their local communities.
Loans at risk rate
The loans at risk rate refers to the percentage of Kiva loans being paid back by this Lending Partner that are past due in repayment by at least 1 day (also known as arrears). This delinquency can be due to either non-payment by Kiva borrowers or non-payment by the Lending Partner itself.
Loans at risk rate = outstanding $ value of delinquent paying back loans / outstanding $ value of all paying back loans
Example: A partner has fives loans that are in “paying back” status and the loan amount for each is $100. All of the loans have first installments of $10. One borrower repays only $9 and hence, his loan is in arrears. The other four borrowers repay $10. The loans at risk rate is 91 / 451 = 20.18%.
The loans at risk rate is an aggregate that does not distinguish between borrower delinquency and partner delinquency. So in the example above, the loans at risk rate will be 20.18% regardless of whether it is the borrower or partner that is behind in repayments.
Does Kiva work with for-profit or nonprofit Lending Partners?
Kiva is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, but we work with both for-profit and nonprofit organizations. In
many cases, banking regulations in the countries where our Lending Partners
operate determine whether the organization needs to be a nonprofit or
for-profit company.
At Kiva we are committed to working with Lending Partners with a strong social mission and those that offer relevant and useful services to their borrowers, regardless of the organization's
profit status. We do extensive due diligence and have conducted social
performance audits on all of our Lending Partners. We also require
all Lending Partners to endorse the SMART Campaign for Client Protection
(smartcampaign.org/about/campaign-mission-a-goals),
which includes transparent and reasonable pricing as one of their
client protection principles.
By working with both for-profit and nonprofit organizations we are able
to expand the reach of our loan portfolio. For example, some of our
nonprofit Lending Partners serve areas or populations that for-profit
organizations don't reach, whereas our for-profit Lending Partners may
offer savings services to borrowers, something nonprofit organizations
cannot do.
All of our Lending Partners, regardless of their profit status, are committed to doing good in the areas in which they work.
Do I need to report my loans to the IRS on my tax return?
Given that lenders do not accrue interest on the loans they make on Kiva, there shouldn't be a need to report your Kiva loans on your IRS tax returns. Additionally, Kiva lenders will not receive 1099-K forms for Kiva withdrawals. However, Kiva lenders may receive a 1099-K form from PayPal related to non-Kiva payments.
If you have questions about your tax obligations, we recommend you consult with your tax counsel regarding the deductibility rules that apply to you as we are not in a position to provide tax advice.
What happens after I lend?
After you make a loan on Kiva, by default you'll be notified by email each time a repayment is made. Those funds will be credited to your Kiva account as Kiva credit which you can relend to other borrowers, donate to Kiva's operating expenses or withdraw into a PayPal account.
In addition to repayments, you may also receive occasional updates on your loans from the Lending Partners facilitating them. If you'd like to check the status of your loans, you can do so at any time by going to your My Loans page: kiva.org/portfolio/loans. Click any borrower's name to view more details and "Repayment schedule" on the loan page to see a projected timeline of repayments.
What is a preferred lending team?
If you are a member of more than one lending team, you may wish to set a preferred team. Your preferred team will be the default team listed in your basket, making it easy to quickly count your loans toward your preferred team’s impact. Also, if you have auto-lending enabled on your account, your loans will automatically be attributed to your preferred team.
You can set your preferred lending team by signing into your Kiva account and going to: kiva.org/teams/my-teams
Total amount lent
The cumulative amount of funds applied to Kiva loans in a lender's portfolio and can include loans made using repaid Kiva credit.
Amount in arrears
Amount in arrears refers to the current amount of repayments past due.
How this is calculated: amount in arrears = Repayment amount expected - actual amount repaid
Why do your Lending Partners in Mexico have such a high cost to borrowers?
There are many reasons why our Mexican Lending Partners have a higher than average cost to borrowers compared to other areas where Kiva works.
Because Mexico is not the poorest country in the world and there is a large middle/upper class, the costs of doing business in Mexico are much much higher than places in Africa, or Bolivia, as an example. This means that salaries are higher because cost of living is higher, rent for offices is higher, transportation costs are higher, etc. Because of all of these factors, operational costs of an institution in Mexico are higher than other places in the world, therefore interest rates are higher.
Mexico is also a very large country as compared to many other countries we work in. Our Mexican partners work all across the country from the border with Texas to the border with Guatemala, and from one coast to the other. Since you can’t drive from one side of the country to the other, our Lending Partners have to have offices in each region, and those offices need to be supervised by headquarters. Since it's not easy for management to drive between offices, they must take overnight buses, or sometimes fly. This is a pretty particular issue to Mexico and the partners we work with in this region.
Lastly, loan sizes in Mexico are quite small, especially as in relation to the “wealth” of the country. The loan sizes are around $400 and that’s about 3% of GNI per capita. This really tells you that they are serving more downmarket in a country where there are higher incomes and therefore higher costs, so they are really reaching down market. Many other partners are doing loan sizes that are more than 20% GNI per capita. Reaching populations at 3% of GNI per capita implies much higher costs.
All that being said, we understand that some lenders may not wish to fund particular loans on the Kiva website, or loans over a certain cost to borrowers. If you're aren't comfortable lending to a borrower with a portfolio yield this high, we encourage you to exercise choice and select loans that are in line with your own values and preferences.
Can I retroactively give someone credit for inviting me to Kiva?
You can give credit to someone for inviting you to Kiva after you've created your account. To do so, sign into your Kiva account and go to: kiva.org/portfolio/invites
Click "Invited to Kiva by a friend?" and you'll see a window where you can enter your friend's email address or public lender page URL (ex: www.kiva.org/lender/johnsmith). Then click "Submit."
Why are interest rates in post-conflict areas so high?
Self-sustainability is critical to creating long-term solutions to poverty, and charging interest to borrowers enables our Lending Partners to bear costs and achieve self-sustainability. Due to the high cost of reaching borrowers, and relatively low profit gained from each small loan, microfinance institutions generally have to charge higher interest rates than traditional banks, which is why these rates are so much higher than what we are accustomed to in the developed world.
In addition, the cost of delivering microfinance services in post-conflict environments, such as the DRC or South Sudan, is still higher, which necessitates an even higher interest rate. In a post-conflict environment, communications and transportation infrastructure is often severely compromised, making it more expensive to contact and visit borrowers and manage a microfinance institution (MFI). Furthermore, the risk of default is higher in post-conflict environments. This is true due in part to continued instability, which can make it difficult for borrowers to operate successful businesses, as well as a culture of aid. A person who is accustomed to receiving donated goods is often less-likely to repay a loan. To manage this enhanced risk of default, MFIs in post-conflict areas must put aside a larger portion of their available capital as a provision against loan losses, a costly but necessary means of ensuring that they have sufficient funds to continue to operate when faced with defaults.
Due in part to these realities on the ground, and in part to funders' reticence in investing in unstable countries, the cost of funds is higher for MFIs in post-conflict areas. This is one of the reasons Kiva works in post-conflict areas, and also supports MFIs with high interest rates in countries such as the DRC or South Sudan. Because our Lending Partners don’t have to pay interest to Kiva for the loans that they administer, Kiva loans help these Lending Partners reach communities and populations that may not otherwise be served. It is also important to note that Kiva partners only with microfinance institutions that have a social mission to serve the poor, unbanked, and underserved.
All that being said, we understand that some lenders may not wish to fund particular loans on the Kiva website, or loans over a certain cost to borrowers. Therefore, if you are not comfortable lending to borrowers in these regions of the world, given either the riskiness of the operating environment or the cost to borrowers, we encourage you to exercise your consumer choice and select loans that are in line with your own values and preferences.
Why does Kiva allow Lending Partners to post larger loans?
In keeping with Kiva’s mission to expand financial access to help communities thrive, we're committed to making sure that lenders’ capital is being used to address poverty in the most effective and impactful ways. Most of the time, that’s through catalytic microloans that enable borrowers to make transformative changes in their lives and the lives of their families.
In addition to these microloans, we see that ideas for addressing poverty can happen on a bigger, community-sized scale. Kiva strongly believes that the largest development gains are enjoyed not only when there’s a thriving microenterprise sector, but when we also see a healthy number of small enterprises that can create jobs for other members of their community.
To learn more, please check out this blog: blog.kiva.org/kivablog/2013/12/27/bridging-the-missing-middle-the-impact-of-larger-loans-on-kiva
Inactive Lending Partner
An inactive partner is not currently posting new loans, but is in good standing with Kiva (Kiva fully expects the partner to continue to send repayments owed to Kiva lenders for as long as the partner has an outstanding balance). A partner may be in inactive status for a variety of reasons, such as operational constraints preventing them from posting loans. Kiva monitors inactive partners according to their outstanding balance, with a higher level of monitoring conducted on partners with higher balances.
Can partners cover borrower default?
In the case of borrower default, we do not allow our Lending Partners to cover what is owed to the lenders.
When Kiva started we originally allowed Lending Partners the option to cover borrower defaults. However, after receiving much feedback from our lender community about the desire for a stronger connection between lenders and borrowers, Kiva changed its process around default protection to no longer allow our Lending Partners to cover borrower defaults. For more information on this change, please check out this blog: blog.kiva.org/kivablog/2010/02/10/update-on-recent-change-in-default-protection
What is social underwriting?
Rather than determining a borrower's financial eligibility based on traditional financial factors like credit scores, cash flow or collateral, social underwriting allows a borrower's community to vouch for their creditworthiness. Kiva U.S. uses social underwriting to lend to socially impactful borrowers based on their character.
Social underwriting is implemented in multiple ways. Borrowers can be endorsed by a Trustee who writes an endorsement and can help the borrower in fundraising and provide business advice. All Kiva U.S. borrowers also go through a private fundraising period where they must have a certain number of their personal network make a loan to them before they are posted to the greater Kiva community. Finally, every loan must be funded by Kiva's lender community, and every lender has the chance to independently decide if they want to support the loan.
Will I know who my funds are helping when I sign up for Monthly Good?
Yes. Each month we’ll send you an inspiring email from Monthly Good, including information about who you supported that month.
What is social underwriting and why is it a requirement to get a Kiva U.S. loan?
At Kiva, we envision a world where someone’s creditworthiness is determined by the strength of their character rather than their credit history. We’re working to re-insert human relationships into the financial system by using social underwriting to assess the creditworthiness of our borrowers.
To demonstrate social capital, we require all gather support from their community through the Private Fundraising Period. During this 15 day period, we require that all borrowers recruit a certain number of lenders from their network to make a loan to them before the loan is publicly posted on Kiva.
Kiva views this as an important measure of the borrower’s trust network and hopes these lenders hold the borrower accountable to repaying their loan.
While the Private Fundraising Period is a tool we use to access a borrower’s creditworthiness, we’ve also found that it increases a borrower’s chance of success on Kiva, as loans fundraise much more quickly when the borrower’s immediate network is engaged during fundraising.
Depending on the size of the loan and multiple factors, borrowers must invite between 5 and 35 lenders from within their network.
How do borrowers use their loan?
Borrowers use their loans for a wide range of different reasons.
Some examples include:
A $4,000 loan to begin commercial production of granola bars to employ ex-convicts.
A $5,000 loan for marketing material to expand a non-profit.
A $10,000 loan to build a walk-in refrigerator for an organic farm.
A $3,000 loan to help a first-generation migrant make a website for their hazelnut spread business.
A $1,000 loan to pay for a stall at a artisan jewelry fair.
What guidelines are there for fundraising?
While fundraising on Kiva, borrowers should expect to recruit some lenders from within their own network. However, borrowers may not:
Engage in self-promotion, advertising or solicitation. FOR EXAMPLE: Do not promote your loan in private lender messages or in lending teams (unless you have permission from the team captain).
Fund any portion of their own loan.
In the event of either of these instances, the share purchase will be refunded, and further, more severe actions might also be taken, depending on the circumstances.
How long do I have to fundraise on Kiva?
When a loan is posted into the private fundraising period, you have 15 days to invite the required number of lenders to fund your loan. Once the loan reaches the required number of lenders, it will be posted to the public Kiva website and have 30 additional days to raise the remaining amount.
Can I make payments early?
Yes, you can make payments ahead of schedule and there is no penalty for making early payments.
What are the qualifications to become a Trustee?
Trustees should have compelling answers to the following questions, which appear on their public profile:
How will you determine whether or not the business plans of the borrower(s) you endorse are sound?
How will you know whether the borrower(s) you endorse will have the "character" to repay a loan?
Please describe what type of business, financial, technical or other support you plan on providing to the borrower(s) you endorse.
How will you establish whether the borrower(s) you endorse are in debt, or have a history of debt? How will what you find affect your endorsement of their loan application?
Why can't the borrower(s) you endorse access traditional loans?
Individual Trustees should have at least 2 years of experience in a relevant field -- for example, small business ownership, economic development, community development, etc.
Within that scope, anyone (an individual or an organization) can become a Trustee, so long as they can provide strong answers to these questions.
What is loan diversification?
You can diversify your portfolio by lending to multiple borrowers on Kiva. For example, you can make a $25 loan to 4 different borrowers (loan diversification) vs a single $100 loan to 1 borrower (non-diversification). Diversification helps spread out your risk, increasing your likelihood of repayment.
After a Kiva Card is used, are repaid funds deposited back into the purchaser's account or the recipient's account?
Once a Kiva Card is redeemed into an account, those funds are owned by the redeemer. This means that repayments on loans made using a Kiva Card will return to the recipient's account, and they will be free to relend the funds to another borrower, donate them to Kiva, or withdraw them into a PayPal account.
Can I have auto-lending lend more than $25 at a time?
If you'd like auto-lending to make loans larger than $25, you can set this in your auto-lending settings. To change your settings, go to: kiva.org/settings/credit
Under the section "Auto-lending settings" you'll see a check box next to "Limit my automatic loans to $25." Uncheck that box to enable auto-lending to make loans in increments of more than $25. When you're finished, click "Save auto-lending settings" to enable this setting.
How will borrowers and Lending Partners be affected by currency exchange risk sharing?
Sharing the burden of currency-related losses between Lending Partners and lenders can help reduce a partner's risk of defaults arising from catastrophic local currency devaluations. It may appear that borrowers are not directly affected by foreign exchange risk sharing, as they both receive and pay back loans in their local currency. However, currency exchange risk sharing offers protection for Lending Partners in these borrowers' local areas. This ensures that borrowers can continue to apply for and receive loans from their local Lending Partners. This also enables Lending Partners to serve more borrowers in their local communities.
To learn more about this topic, check out this video: youtube.com/watch?v=1-RUq0-RMGU&feature=youtu.be
What are start-up loans?
Start-Up loans are tailored to new business owners. These individuals may have limited access to financial services which enable them to get their businesses off the ground and running. Oftentimes these are loans are helping people who otherwise may have been declined because of their lack of experience or steady income stream.
How do I engage my network during the Private Fundraising Period?
When you begin the private fundraising period, we recommend you make a list of 30 friends and family members that you can email or call directly asking to contribute to your loan. We've found that personal emails and phone calls are generally more effective than impersonal social media posts or generic emails.
You can find email templates, sample phone scripts, and other helpful resources to make your campaign successful at our fundraising hub.
Total amount refunded and expired
This figure is the total amount of loans refunded to your account, either due to a loan expiring (as a result of lack of support of lenders) or being refunded (due to an error with the loan).
What are water and sanitation loans?
Water and Sanitation loans help purchase water and sanitation equipment for individuals, families and communities. Providing access to clean safe water, as well as sanitation systems, helps reduce illness, disease, and death within the poor communities where these borrowers live.
Why did you send a reminder email about my unredeemed Kiva Card?
At Kiva we send reminder emails to both the Kiva Card purchaser and the recipient (only for emailed Kiva Cards) if the Kiva Card hasn't been redeemed.
We send these reminder emails 3 times throughout the year after a Kiva Card is purchased: 1 month after the Kiva Card is purchased, 1 month prior to the Kiva Card converting into a donation to Kiva and 1 week prior to the Kiva Card that conversion date. Our hope is that by sending these reminders, both the purchaser and the recipient will have every opportunity to use their Kiva Card prior to the date it converts into a donation. If a Kiva Card is not redeemed to make a loan within 12 months of the date of purchase, it will automatically convert into a donation to Kiva's operating expenses and we'll send a donation receipt to the purchaser via email.
Number of refunded loans
Total number of loans refunded to lenders due to an error.
Partner loans may be refunded for various reasons, which range from unintentional errors (e.g. Lending Partner accidentally uploaded a duplicate borrower profile which received funding and recognized it later) to more serious issues (e.g. a Kiva audit discovered that loan funds were used inappropriately). In the latter case, Kiva will attempt to refund lenders with any funds recovered. Direct loans are typically only refunded if the borrower requests it (typically because they've found alternative sources of funding) or if the borrower breaches one of Kiva's policies (e.g. self-fundraising, violating our community guidelines, found evidence of inaccuracies in the information provided to Kiva).
In all cases, information about why the refund was issued should be in the refund email sent to all contributing lenders.
Amount of currency exchange gain
Currency gains may result from exchange rate fluctuations during a loan term. When lending internationally, the local currency in a Lending Partner’s country may gain value compared to the U.S. dollar. In this situation, a Kiva loan may result in a currency exchange gain.
Any gain from these exchange rate fluctuations will be accrued in a Kiva holding account until the loan term has ended. Once the loan has been repaid in full, any currency gains will first help offset any losses incurred for that specific loan. Because Kiva loans are not investment vehicles capable of earning a profit, any excess foreign exchange gains will be retained by Kiva to cover operating expenses.
Why do I have a negative Kiva credit balance?
If you have a negative Kiva credit balance, it's likely that one of your previous deposits was reversed by PayPal, leaving your account in arrears. In order to make additional purchases on Kiva, you will need to add funds to make up for any deficit in addition to the total of your purchase.
To do so, simply just sign into your account and click the "Add credit" link on your portfolio page, or go to: kiva.org/portfolio/credit/deposit
How can I tell which of my friends have accepted my invitations to Kiva?
To find a list of all your successful invites, please sign into your Kiva account and go to: kiva.org/portfolio/invites
This page will show you everyone you've invited to Kiva, as well as the status of those invitations. You can also see a list of your successful invites on your public lender page, which you can find a link to at kiva.org/portfolio
To see the loans made by your invitees, click on their names to see their public lender pages and a list of their loans. If they have chosen to remain anonymous, it won't be possible to see their loans.
I can't enter my country details into PayPal's credit card form
When checking out on Kiva you'll be directed to PayPal's website to complete your payment.
In this pop-up you should see an option to pay with a debit or credit card. Click this option and you'll be directed to a page where you can enter your card's information. Then select your country from the drop-down menu at the top of the page. Once you select your country, the fields should change to allow your details to be entered.
Can you convert my Kiva Card to a donation to Kiva's operating expenses?
We really appreciate your interest in donating your Kiva Card value to our operating expenses. At this time, we unfortunately do not have a feature that allows us to donate the funds from a Kiva Card right away. If you choose not to redeem your Kiva Card toward a loan, it will automatically be converted to a donation to Kiva's operating expenses 1 year after it was purchased and we will send a tax receipt to the purchaser.
How much of my Kiva Store purchase goes to Kiva?
A portion of each Kiva Store purchase goes to fund Kiva operations, and this amount ranges from 18%-25%.
For all artisan-made products, 25% of product sales go to Kiva. Kiva artisan borrowers are fairly compensated for their products, and control their own prices with the ability to increase or decrease their price at any time. The remainder of the sale price goes to Kiva’s Lending Partner NOVICA, which works with artisans around the world and powers the Kiva Store.
For Kiva gear and Kiva-branded products, 18% of product sales are donated to Kiva’s operations. Donations added at checkout, included in a gift bundle or a build-your-own bundle, go to Kiva in full, after processing.
What are disaster recovery loans?
Disaster recovery loans help borrowers who are working to rebuild their lives, businesses and homes following a natural disaster.
Amount of paying back loans delinquent
Total amount of loans raised and disbursed which are in the process of being paid back, but are past due on repayment.
Average cost to borrower (PY)
Many of Kiva's Lending Partners do charge borrowers in some form in order to make possible the long-term sustainability of their operations, reach and impact. For this specific Lending Partner, Kiva displays portfolio yield (PY), which is equal to a Lending Partner's financial earnings divided by its average loan portfolio outstanding during a given year. Currently, Kiva displays portfolio yield for most of its Lending Partners that are microfinance institutions (MFIs). Portfolio yield applies to the institution as a whole, and thus is a proxy for cost to borrowers rather than a direct measurement. Kiva calculates portfolio yield directly from the most recently available financial statements of a Lending Partner and compares this result with other publicly available sources of pricing information such as mixmarket.org and mftransparency.org.
For more information, please visit: What do “Average cost to borrower” and “PY” mean?
Average cost to borrower (APR)
Many of Kiva's Lending Partners do charge borrowers in some form in order to make possible the long-term sustainability of their operations, reach and impact. For this specific Lending Partner, Kiva displays an Annual Percentage Rate (APR), which represents the estimated average cost paid by a borrower to this Lending Partner to access a loan posted on Kiva, with that cost annualized and converted into a percentage rate. Currently, Kiva displays APR for most of its Lending Partners that aren't microfinance institutions (MFIs), in addition to some that are. Kiva is exploring ways to simplify and standardize the process to collect, calculate, assess and share APR pricing information for more partners. Using tools provided by MicroFinance Transparency, Kiva calculates this APR based on a detailed analysis of the types of loans this Lending Partner has posted and/or plans to post on Kiva.
For more information, please visit: What do “Average cost to borrower” and “APR” mean?
What do “Average Cost to Borrower” and “APR” mean?
Many of Kiva's Lending Partners do charge borrowers in some form in order to make possible the long-term sustainability of their operations, reach and impact. While Lending Partners may request payment from borrowers, and some Lending Partners are profitable, Kiva carefully chooses to partner with organizations that have a social mission to serve the poor, unbanked and underserved, and our due diligence methods include thorough analyses of the costs and benefits of individual loan products. Moreover, partners with a very high cost to borrowers undergo additional annual screening by Kiva to further review their pricing rationale.
Currently, there are 4 different types of information about our Lending Partners that may appear in this Average Cost to Borrower field: Portfolio Yield (PY), Annual Percentage Rate (APR), Monthly Percentage Rate (MPR) and Not Applicable (N/A). Kiva displays only versions of these rates that are nominal, meaning that the effect of inflation in each country is not taken into account. See The World Factbook for a publicly available list of inflation rates.
For this specific Lending Partner, Kiva displays an Annual Percentage Rate (APR), which represents the estimated average cost paid by a borrower to this Lending Partner to access a loan posted on Kiva, with that cost annualized and converted into a percentage rate. Currently, Kiva displays APR for most of its Lending Partners that aren't microfinance institutions (MFIs), in addition to some that are. Kiva is exploring ways to simplify and standardize the process to collect, calculate, assess and share APR pricing information for more partners. Using tools provided by MicroFinance Transparency, Kiva calculates this APR based on a detailed analysis of the types of loans this Lending Partner has posted and/or plans to post on Kiva.
Showing an APR value does not always imply that the Lending Partner charges interest on its loans. Kiva works with Lending Partners across many sectors, including some that don't provide cash loans to borrowers. Instead, these partners provide impactful products or services, which the borrower pays for over time. Thus, the total costs paid by a borrower to a Lending Partner may (or may not) include interest charges, fees, security deposits, rent or other delayed payments for the delivery of goods or services.
If I quit a lending team do my loans get removed from that team?
If you decide to quit a lending team, all of the loans that you've previously counted toward that team’s impact will remain attributed to that team.
Why do some Lending Partners post group loans?
Group loans are a powerful innovation in microfinance because they are often less expensive for partners to manage in terms of time and resources. Organizations can leverage the local knowledge of individuals to select good borrowers, disburse many loans at once, collect repayments in a group and more easily follow up on delinquent loans, as group members have an incentive to work with each other to ensure on-time repayment.
Why does Kiva have Lending Partners?
Kiva's Lending Partners are critical to our ability to provide loans efficiently and effectively. By partnering with microfinance institutions, social businesses, schools and non-profit organizations in the field, Kiva leverages their critical knowledge of the local populations and years of experience managing loans.
Were we to operate as a microfinance institution, we would enter the market decades behind many well-equipped organizations with documented success. Partnering allows us to divide and conquer -- Kiva collects loan funds through our website and Lending Partners manage the loans on the ground -- allowing maximum efficiency at the lowest cost.
Average cost to borrower (N/A)
Many of Kiva's Lending Partners do charge borrowers in some form in order to make possible the long-term sustainability of their operations, reach and impact. For this specific Lending Partner, Kiva displays N/A (not applicable) because the structures of the particular loan products used by the partner do not allow for a standard pricing calculation. For example, the loan products may have loan repayments linked to the borrowers' revenues or profits, or to repayments from carbon credits or clean energy utility charges. In other cases, the Lending Partner may not charge borrowers directly, but may work with third-party intermediaries that do charge borrowers. In each of these cases, Kiva will provide detailed descriptions of the relevant pricing practices in loan alert text and on partner pages.
For more information, please visit: What do “Average cost to borrower” and “N/A” mean?
How does Kiva aim to reach people not being served by traditional banks?
At Kiva, we aim to do more than simply provide a platform for microfinance services to thrive. We're also trying to reach people who, for whatever reason, are not often within the scope of traditional microfinance institutions or banks. We envision a world where every individual has the power to create opportunity for themselves and others and as we work toward this reality, we are constantly challenging ourselves to find new ways for our lenders’ flexible, risk-tolerant capital to grow markets and reach even more people with innovative loan products. This is core to Kiva’s quest for deeper impact – one that is shared by our generous lender community.
So when it comes to reaching even more borrowers with the right loans and services, we look to enable change at the partner level in 2 different ways:
First and foremost, we want to support good institutions, with strong social missions, so that they can grow their core offerings and serve even more people. These partners work to achieve what we call breadth of impact. Our social performance scoring process helps ensure that we pick good organizations to work with, and that we give them credit for the work they do.
On the depth side, we look to help our Lending Partners reach into new areas, innovating and expanding their loan offerings in what we call the four Ps: populations, products, places and prices. Here’s what we hope to achieve:
Populations - Enabling partners to use Kiva funding to help expand to new populations, especially those that are marginalized or excluded from financial services.
Products - Enabling partners to use Kiva funding to offer new products that promote or enable social causes, like loans for solar lighting devices, or to pay college tuitions.
Places - Enabling partners to use Kiva funding to expand to new geographic locations, especially areas where there are few options for accessing loans.
Prices - Enabling partners to use Kiva funding to drive down the cost of loans for clients.
With this support, we’re seeing more and more partners develop new types of loans that take this into account -- loans that provide the right products and services to the people who need them most. We consider these loans to have a higher potential for impact. As we grow, we will continue to work hard to increase both our breath and depth of impact -- all in the spirit of serving more borrowers, better.
Default rate (for lender portfolio)
The percentage of loans you've made that have paid back that have ended in default.
How this is calculated: Amount of ended loans that defaulted / Amount of ended loans
How is microfinance in the Muslim world different than microfinance in other parts of the world?
Because the prohibition of interest is a key tenet of Islam, some of Kiva's Lending Partners lending in the Muslim world have created loan products with a 0% interest rate associated. These loans are designed solely for Muslim borrowers. In order to cover the costs of administering these loans, the Lending Partner does charge a fee to the borrower. The fees are subtracted in their entirety from the gross amount of the loan at the time of disbursal and the amount of fees charged vary from one microfinance institution to another.
In some countries, Kiva's Lending Partners need to make these adaptations so they may claim a fatwa in order to be allowed to operate in the area. A fatwa is a legal pronouncement made by an Islamic scholar or religious leader, and it is important for a microfinance institution to receive a fatwa that officially condones their work.
There are also many organizations operating in the Muslim world that don't make these adaptations to their methodology. The decision to charge fees up-front or interest during the course of the loan is dependent on the local religious and cultural practices in the areas where these organizations operate.
What is a sector?
When a Lending Partner uploads a loan to Kiva's website, they select a sector for the loan. The sector helps describe what the loan is being used for, aiming to help categorize the type of loan or the industry in which the borrower works.
Why does Kiva work with Strathmore University?
To learn more about our partnership with Strathmore University in Kenya, please check out this Q&A and blog posts:
blog.kiva.org/faqs/strathmore-qa
blog.kiva.org/faqs/oct-9-strathmore-update
blog.kiva.org/kivablog/2013/08/28/an-open-letter-about-kiva-and-strathmore
How are loans facilitated?
Kiva loans are facilitated through 2 models, partner and direct, that enable us to reach the greatest number of people around the world.
For partner loans, borrowers apply to a local Lending Partner, which manages the loan on the ground. Lending Partners are responsible for screening borrowers, disbursing loans, posting borrowers to the Kiva website for funding, collecting repayments and otherwise administering Kiva loans on the ground to borrowers.
For direct loans, borrowers apply through the Kiva website and may or may not be endorsed by a Trustee. Unlike Lending Partners, Trustees don't handle any financial transactions or have any duty to repay loans on behalf of their borrowers. Instead, Trustees take the role of providing support and business advice to their borrowers throughout the term of the loan.
Are Kiva loans securities?
No, Kiva loans are not regulated as securities in the U.S. Kiva does not guarantee lenders that their loans will be repaid, and Kiva does not pay interest to lenders. Kiva lenders should have no expectation of a financial return on their loans.
Will I receive lender messages via email?
By default, when you receive a lender message, you will be notified via email. The message will also be saved in your Kiva portfolio here: kiva.org/account/messages
You can choose to opt out of these emails by signing into your Kiva account and going to: kiva.org/settings/email
To unsubscribe from receiving notifications of lender messages, uncheck the box that says "Loan comments, lender to lender messages". Please note, sending and receiving lender messages does not expose your email address or other private information to the public.
Why is this loan listed as anonymous?
Out of respect for the borrower's privacy, Kiva has decided to anonymize this loan. As we want to protect the reputation of borrowers on our website, we sometimes choose to anonymize loans. Refunded loans are also anonymized.
Direct loan private fundraising period
This loan is currently in its private fundraising period on Kiva. All direct loans must go through this period, where the borrower is required to tap into their own networks to recruit support of their loan prior to the loan being posted to the public Kiva website. This innovation makes borrowers accountable to helping get their loans funded and acts as social underwriting on the loan, while also helping Kiva reach new lenders and expand our markets.
How often are new loans posted to Kiva?
Lending Partners post new loans to Kiva's website on a regular, and often, daily basis, depending on when they have loans in need of funding. Kiva operates in real time, so once loans are uploaded to Kiva, then reviewed or edited by our team of volunteer editors and translators, they will go live on the Kiva website to be funded by lenders.
Direct loans are posted as loan applications are reviewed and approved by the Kiva U.S. team.
Can I contact the Trustee?
Lenders are encouraged to reach out to borrowers and Trustees through the lender comments feature on each borrower profile. There, you can directly communicate with them about the loan and how the business is going. Kiva is unable to facilitate communication between lenders and Trustees outside of lender comments.
Why do I get an error message when I try to register?
In order to help protect our lenders against spam, Kiva's system blocks users from registering for a Kiva account using a certain email address that reads as typically "spammy." Email addresses like info@domain.com, webmaster@domain.com, or admin@domain.com fall under this category.
If you're trying to register and get a "Sorry, you cannot use this email address" error message, please try using an alternate email address.
What is mandatory savings?
Some microfinance institutions (MFIs) require borrowers to make a mandatory deposit into a savings account prior to disbursing a loan. The mandatory savings is the property of the borrower and returned to him or her when the loan is repaid, unless the borrower takes out a subsequent loan. If the borrower defaults on loan payments, the mandatory deposit may be used as loan collateral by the MFI. Although mandatory deposits don't always generate interest compensation to borrowers, the frequent lack of access to reliable savings options in developing countries means that making such deposits may be viewed positively by borrowers.
MIX profile
The Microfinance Information Exchange (MIX) Market is the standard microfinance industry database on microfinance institutions. Many of our Lending Partners make their performance more transparent by posting their profile on the MIX Market. Kiva strongly encourages each microfinance institution Lending Partner to participate in the MIX. The MIX Market website is: mixmarket.org
What does "Profitability (Return on Assets)" mean?
"Return on Assets" is an indication of a Lending Partner's profitability. It can also be an indicator of the long-term sustainability of an organization, as organizations consistently operating at a loss (those that have a negative return on assets) may not be able to sustain their operations over time.
Total amount lost
The total amount lost is the total amount of loans not repaid due to either loan defaults or currency exchange losses.
Delinquency rate (for lender portfolio)
The percentage of loans you've made that are being paid back and that are past due in repayment. How this is calculated: Amount of payments past due / Total amount outstanding
Can I make a Monthly Good contribution on a weekly, quarterly or annual basis?
At this time we only offer contributions on a monthly basis. Depending on interest from lenders, we may consider adding other frequency options in the future.
Average loan term
The average amount of time in months allotted to this Lending Partner's borrowers to repay their loans. Please note: If a loan is not fully repaid by the end of the loan term, the Lending Partner may choose to continue attempts to collect outstanding funds.
Why do I have an odd amount of credit in my account?
Kiva repays lenders as soon as repayments are received by Kiva, so it is not uncommon to have an odd amount of credit in your account, as borrowers often make repayments in small amounts. To see how your account ended up with its balance, check out your transaction history at: kiva.org/portfolio/transactions
Will I receive the repayments on matched loans?
The matched contribution to a loan is made using the loan matcher's account and will not be counted toward your personal lending stats -- for example, if you lend $25 to a borrower and that is matched with a $25 loan made by a loan matcher, your account will only reflect the total amount lent of $25. Because of this, when the borrower makes a repayment on their loan, you will only receive repayments on the contribution you made, not on the contribution made by the loan matcher.
Can I contact the borrower if they don’t repay?
For privacy reasons we are unable to provide lenders with the exact location or contact information for any borrower fundraising on Kiva's website. In the case that a borrower becomes behind on their loan, it is the job of the Lending Partner (in the case of partner loans) or the Kiva U.S. team (in the case of direct loans) to work with the borrower to collect on delinquent payments, and/or reschedule the loan term, if necessary, to accommodate eventual repayment of the loan.
How do I edit a donation on the mobile app?
Donations to Kiva's operating expenses are always optional, although vital to what we do.
100% of every dollar lent on Kiva goes toward funding loans and we never take a cut -- instead, we support our operations through donations from our lender community. While a donation is automatically suggested during checkout, you can always opt out on the Basket page of the app by clicking "Edit basket" under "Available credit remaining." Then, on the next page, click the pencil icon next to the "Donation to Kiva" and choose the donation amount, if any, you wish to give. Below the suggested fixed and custom amounts, you will see the option "No donation to Kiva."
Can Kiva donate or give discounts on Kiva Cards?
No. Because Kiva is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization there are legal regulations in place that restrict us from donating Kiva Cards to third parties or giving discounts on Kiva Cards.
Expected repayments
This is the principal repayment schedule uploaded by the Lending Partner at the point that the loan is posted. It outlines when the Lending Partner expects to collect principal repayments from the borrower.
Please note, this doesn't include interest, which may be charged by the Lending Partner to the borrower.
How do I know if someone’s accepted my lending team invitation?
To see if anyone you've invited to join your team has accepted your invitation, simply sign into your Kiva account and go to: kiva.org/portfolio/invites
On this page you'll see all the invitations you've sent, including lending team invitations. If someone has accepted your team invite, you'll see this noted under "My invite activity."
How many students are involved with Kiva U?
For a list of the current Kiva U participants, check out this page on our website: kivau.org
I tried to post on Facebook but it didn't show up.
We're excited that you want to share your Kiva activity with your friends on Facebook. With Facebook timeline, sometimes when you post to Facebook it won't show up on the top of your feed, however the information was in fact posted. To confirm that your loan was post, please check out your Activity Log on Facebook.
Can I help Kiva while I travel?
Right now, Kiva doesn't have a way for you to volunteer with us while you're on vacation. But if you're interested in longer-term ways of becoming involved with Kiva, please visit: kiva.org/volunteer
How do I see what loans have been dedicated to me?
If you're an existing Kiva lender and a loan is dedicated to you, you'll see this noted on your public lender page, as well as on the main page of your Kiva portfolio (kiva.org/portfolio) under the headline "Loan Dedications."
When I edit my subscription, I get an error that it can't be increased by 20%. What do I do?
All Kiva subscriptions are processed through PayPal and unfortunately changing your subscription amount can sometimes result in an error. The best thing to do if you want to change the amount of your subscription is to first cancel your existing subscription, and then sign up for a new monthly subscription in a different amount.
To do so, you can cancel your monthly subscription by following these steps:
1. Log in to your PayPal account at paypal.com
2. Click ‘Transactions’ at the top
3. Click down arrow next to ‘All transactions’ select ‘Subscription agreements’
4. Specify the time frame in which the subscription was set up
5. The History pages displays a list of recurring payment setup transactions.
6. In the My profiles list, locate the subscription that you want to cancel.
7. In the row for that subscription, click the Details link.
8. The Recurring Payments : Profile Details page opens.
9. Click the Cancel link under Profile Status.
10. Click the Yes button to confirm the cancellation.
11. The Recurring Payments : Profile Details page refreshes with a message confirming that the subscription is canceled.
Once you've done that, go back to the credit settings page in your Kiva account and set up a new subscription: kiva.org/settings/credit
How do I view or edit my Facebook preferences?
You can view and edit any of your Facebook preferences by signing into your Kiva account and going to: kiva.org/settings/facebook
Why does sharing my loans on Facebook require so many permissions?
In order to use the Facebook Share functionality you will have to grant Kiva a few permissions. These permissions enable us to host the Facebook Share functionality on our site, making it easier for lenders to post their loans to Facebook. Please note that even with this permission enabled we will never post without your authorization.
If you don't feel comfortable granting these permissions, you can always share your loans on Facebook by manually posting a link to a loan on Facebook.
Exchange rate
The amount of local currency for this borrower that is equivalent to 1 US dollar. The exchange rate on a particular loan represents the rate on the date the loan was added into Kiva's system by the Lending Partner.
The exchange rate is updated nightly from xe.com
Why does my tax receipt not include my most recent donation?
When you make a donation to Kiva's operating expenses, it will be reflected in your Kiva portfolio at kiva.org/portfolio/donations
On this page, you should see all the donations you've ever made to Kiva, and you'll also be given the option to print out a receipt for your tax filings.
While donations made should be reflected on this page immediately, unfortunately there is a slight delay in information being updated on the tax receipt. If your tax receipt does not include your most recent donation, please check back tomorrow and you should see it included.
Number of ended loans
Total number of loans raised and disbursed which are no longer in the process of being paid back by a borrower.
Does Kiva work with Roma borrowers?
While Kiva doesn't currently work with partners in Romania, we do have partners supporting Roma borrowers and communities in Kosovo and Albania. Both KosInvest and VisionFund Albania have developed "Vulnerable Groups" loan products to support Roma (and other vulnerable ethnicities) in their countries. Please see direct links below:
KosInvest - kiva.org/lend?sortBy=newest#/?perPage=20&sortBy=newest&queryString=Kosovo%2C+&themes%5B%5D=Vulnerable+Groups
VFA - kiva.org/lend?sortBy=newest#/?perPage=20&sortBy=newest&queryString=Albania%2C+&themes%5B%5D=Vulnerable+Groups
What is the Kiva Store return policy?
Whenever possible, the Kiva Store encourage exchange of items vs a full return. This ensures that the donation to Kiva that your purchase generated, will still go towards supporting Kiva’s operations. You may return items for refund or exchange within 60 days of the purchase date. To learn more, please visit: https://store.kiva.org/help/
What happens if I use free credit to fund a loan that expires?
If you use free credit to make a loan on Kiva, which ultimately expires or is refunded, the funds will not be returned to you. Instead they will be returned to the campaign sponsor. This means that, unfortunately, you won't be able to relend this credit to make another loan.
Lending Partner currency exchange loss rate
Kiva calculates the Currency Exchange Loss Rate for its Lending Partners as: Amount of Currency Exchange Loss / Total Loans.
What is social performance?
Social performance is defined as the effective translation of an institution's mission into practice in line with accepted social values. Kiva has chosen seven social performance badges to help display our Lending Partners' social performance strengths: Anti-Poverty Focus, Vulnerable Group Focus, Client Voice, Family and Community Empowerment, Entrepreneurial Support, Facilitation of Savings and Innovation. To learn more about these badges, go to: www.kiva.org/about/impact/socialperformance
Where can I find my gift code?
If you received a plastic credit card sized Kiva Card you'll find the gift code on the backside of the card, next to the dollar amount.
If you received an emailed version of a Kiva Card you can find the gift code in the center of the email.
If you received a printed version of a Kiva Card you can find the gift code below the dollar amount.
What does fundraising status mean?
The fundraising status lets you know whether or not a Lending Partner is actively raising funds on Kiva's platform. Kiva adjusts the fundraising status of each Lending Partner based on time and performance. Combined with the Lending Partner risk rating, the fundraising status determines the number of loans a Lending Partner can post in a given month. Kiva Lending Partners can be in any of the following statuses:
Active: An active partner is currently raising funds on Kiva.
Inactive: An inactive partner is not currently posting new loans, but is in good standing with Kiva. A partner may be in inactive status for a variety of reasons, such as operational constraints preventing them from posting loans. Kiva monitors inactive partners according to their outstanding balance, with a higher level of monitoring conducted on partners with higher balances.
Paused: A paused partner has been restricted from raising funds while Kiva reviews a potential issue. A partner may be paused for a variety of reasons, such as excessive delinquency or default on Kiva loans, a violation of Kiva policies, or external factors such as country-related regulatory constraints.
Closed: A partnership will be closed when Kiva no longer works with this organization.
Do all direct loans have Trustees?
Not all direct loans have Trustees. If you'd like to see if a borrower has a Trustee, visit the borrower profile and click "Trustee" on the right hand side. Borrowers with Trustees will have the Trustee's information and endorsement listed. Borrowers without Trustees will be shown as having no trustee endorsement.
Can a Trustee cover a borrower's default?
An endorsement from a Trustee doesn't guarantee any loan repayment, and Trustees have no fiduciary duty to Kiva, borrowers or lenders to repay a loan on behalf of a borrower. They never handle money associated with direct loans, as loans are disbursed directly from Kiva to the borrower once they are fully funded. Trustees can play an advisory role and help borrowers with business advice or create new repayment plans if they ever become delinquent on their loan.
Can I select a loan to fund when I give a Kiva Card?
It is not possible to select a loan to go with a Kiva Card. Instead, Kiva Cards give the recipient the option to choose which loan to support using the funds from their Kiva Card.
Average annual income
The average annual income per person in this country, given in US dollars. This is the GDP per capita (PPP), which is the value of all
final goods and services produced within the nation in a given year.
Why am I getting an error message when requesting a withdrawal?
All online withdrawal requests must be sent to a PayPal account, and you must enter your PayPal email address twice when submitting your request. Please make sure your second submission matches the first. If it doesn't, you will receive an error message prompting you to ensure they do.
What financial involvement do Trustees have in the loan?
Trustees have no fiduciary duty to Kiva, borrowers, or lenders, including repayment of a loan on behalf of a borrower. Trustees never handle the money associated with the loan, loans are sent directly from Kiva to the borrowers, once fully funded by the lenders. Trustees also don't receive any interest rate or flat fee (e.g. servicing fee, referral fee, access fee, etc.) related to the loan.
Why hasn't the borrower I supported paid?
Every loan on Kiva is posted with its own unique repayment schedule, which lets lenders know when repayments should be expected on loans.
Unfortunately, sometimes borrower or partners may fall behind on repayment according to that original schedule. If a borrower becomes behind on repayment, it is common to try to reschedule loans in order to accommodate the eventual repayment of the loan. While we don't require partners to share updates when a borrower falls behind on repayment, we do encourage them to do so, as we know lenders like to know what's going on with the borrowers they support.
At Kiva we define default or non-repayment as the time when Kiva determines that collection of funds from a borrower
or Lending Partner is doubtful and 180 days past the originally scheduled
repayment date (for any expected repayment, not just at the term of the
loan). When a Kiva loan defaults, we notify all contributing lenders by email.
What happens to my funds if I cancel Monthly Good?
If you decide to cancel your Monthly Good, you have a few options:
1. You can use the money in your account to continue lending to borrowers you select manually.
2. You can sign up for auto-lending, which allows you to continue automatically lending your money without adding new deposits automatically.
3. You can withdraw your money, or donate your money to Kiva as it’s repaid by the borrowers you supported.
Can I count my loan towards more than one lending team’s impact?
Each loan you make can only be attributed toward the impact of 1 team. This helps maintain the integrity of the friendly competition among teams.
Delinquency (PAR) rate
Delinquency rate is the percentage of paying back loans by this Lending Partner that are past due in repayment. This is a conservative early indicator of a Lending Partner's long term default rate. It's conservative because there is still a chance a borrower or partner will fully repay the amount owed before the end of the loan term, even if they are behind currently.
How this is calculated: Delinquency rate = Amount of Paying Back Loans Delinquent / Amount of Paying Back Loans
How do I create a new account using my Apple ID and the “Hide My Email” feature?
If you create a new Kiva account and elect to “Hide My Email” you will be given an anonymous email address that will then be used to sign into your account. You will then be able to receive emails through our systems or directly from any @kiva.org email address.
For more information on the "Hide My Email" option: https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT210425
Why is Kiva not listed on the Better Business Bureau?
Kiva has not sought accreditation from the Better Business Bureau, but we have been evaluated by Charity Navigator and given a 3 star rating. You can see more information on Charity Navigator's website here:
charitynavigator.org/index.cfm?bay=search.summary&orgid=12978
You should be able to find all of the information about Kiva on Charity Navigator that BBB lists about charities they have evaluated.
Why is it hard to track if a post-disbursed loan is dependent on Kiva lender funding?
Direct loans on Kiva are always post-disbursed. That means that if the loan doesn't fully fundraise on Kiva's website, the borrower won't receive the loan.
Partner loans may be pre- or post-disbursed. With partner loans, Kiva's Lending Partners are the ones responsible for screening borrowers, disbursing loans, collecting repayments and otherwise administering Kiva loans on the ground. When a borrower receives a loan through Kiva's Lending Partner, they have gone through an approval process, evaluating their credit-worthiness and likelihood of repaying their loan.
If a Lending Partner has cash available when they approve a borrower for a loan, they may choose to give out that loan right away, prior to posting it to Kiva for funding. By pre-disbursing a loan, they're helping to ensure the borrower gets their funds as soon as they're needed, instead of having to wait until the loan fundraises on Kiva. However, some of Kiva's Lending Partners don't have the cash available to do this, so they must wait until they receive the funding from Kiva lenders to disburse a loan. Regardless of whether a loan is pre- or post-disbursed, when a partner posts a loan to Kiva, they're doing so because they believe that the borrower is worthy of receiving a loan, and they hope that Kiva lenders will choose support the borrower, thus assuming the risk for that loan.
If a partner loan is post-disbursed and does not get funded on Kiva's platform, oftentimes the borrower will not get the loan (a majority of our partners who post-disburse loans don't have other sources of funding besides Kiva). However, if a loan isn't supported by Kiva lenders and the partner has the resources to do so, they may choose to still give out that loan to the borrower, using other sources of capital.
It's hard for Kiva to track which post-disbursed partner loans won't happen without the support of lenders for a variety of reasons. First, the financial situation of a partner can change relatively quickly. One month a partner may only be able to finance loans through Kiva, whereas the next month they may have leveraged their relationship with Kiva in ways to get additional sources of funding. Because this situation can fluctuate on a regular basis, it's difficult to know for certain if a loan on Kiva that has a future disbursal date will be able to be given out even if it isn't funded by Kiva lenders.
In addition, the Partnerships Team at Kiva has chosen not to invest the resources in tracking this on a routine basis, given limited staff time and the number of partners each person must manage (it typically takes 2 people to manage 25-30 partners). Our Portfolio Managers and Portfolio Associates already monitor a lot of details about their partners, focusing their efforts on key tasks such as the overall financial health of the Lending Partner, accuracy of the loan information (through borrower verifications), monthly repayment reporting and conducting updated risk models every 24 months.
What kinds of businesses does Kiva support with larger loans?
The underlying characteristic of larger loans on Kiva is that they fall in the Missing Middle -- the underserved small enterprises between microloans and traditional bank loans. We expect these businesses will also have a strong social impact or spur the local economy through job creation, and sometimes both!
To learn more, check out this blog post: blog.kiva.org/kivablog/2013/12/27/bridging-the-missing-middle-the-impact-of-larger-loans-on-kiva
Why is the photo upside down on the print-it-yourself Kiva Card?
Print-it-yourself Kiva Cards were designed to be printed on an 8.5x11" piece of paper and folded into card shape. When you print out the PDF, the photo may look upside down, however if you fold the page in half twice, into the shape of a card, the photo should be right-side up. To see a preview of this card, go to: kiva.org/gifts/kiva-cards#/print
What are lender messages?
Lender messages allow lenders to communicate with each other directly through the Kiva website. Our hope is that lender messages will help lenders build a stronger feeling of community with one another.
I want to share my loans on my group's Facebook page. How do I do this?
The Facebook share functionality unfortunately only works for personal Facebook accounts, not group accounts or pages. That means that when you share your loan using Kiva's Facebook share functionality, it will go to a personal page. If you want share your loan on your club's Facebook page you will have to do it manually. To do so, copy the URL of the loan profile you're trying to share and post it on your group page.
Can you put my Kiva Card toward a loan for me?
Unfortunately we're unable to make a loan on behalf of a Kiva Card recipient. But the great news is that with a Kiva Card, you can make a loan of your choosing by going to: kiva.org/redeem
If you choose not to use your Kiva Card, it will be automatically converted into a donation to Kiva's operating expenses 12 months from the purchase date. Donations are vital to our work, and today for every $1 in donations our site raises $8 in loans.
What are youth loans?
Youth loans are for individuals under the age of 30. Youth are often seen as more risky and therefore can experience limited availability of resources and financial services due to their lack of business experience and/or lack of established credit history. However, there's a high social impact from supporting youth entrepreneurship and getting young people exposed to financial management early on.
Can lenders contribute to my campaign offline?
In order for a lender's contributions to count towards your goal, they must create a Kiva account and lend through Kiva's website. Unfortunately we’re unable to process offline contributions.
What are vulnerable group loans?
Vulnerable Group loans are for borrowers who are particularly underserved, vulnerable and/or very poor. These include those affected by or forced to flee their homes due to armed conflict, human rights violations, violence, or manmade disasters.
Loans to women borrowers
This is the percentage of total loans through this Lending Partner for women borrowers.
Loan at risk rate - spanish
La tasa de riesgo de los préstamos se refiere al porcentaje de préstamos Kiva que están siendo pagados por este Socio de campo que están vencidos en el pago por al menos 1 día (también conocidos como atrasos). Esta morosidad puede deberse a la falta de pago de los prestatarios de Kiva o la falta de pago del propio Lending Partner.
Préstamos a tasa de riesgo = $ valor pendiente de morosidad en el pago de préstamos en estado de devolución / $ valor pendiente de pago de todos los préstamos en estado de devolución.
Ejemplo: un socio tiene cinco préstamos que están en estado de "devolución" y el monto del préstamo para cada uno es de $ 100. Todos los préstamos tienen primeras cuotas de $ 10. Un prestatario paga solo $ 9 y, por lo tanto, su préstamo está en mora. Los otros cuatro prestatarios pagan $ 10. La tasa de riesgo de los préstamos es de 91/451 = 20,18%.
La tasa de riesgo de los préstamos es un agregado que no distingue entre la morosidad del prestatario y la morosidad del socio. Entonces, en el ejemplo anterior, la tasa de riesgo de los préstamos será del 20,18%, independientemente de si es el prestatario o socio el que está atrasado en los reembolsos.
What are fair trade loans?
Fair Trade loans are for artisans and farmers who sell their Fair Trade certified produced goods in the international economy. The price of the goods are set to cover the cost of production as well as a living wage to cover the basics of food, shelter, clothing, education and medical care. Fair Trade also ensures that the worker’s revenues are reinvested into their businesses, that the method of production is sustainable and guarantees workers freedom of association and safe working conditions.
What happens to my free trial $25 after I lend?
Loans made using a free trial are disbursed to borrowers in the same way other loans are disbursed on Kiva. However, since a sponsor is funding the loan, any repayments from that loans will go back to the sponsor, not to the lender. Our hope is that lenders who make their first loan as part of a free trial or promotion will enjoy the experience of lending so much that they'll choose to deposit their own funds into Kiva to make even more loans.
Why was my subscription/automatic deposit suspended?
Kiva subscriptions may be suspended if the last 3 attempts to make an automatic payment failed or after 3 years.
If you have questions about why your payments are failing or why your subscription was suspended, please contact PayPal's customer service team at 888-445-5032 (Toll Free US) or 402-952-8811 (International), Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. CST.
If you'd like to re-enable your subscription, you can do so by going to: kiva.org/settings/credit
Why are repayments not available for 43 months on most India loans?
India has a unique regulatory landscape, and the Reserve Bank of India requires that any funding that comes into the country for a non-governmental microfinance institution must remain in the country for at least 3 years. Typically, with Kiva, lenders get repaid as the borrower repays their loan. With India loans, however, lenders will not be repaid until the end of the 43 month term, which is slightly longer than 3 years because of the way that Kiva’s fundraising and billing system works. Lending Partners in India will collect borrower repayments on a regular basis, but they may only be sent to Kiva lenders at the end of the 43 month term.
Please note, this 43 month term does not apply to loans made through Kiva's Lending Partners Novica, Barefoot Power, and Milaap. Each of these Lending Partners has operations outside of India, which means that certain regulations set by the Reserve Bank of India do not apply to these loans.
Number of paying back loans
Total number of loans raised and disbursed which are in the process of being paid back by a borrower.
What happens to lender funds when they’re held in India?
While Kiva loan terms for loans in India are set at 43 months, Indian borrowers may pay back their loan in a shorter period of time. If the borrower pays back in less than 43 months, the Lending Partner has the option to disburse the funds to another borrower, provided that the second loan will be fully repaid within the 43 month period. The Lending Partner will cover the borrower risk of the second loan.
Does every loan posted by a Lending Partner correspond with that partner's social performance strengths?
Social performance badges are awarded to Lending Partners for their overall work in addition to facilitating microloans. Even though these badges appear on specific loans on Kiva, they do not describe the specific loans, but rather describe the Lending Partners' overall focus.
I'm credited with inviting someone to join Kiva. Can I remove this credit?
It isn't possible to remove record that you've invited someone to join Kiva. Once you've been credited with inviting someone to Kiva, this will remain on your public lender page. If you don't wish for this information to be displayed, you can choose to make your public lender page anonymous. To do so, log into your Kiva account and go to: kiva.org/settings/account
Why aren’t larger loans being provided by traditional banks?
Traditional banks don’t often serve small enterprises for many of the same reasons they don’t serve entrepreneurs with traditional microloans.
One of the primary reasons is that it simply isn’t profitable. Many businesses prefer to remain in the informal sector and do not have bank accounts. Those that do have bank accounts are relatively small and have much lower revenue potential per enterprise than larger businesses. On top of that, it’s common for these small enterprises to need technical assistance related to best business practices, which can add to the bank’s overhead costs. Unless banks view this sector as a viable market, it’s unlikely they’ll develop the necessary strategy, products, delivery channels and risk management systems to address it.
There are also many regulatory barriers that can diminish the incentives a bank may have to work with smaller enterprises. For example, banks may have difficulty with enforcing a loan’s collateral, lowering operational costs through out-of-court settlements or having well-protected creditor rights during a default.
Finally, there’s typically a lack of financial infrastructure in many of these regions. Specifically, a lack of robust credit reporting systems, accounting and auditing standards, insolvency regimes, as well as functioning payments and settlements systems which help address legal uncertainties that lenders face.
What is Wakibi?
Wakibi (wakibi.nl) is a website that was built by a group of Kiva supporters interested in promoting Kiva in the Netherlands. The Wakibi website but was built using Kiva data through Kiva's API, but is not formally affiliated with Kiva in any way.
For questions about Wakibi, please contact their support team via e-mail at service@wakibi.nl
Why does the registration page for free trials require my mailing address?
At Kiva we value your privacy and will never sell your information nor will we use it to contact you without your permission. The purpose of collecting your mailing address is to encourage authenticity of new users for free trials. You can skip the form by registering with your Facebook account.
SeaMonkey, Iceweasal, Namoroka - browsers similar to Firefox
SeaMonkey, Iceweasal, and Namoroka are not Kiva-supported browsers as we do not test our code on these browsers. We currently only test our site on the most-commonly used browsers: Internet Explorer 9, Firefox 18 & 19, Safari 6 and Chrome 24 & 25. While you should still be able to use these Firefox-like browsers to access Kiva's website, they are not browsers that our team currently tests on and therefore you may run into problems from time to time and will continue to see the note mentioning that you are using an unsupported browser.
Partner delinquency (arrears) rate
Kiva defines a partner's delinquency (arrears) rate as the amount of late payments divided by the total outstanding principal balance Kiva has with the Lending Partner. Arrears can result from late repayments from Kiva borrowers as well as delayed payments from the Lending Partner.
How this is calculated: delinquency (arrears) rate = $ value of payments past due of delinquent paying back loans / outstanding $ value of all paying back loans
How much are the fees associated with Muslim world loans?
The fees associated with sharia-compliant loans in the Muslim world can vary from one organization to another. As with all loans on the Kiva site, the best measure of fees the borrower pays to the Lending Partner is the Average Cost to Borrower, which is displayed on each loan profile page and also on the Lending Partner pages (kiva.org/partners).
Actual repayments
These are the actual repayments made by the borrower to the Field
Partner and from the Lending Partner to Kiva. When we receive repayments from the Lending Partner, we pass those along to contributing lenders.
Currency
The local currency unit in which the loan is disbursed to the borrower or group of borrowers. Borrowers will repay the Lending Partner in this currency unit as well.
How does Kiva assess risk for direct loans to social enterprises?
Kiva takes into consideration a number of factors for direct loans so we can understand the credit risk each loan presents. Among other factors, the DSE program evaluates the enterprise’s capitalization and debt obligations, revenue stream, OPEX, margin analysis, free cash flows, asset quality, liquidity and burn rate, and several common financial ratios. We evaluate strategic risks such as market competition and advantages, as well as operational risks, such as credit and cash management, MIS, audit function, and controls. These considerations determine whether we move forward with a concurrent loan. We also look for strong financial health and whether any loan guarantees or other protections are available. These factors enable us to right-size the total exposure and make us feel comfortable providing concurrent loans.
Who can use lender messages?
Lenders with a public lender page who have also made at least 1 loan on the Kiva website can send and receive lender messages.
Life expectancy
Average length of survival for members of country's population.
Infant mortality rate (per 1000)
Rate of death per 1000 infants in the first year of life. The leading causes of infant mortality are dehydration and disease.
What are rural exclusion loans?
Rural exclusion loans provide financial services to individuals and families living in very remote areas of the world. Many of these loans are for innovative agriculture products that support the livelihoods of those living in rural areas.
What are mobile technology loans?
Mobile technology loans specifically target individuals with businesses that are increasing the access of mobile phones and mobile services to their local communities, including those who utilize electronic data capture (EDC) machines for bill payments.
What are underfunded area loans?
Loans to borrowers in underfunded areas reach those people who live in particularly remote areas with scarce resources or a limited penetration of financial services. Underfunded areas also include countries that have a hard time accessing capital to support microfinance. These borrowers have very limited options for financing because of where they are located. By funding a loan in an underfunded area you are helping provide financial services to these excluded areas.
Will my PayPal withdrawals be subject to income tax?
Lender withdrawal payments are not income and as a result, are not subject to income tax.
Lenders may still receive notifications from PayPal requesting to provide a tax ID. These notifications, as well as tax holds, are automatically triggered for U.S.-based PayPal customers approaching $600 or more in “Goods and Services” payments (regardless of whether or not those payments include Kiva withdrawals). Additionally, providing a tax ID when requested by PayPal will ensure the tax hold is lifted and the full withdrawal payment is received.
Even when Kiva lenders are asked to provide a tax ID, they will not receive a 1099-K form for Kiva withdrawal payments.
If we can provide any additional clarification on this issue, please reach out to community@kiva.org
What do “Average Cost to Borrower” and “N/A” mean?
Many of Kiva's Lending Partners do charge borrowers in some form in order to make possible the long-term sustainability of their operations, reach and impact. While Lending Partners may request payment from borrowers, and some Lending Partners are profitable, Kiva carefully chooses to partner with organizations that have a social mission to serve the poor, unbanked and underserved, and our due diligence methods include thorough analyses of the costs and benefits of individual loan products. Moreover, partners with a very high cost to borrowers undergo additional annual screening by Kiva to further review their pricing rationale.
Currently, there are 4 different types of information about our Lending Partners that may appear in this Average Cost to Borrower field: Portfolio Yield (PY), Annual Percentage Rate (APR), Monthly Percentage Rate (MPR) and Not Applicable (N/A). Kiva displays only versions of these rates that are nominal, meaning that the effect of inflation in each country is not taken into account. See The World Factbook for a publicly available list of inflation rates.
For this specific Lending Partner, Kiva displays N/A (Not Applicable) because the structures of the particular loan products used by the partner do not allow for a standard pricing calculation. For example, the loan products may have loan repayments linked to the borrowers' revenues or profits, or to repayments from carbon credits or clean energy utility charges. In other cases, the Lending Partner may not charge borrowers directly, but may work with third-party intermediaries that do charge borrowers. In each of these cases, Kiva will provide detailed descriptions of the relevant pricing practices in loan alert text and on partner pages.
What do “Average Cost to Borrower” and “MPR” mean?
Many of Kiva's Lending Partners do charge borrowers in some form in order to make possible the long-term sustainability of their operations, reach and impact. While Lending Partners may request payment from borrowers, and some Lending Partners are profitable, Kiva carefully chooses to partner with organizations that have a social mission to serve the poor, unbanked and underserved, and our due diligence methods include thorough analyses of the costs and benefits of individual loan products. Moreover, partners with a very high cost to borrowers undergo additional annual screening by Kiva to further review their pricing rationale.
Currently, there are 4 different types of information about our Lending Partners that may appear in this Average Cost to Borrower field: Portfolio Yield (PY), Annual Percentage Rate (APR), Monthly Percentage Rate (MPR) and Not Applicable (N/A). Kiva displays only versions of these rates that are nominal, meaning that the effect of inflation in each country is not taken into account. See The World Factbook for a publicly available list of inflation rates.
For this specific Lending Partner, Kiva displays Monthly Percentage Rate (MPR), which represents the estimated average cost paid by a borrower to this Lending Partner to access a loan posted on Kiva, with that cost normalized per month and converted into a percentage rate. In certain rare cases where Lending Partners provide very short term loans to borrowers, Kiva believes that MPR is a more transparent method of representing cost than the more common Annual Percentage Rate (APR). Using tools provided by MicroFinance Transparency, Kiva calculates this MPR based on a detailed analysis of the types of loans this Lending Partner has posted and/or plans to post on Kiva.
Showing an MPR value does not always imply that the Lending Partner charges interest on its loans. Kiva works with Lending Partners across many sectors, including some that don't provide cash loans to borrowers. Instead, these partners provide impactful products or services, which the borrower pays for over time. Thus, the total costs paid by a borrower to a Lending Partner may (or may not) include interest charges, fees, security deposits, rent or other delayed payments for the delivery of goods or services.
Literacy rate
The percentage of the population with the ability to read and write.
How are free trials funded?
Free trials are funded by generous Kiva supporters. These supporters are interested in helping Kiva attract new audiences and grow our lender community, so they choose to give funding to support free trials as a way to encourage new people to join Kiva. With free trial loans, people new to Kiva have the opportunity to make a $25 loan to a Kiva borrower without having to use their own money. These loans are disbursed to borrowers in the same way other loans are disbursed on Kiva. However, since a supporter is funding the loan, any repayments on the loan will go back to sponsor, not to the lender. Our hope is that you'll enjoy the experience of lending on Kiva so much that you’ll want to deposit your own funds into Kiva to make even more loans.
Population below poverty line
The percentage of the population living below the poverty line (i.e. the minimum level of income deemed necessary to achieve an adequate
standard of living).
Average cost to borrower (MPR)
Many of Kiva's Lending Partners do charge borrowers in some form in order to make possible the long-term sustainability of their operations, reach and impact. For this specific Lending Partner, Kiva displays Monthly Percentage Rate (MPR), which represents the estimated average cost paid by a borrower to this Lending Partner to access a loan posted on Kiva, with that cost normalized per month and converted into a percentage rate. In certain rare cases where Lending Partners provide very short term loans to borrowers, Kiva believes that MPR is a more transparent method of representing cost than the more common annual percentage rate (APR). Using tools provided by MicroFinance Transparency, Kiva calculates this MPR based on a detailed analysis of the types of loans this Lending Partner has posted and/or plans to post on Kiva.
For more information, please visit: What do “Average cost to borrower” and “MPR” mean?
Labor force
The country's suppliers of labor grouped by specific occupation. The labor force consists of everyone of working age (typically above a certain age (around 14 to 16) and below retirement (around 65) who are participating workers, that is people actively employed or seeking employment. People not counted include students, retired people, stay-at-home parents, people in prisons or similar institutions, as well as discouraged workers who simply do not want work.
Population
Total number of people living in this country.
Official language
Languages which have been given a unique legal status in this country and are typically the languages used in a nation's legislative bodies.
Capital
Capital city of this country.
What are innovative loan product loans?
Innovative loan product loans are designed to specifically meet the needs of unique populations they serve. Traditional microfinance loans are distributed in cash and have regular, fixed repayment plans, making them well-suited to the needs of entrepreneurs with predictable income streams. However, some borrowers require more unique or flexible financing. Innovative loan products include: loans repaid in-kind rather than in cash, loans repaid from carbon credit revenue, loans with repayments based on a percentage of borrowers' income or profits, loans with flexible repayment schedules and other innovative loans that are pushing the boundaries of traditional microfinance.
Country
Name of the country where the Lending Partner operates.
Average number of recommendations per journal
If lenders like what they read in an update, they can 'recommend' it on Facebook. This figure measures the average number of recommendations per update.
Journaling rate
The percentage of ended loans that have at least one update.
Total journals
The total number of loan updates posted on Kiva's website by this Lending Partner.
Average dollars raised per day per loan
For any given loan on Kiva, the average amount of funds raised from Kiva's lender community in a 24 hour period. This figure is a more direct measure of the relative 'popularity' of loans posted by this Lending Partner vs. the Kiva average (the higher the rate
of funding, the more popular).
Average time to fund a loan
This is the average length of time in days that it takes for a loan to be fully funded on Kiva's website. This is an indirect measure of the relative "popularity" of a loan compared to the average on Kiva (the quicker to fund, the more popular).
Average loan size / GDP per capita (PPP)
This figure provides insight into a Lending Partner's depth of outreach. It is the relative poverty level of the borrowers selected by this partner. Average Loan Size / GDP Per Capita (PPP) Rule of Thumb: If less than 20% = the poorest of the poor are being reached. If between 20%-149% = the middle poor are being reached. If between 150%-249% = the upper poor are being reached. If over 250% = the middle class or established small businesses are being reached. Source: Adapted from the Microbanking Bulletin published by the MIX Market.
Total amount repaid
The value of all repayments and any refunds issued by Kiva (due to errors or fraud).
Average GDP per capita (PPP) in local country
This number provides insight into the approximate average yearly income of an
individual living in a particular country. Gross domestic product (GDP)
is the value of all final goods and services produced within the nation
in a given year. This figure divides GDP by the total population of the
country.
Average number of borrowers per group
This is the average number of borrowers in a group loan on Kiva. This doesn't include individual loans.
Average group loan size
This is the average size in dollars of all group loans on Kiva.
What does "Instant Sign-In" mean?
The Instant Sign-In feature allows users to sign directly into their Kiva account from links within Kiva emails, making it faster and easier to use the website over time. For security purposes, certain transactions, such as withdrawals and settings, will still require additional authentication. If you want to opt-out of this feature at any time, simply go to the Email Settings page in your portfolio and uncheck the option for "Allow Instant Sign-In from Kiva emails."
Lending Partner's average individual loan size
This is the average size of this partner's loans to individual borrowers on Kiva.
Average loan size
This is the average size of this partner's loans on Kiva.
Amount of refunded loans
Total amount of loans refunded to lenders due to an error.
Partner loans may be refunded for various reasons, which range from unintentional errors (e.g. Lending Partner accidentally uploaded a duplicate borrower profile which received funding and recognized it later) to more serious issues (e.g. a Kiva audit discovered that loan funds were used inappropriately). In the latter case, Kiva will attempt to refund lenders with any funds recovered. Direct loans are typically only refunded if the borrower requests it (typically because they've found alternative sources of funding) or if the borrower breaches one of Kiva's policies (e.g. self-fundraising, violating our community guidelines, found evidence of inaccuracies in the information provided to Kiva).
In all cases, information about why the refund was issued should be in the refund email sent to all contributing lenders.
Number of ended loans defaulted
Number of ended loans which are not repaid in full.
Amount of ended loans defaulted
Remaining balance due on ended loans which are not repaid in full.
Number of paying back loans delinquent
Number of loans paying back with one or more repayments past due.
Why is this loan ineligible?
Since the funding you received is via Kiva's Donor-Advised Fund, all of Kiva's Lending Partners have to sign an amended agreement in order to receive these funds. Direct loans and loans through Lending Partners who haven't signed the agreement will not be eligible to support while using DAF funding. Currently, over 80% of all loans on the Kiva website are eligible.
Why can't I make this loan with my free trial?
Free trials cannot be used to make loans during their private fundraising period on Kiva. If you'd like to make a free loan, please select a different loan to support.
Amount of paying back loans
Total amount of loans raised and disbursed which are in the process of being paid back by a borrower.
Number of raised inactive loans
This is the total number of loans raised but not yet disbursed to the intended borrower.
Amount of raised inactive loans
This is the total amount of loans raised but not yet disbursed to the intended borrower. Typically, loans are disbursed within 90 days of being fully funded on Kiva's website.
Refund rate
The refund rate is the percentage of total loans that have been refunded due to an error. Errors vary from the unintentional (e.g. Lending Partner accidentally uploaded a duplicate borrower profile which received funding and
recognized it later) to more serious issues (e.g. a Kiva audit
discovered that loan funds were used inappropriately).
How this is calculated: Refund rate = Amount of refunded loans / Total loans
Start date on Kiva
Date at which the first loan from this Lending Partner was posted on Kiva's website for funding.
Network affiliation
Lending Partners typically are supported by microfinance networks, which help provide funds, technical advice and best
practice information to its members. Microfinance networks play a critical role in building capacity for Lending Partner organizations.
We encourage Kiva lenders to learn more about these networks if they wish to learn more about a Lending Partner organization.
Average loan size (% of per capita income)
A Lending Partner's average loan size is expressed as a percentage of the country's gross national annual income per capita. Loans that are smaller (that is, as a lower percentage of gross national income per capita) are generally made to more economically disadvantaged populations. However, these same loans are generally more costly for the Lending Partner to originate, disburse and collect.
Lending Partner's total loans
Total loans indicates the total amount of loans this Lending Partner has raised through the Kiva website. This excludes refunded loans.
Kiva borrowers (partner loans)
This figure represents the total number of borrowers posted by this Lending Partner that have raised loans on Kiva. This number includes individual borrowers within any of this Lending Partner's group loans.
Lending Partner's time on Kiva
Time on Kiva shows the number of months a Lending Partner has been posting loans to Kiva for funding.
What does "Listed" mean?
The listed date is the date this loan first appeared on Kiva's website and began fundraising.
How does Kiva U.S. screen Trustees?
Every Trustee must fill out an online application form. We then review every Trustee's application, following up where appropriate. The performance of loans that a Trustee endorses affects their ability to endorse additional borrowers. Trustees that endorse borrowers who do not repay their loans will be prevented from making future endorsements.
What does it mean for currency to depreciate? Why does depreciation occur?
Currency depreciation refers to a decline in the value of one currency relative to another currency. Depreciation occurs when, because of a change in exchange rates, a unit of one currency buys fewer units of another currency. For instance, if the US dollar depreciates relative to the Euro, the exchange rate (the Dollar price of Euros) rises; therefore, it takes more Dollars to purchase 1 Euro.
Can I delete or hide the invites in my portfolio?
There is unfortunately no way to hide or delete the invitations you've sent, inviting people to join Kiva. All invitations will be noted in your Kiva account at: kiva.org/portfolio/invites
Can I purchase a Kiva Card without emailing it to the recipient right away?
When purchasing an email delivery Kiva Card, you will have the option to set the date that the
Kiva Card is emailed to the recipient. To do so, click on the link on the order form that says, "Select a delivery date in the future." This will allow you to choose the date you'd like the Kiva Card to be emailed.
Why does my PayPal receipt say that my Kiva Card will be shipped?
The receipt provided by PayPal lists a shipping address by default, even if you didn't order a physical Kiva Card. The correct delivery method for your purchase will be noted on your receipt under "Order Summary."
If the Kiva Card was mailed, it will say "Intended for" and the mailing address you provided for the gift. If emailed, it will say "emailed to" and the recipient's email. You can also sign into your Kiva account to find and/or confirm these details. To do so, just go to: kiva.org/portfolio/kiva-cards
Please note that regardless of the original delivery method, you can print a copy of an unused Kiva Card directly from this page in your portfolio at any time.
Note about this loan
Due to government regulations in this country, foreign funding must remain in the country for a set period of time before being returned. This means that this borrower will likely repay their loan sooner than the repayment term noted on Kiva, however as a lender you will not be repaid until this waiting period is over. In the meantime, the Lending Partner may choose to relend your funds to help other local borrowers. We want you to be aware of these terms and the associated risks before making this loan.
Trustee type
This is the type of organization that the Trustee is.
What are Trustee tiers?
Trustee tiers determine the number of endorsements a Trustee can make and what loan sizes they can endorse. All Trustees begin as a pilot and can advance in tier depending on their borrowers' repayment performance.
For for more information about Trustee tiers, visit: kivaushub.org/trustee-tiers
Trustee location
This is the location where the Trustee is based.
Kiva borrowers (direct loans)
This figure represents the total number of loans endorsed by this Trustee that have fundraised on Kiva.
Trustee's total loans
This figure includes the total amount of loans that this Trustee has endorsed. This excludes refunded loans.
Fundraising / raised
This figure represents the number of loans endorsed by this Trustee that are currently fundraising or fully funded.
Paying back on time
This figure represents the number of loans endorsed by this Trustee that are currently paying back on their repayment schedule.
Trustee's loans paying back late
This figure represents the number of loans endorsed by this Trustee that are currently paying back behind their repayment schedule.
Repaid in full
This figure represents the number of loans endorsed by this Trustee that have completed all repayments.
Trustee loans defaulted
This figure represents the number of loans endorsed by this Trustee that have ended in default.
Trustee's time on Kiva
Time on Kiva shows the number of months a Trustee has been endorsing loans on Kiva for funding.
Trustee repayment rate
This figure is the total amount of money currently collected by borrowers endorsed by this Trustee, divided by the total amount of money currently due from borrowers. This excludes payments made ahead of schedule.
Why is auto-lending enabled on my account by default?
When you register for a Kiva account, auto-lending is automatically enabled with a 90-day window to make a loan before any credit is lent (for more details, please see our Terms of Use: https://www.kiva.org/legal/terms). This auto-lending setting also includes a default donation of 15% per auto-loan that is made.
However, auto-lending is completely optional, as are the default donations made alongside auto-loans. You can edit your auto-lending settings at any time by signing in and going to: kiva.org/settings/autolending
What happens to the Trustee if a borrower they endorsed doesn't pay back a loan?
The Trustee will face no financial penalty in the event that a borrower defaults on a loan. However, the repayment rate of each Trustee is publicly displayed on their profile, and a defaulted loan will reflect poorly on their reputation. Over time, we will stop working with Trustees who endorse borrowers that do not repay their loans.
Kiva Loan Tag Definitions (T-Z)
#Technology
#Technology tag definition
Loans to buy, sell or use modern technology (cell phones, computers, solar power, etc.)
What is a #Technology loan?
- A loan to buy, maintain, sell, or use technology that was not widely commercially available to individuals in any country before the 21st century
- Examples: Cellphones, mobile payments, e-commerce, innovative new water purifiers, solar-powered irrigators, solar lamp, computers, internet access, solar chargers, electric cars, website development, and e-commerce
- A loan for education expenses directly related to a technology diploma/degree
What is not a #Technology loan?
- A loan for any technology that was widely available to individuals in all countries in the 20th century
- Examples: Cook stoves, tractors, regular cars
#Trees
#Trees tag definition:
Loans for planting, growing or sustaining trees
What is a #Trees loan?
- The borrower's business involves planting, growing, sustaining trees (e.g., with fertilizer, watering, labor)
- A loan to buy tree seedlings
- A loan to purchase fertilizer or other agricultural inputs for sustaining trees
- A loan to install irrigation for tree plantations or orchards
- A loan to purchase land when specifically intended to grow trees
- A loan to purchase or buy back (where the land has been pawned or rented) land dedicated to coconut production (sometimes referred to as cocoland)
Trees include, but are not limited to:
- Fruit trees such as apple, apricot, avocado, cacao, calamondin (calamansi), carambola (starfruit), carob, cherry, custard apple (sugar apple), coconut, durian, fig, guava, grapefruit, jocote (Spondias purpurea), jackfruit, lemon, lime, longan, mandarins, mango, marang, mulberry, nanches, nectarine, olive, orange, papaya, peach, persimmon, pitaya (dragonfruit), plum, pomegranate, quince, sapodilla (Manilkara zapota or sapota), tamarillo (tree tomato)
- Nut trees such as almond, Brazil, cashew, chestnut, hazelnut, mahogany, pecan, pistachio
- Almacigo
- Banana (not technically a tree, but included for tree tag)
- Coffee
- Copperwood
- Cork
- Eucalyptus
- Falcata
- Grevillea
- Laurel
- Moringa
- Paulownia
- Resin
- Rubber
- Tagua palm (also known as ivory palm or ivory-nut palm). Nut is carved and is known as vegetable ivory
- Tara
What is not a #Trees loan?
- A business involved in cutting down trees for their wood
- A business dealing with buying or selling equipment to cut down trees (e.g., chainsaws)
- A business selling firewood
- A business making or selling wood products such as furniture or wooden carvings
- A borrower who trades in fruit, nuts, etc., but does not grow trees
- Fruit-bearing vines such as passion fruit, chayote, and grape
- Tea
#Unique
#Unique tag definition
A Kiva loan that stands out from the rest
What is a #Unique loan?
- The loan is unusual or has an usual type of borrower
- The loan is for a unique item to be produced or sold
- A loan for something that is very rarely seen on Kiva
- The loan's photo stands out from others on Kiva
- The loan is to a borrower with an emotional, compelling, or particularly interesting story
What is not a #Unique loan?
- The loan or borrower is similar to many others on Kiva
#Vegan
#Vegan tag definition:
Fruit, vegetable, nut or grain production or sales with no mention of animal usage
What is a #Vegan loan?
- The loan is for fruit, vegetable, nut, or grain products or production; there is no mention of animals in the loan description, and no animals appear in the photo.
- The loan is for purchase of seeds
- A loan for alcoholic beverages made with vegan products being produced or sold on a small scale (e.g., banana beer, coconut wine)
- The use of chemical fertilizer, compost, manure, pesticide, and insecticide is acceptable
- For group loans, the featured borrower must meet the #Vegan tag criteria, and there must be no mention of animals or animal products relating to other borrowers in the group
What is not a #Vegan loan?
- A loan description that mentions the borrower owns or works with animals or animal products (including fish)
- A loan for seeds for a farm that also has animals
- A loan for mass produced beers and distilled liquors being purchased for resale
- For group loans, one or more of the group does not met the #Vegan definition
#Widowed
#Widowed tag description
Loan description says that the borrower's spouse has died
What is a #Widowed loan?
- The loan description specifically states that the borrower is widowed
What is not a #Widowed loan?
- The borrower not living with partner anymore, but there is no mention of why
- A borrower who is widowed but living with a new partner
#Woman Owned Biz
#Woman Owned Biz tag definition
A business that is woman-owned. For group loans, the main borrower and the majority of members are female business owners.
What is a #Woman Owned Biz loan?
- Must be a business (an activity with the purpose of generating profit), including franchises and catalog sales
- Must be owned solely by a woman or women
What is not a #Woman Owned Biz loan?
- A business operated jointly by a woman and her husband
- A husband or male relative is "helping out" with the business (they may, in fact, be a co-owner or even the principal owner of the business)
- A woman operates a business but is applying for a loan for a purpose other than her business (e.g., home improvements)
- A woman is taking out the loan, but the business is owned by a male family member (e.g., husband or son) or acquaintance
- A group loan with a woman as featured borrower in which the gender of the remaining borrowers is not stated
1) Scheduling an offsite BV - Portuguese
[NOTA PARA SENDER: CC IM NESTE E-MAIL]
Espero que tudo esteja bem com [PARTNER NAME] !
Agora é hora de realizarmos sua próxima Verificação de Mutuários Kiva (BV). A BV faz parte do monitoramento operacional regular que realizamos a cada 12 a 24 meses com todos os nossos Parceiros de Campo. O objetivo é confirmar a precisão das informações publicadas na plataforma Kiva e verificar o cumprimento de nossas políticas.
Para sermos mais eficientes para você e kiva, vamos fazer o processo de verificação mutuário remotamente, o que significa que não vai realmente visitar os clientes no local. Como também fazemos com o site Borrower Verifications, vamos selecionar uma amostra de [5 OU 10] mutuários aleatoriamente e pedir-lhe para fornecer documentação relevante para esses mutuários, tais como relatórios MIS, Renúncias ao cliente e contratos de empréstimo.
Para verificações remotas do mutuário, é necessário que recebamos todas as informações solicitadas dentro de 48 horas após a nossa solicitação. Eu quero escolher uma data adequada para enviar-lhe a amostra.
[INSERIR DATA AQUI] é aceitável para você? Isso significa que precisaríamos que as informações fossem devolvidas a nós [inserir data dois dias depois aqui].
Então você está ciente do que esperar deste processo avançar:
- Na data pré-selecionada, vou enviar-lhe um e-mail com a lista de mutuários e as informações relevantes que você terá de apresentar para cada mutuário no prazo de dois dias úteis.
- Uma vez que os documentos solicitados foram recebidos, vou analisá-los, acompanhamento com quaisquer perguntas e apresentar um relatório para o seu Gerente de Carteira para revisão.
- Seu Investment Manager revisará meu relatório e comunicará seus resultados finais para você, incluindo quaisquer correções ou melhorias que precisam ser feitas em seus processos de Kiva para permanecer em conformidade com as políticas da Kiva.
Para mais informações sobre as verificações do mutuário, consulte este artigo no Centro de Ajuda PA2.
O BV é uma parte importante de ser um parceiro Kiva, por isso agradecemos antecipadamente pela sua cooperação ao longo deste processo! Por favor, confirme que a data proposta funcionará para você ou não por [INSERIR PRAZO]. Deixe-me saber se você tem alguma dúvida e estou ansioso para ouvir de volta de você.
Kiva Loan Tag Definitions (S)
#Schooling
#Schooling tag definition
Loans used by students and teachers, and people expanding their business to pay for children's education
What is a #Schooling loan?
- A loan to pay for school, college, university, trades training, or other educational fees
- A loan for school books, supplies, computers, uniforms, or other expenses directly related to education
- A loan for a school water filtration system or other infrastructure expense
- A loan to an educator for classroom resource material or administrative expenses
- A teacher seeking a loan for any purpose
- A loan to a borrower who is financially supporting a family member or another person, in order that they can attend any level of schooling
- A student working his/her way through any level of schooling and is currently attending school
- The loan description states the borrower is currently incurring school-related expenses, and there is no indication that this expense will not be an ongoing priority.
- A "hidden education" loan: The borrower intends to use some or all of the profit generated by the current loan for immediate education expenses. Note: A specific, firm intent should be stated. This can be a grey area in some cases, such as when the description includes only a brief statement indicating the borrower intends to "educate his/her children" with the profits from the loan, with no additional information about ages of children, etc. In such cases, taggers should take into consideration the entire loan description when making the determination regarding whether the loan merits the tag.
** All loans listed in the Education sector by the Lending Partner should receive the #Schooling tag, to make it easier for lenders to search all Education/schooling loans at once.
What is not a #Schooling loan?
- The borrower has school-aged children, but there is no indication that the loan or the profit generated from the loan will be used for education expenses or to keep children in school. That is, a loan tagged #Parent does not automatically get the #Schooling tag, nor does a loan that merely mentions the borrower has children in school.
- The borrower states he/she is saving for future education expenses or plans (dreams/hopes) to pay for the education of children sometime in the future. To qualify as a "hidden education" loan, the education expense must be related to the current situation and the use of the current loan profits.
- The borrower is related to a teacher but is not personally a teacher
- The borrower is not clearly and currently incurring an education-related expense related to others he/she is supporting
#Single
#Single tag description
Loan description specifically says the borrower is single or unmarried
What is a #Single loan?
- The loan description must specifically state that the borrower is single
- The borrower may be unmarried and living with his/her parents and/or siblings
What is not a #Single loan?
- There is no mention of the borrower's family or marital status in the loan description
- The borrower is cohabiting in a domestic partnership (common-law relationship) but is not legally married
- The borrower is a single parent (A borrower who is single should be tagged either "single" or "single parent", but not both.)
#Single Parent
#Single Parent tag definitionA parent without a spouse or partner, who is responsible for raising children
What is a #Single Parent loan?- The criteria for #Parent tag must apply. A loan can be tagged both #Parent and #Single Parent
- Also, the loan description must specifically mention that the borrower is single (never married, separated, divorced, widowed, living alone)
- A parent responsible for raising children, whose spouse/partner is living abroad on a permanent or long-term basis, even if the spouse is supporting the family financially
What is not a #Single Parent loan?- The borrower is living with a new life partner who is not the parent of the children
#Supporting Family#Supporting Family tag definition
Borrower is supporting parents, siblings or other dependents
What is a #Supporting Family loan?
- Borrower is financially supporting parents, siblings, or other relatives and their families
- Borrower has "other dependents" besides spouse and children who may or may not be biological relatives
- Grandparents who are financially supporting grandchildren
- Parents financially supporting adult children (e.g., mother buying a rickshaw for adult son or father buying store stock for adult daughter)
- Includes partial financial support (e.g., paying for niece's school fees)
What is not a #Supporting Family loan?
- Borrowers is supporting only their partner and their own children and/or their partner's children (Use #Parent tag instead.)
#Sustainable Ag
#Sustainable Ag tag definition
Loan has a "green" agriculture component, or is from a Fair Trade partner
What is a #Sustainable Ag loan?
- The farm (or other agricultural operation) should be sustainable not only economically, but also socially and ecologically
- A loan involving a Fair Trade FP or any form of Fair Trade certification is probably sustainable in all of these respects
- Purchase of organic fertilizer (compost and/or manure)
- Paying for labor to do manual weeding (which means they aren’t using tons of herbicides)
- Crop rotation is generally more sustainable than monoculture, especially if the rotation includes legumes (which facilitate nitrogen fixation in the soil)
- Use of local varieties of crops is generally more sustainable (if they’re growing something you’ve never heard of, then it’s probably a locally adapted crop and that’s good for sustainability)
- Perennial crops are generally more sustainable than annual crops
- Anything that grows on trees will generally be sustainable as long as it does not involve significant chemical inputs (which unfortunately it might)
- Animal husbandry can be practiced relatively sustainably by keeping stocking levels low and rotating animals among different paddocks. However, there is some controversy around whether meat production can ever be globally sustainable (especially when it involves ruminant animals like cattle which produce significant amounts of methane).
What is not a #Sustainable Ag loan?
- Farming that uses chemical pesticides or herbicides or inorganic fertilizers, except perhaps in very targeted use
- Generally, if an agricultural loan is vague about the inputs used then the assumption should be that it uses chemicals, as this is increasingly the “default” option in global agriculture
- Loans that get the #Animals tag should probably not receive the #Sustainable Ag tag unless there is something exceptionally “eco-friendly” about the loan (for example, the raising of animals is well-integrated with cropping to provide natural fertilizer and is secondary to the production of crops). From the average animal husbandry loan description it’s very hard to tell much about sustainability, so probably safest to leave most of them out.
- If a loan has a mixture of sustainable and non-sustainable aspects, then use your judgment as to where the overall balance is.
- Zero-grazing units
Kiva Loan Tag Definitions (I-R)
#Orphan#Orphan Tag Definition
Borrower is a school-aged orphan or is responsible for dependents who were orphaned
What is an #Orphan loan?
- This tag applies to any borrower who is orphaned or still dependent, for example, a young man or woman needing a loan to pay school fees or expenses, or to pay health-related expenses.
- The borrower is responsible for dependents who were orphaned.
- The loan description may state that the borrower has “other dependents” besides immediate family that they are “helping with schooling” or something similar. These may be AIDS orphans, although AIDS or the word orphan is never mentioned. Apply the tag only if you are reasonably sure.
What is not an #Orphan loan?
- A borrower who has lost both parents, but is older than 18 and is not attending school is not considered an orphan
- A borrower who is supporting dependents other than family who are older than 18 and have finished schooling would not be tagged as Orphan
#Parent
#Parent loan definition
Borrower is supporting children at home or in school
What is a #Parent loan?
- Children are the borrower's or partner's own children
- Children are 18 or younger and live in the same household
- Children are older than 18, but are still attending school and are supported by borrower
- Children are older than 18, and are permanently dependent on borrower due to disability
What is not a #Parent loan?
- The borrower is living with his grown children who are not disabled/attending school, even if they are dependent on the borrower's income (because they are unemployed or similar)
- The borrower is supporting children other than his/her own or partner's children, such as grandchildren, niece, nephew. (The #Supporting Family should be used for these loans.)
#Refugee#Refugee tag definition
Borrower is a refugee or person internally-displaced by war, conflict or natural disaster
What is a #Refugee loan?
- Borrower is a refugee (has been forced to leave their country to escape war, conflict or natural disaster)
- Borrower is an Internally-Displaced Person (IDP) - a person who has fled his/her home due to armed conflict or similar event, but without having crossed an international border
- May be living in a camp or settlement, or non-permanent housing
- "Conflict" includes religious, political, gender persecution, etc.
- The borrower directly supports refugees
What is not a #Refugee loan?
- A borrower who was impacted by a natural disaster but remains in the same geographic location
- A borrower who relocates due to economic hardship (this does not meet the definition of refugee)
#Repair Renew Replace
#Repair Renew Replace tag definition
Loans to repair, renovate, or replace equipment, good, or buildings, or borrowers who provide those services
What is a #Repair Renew Replace loan?
- Repairs/maintenance to:
- Vehicles for business, farm, or personal use, including non-motorized vehicles (e.g., bicycle, rickshaw)
- Items/equipment needed to sustain a business
- Items for use in the home
- Renovations or repairs:
- To homes or businesses, which may also be referred to as remodeling
- To all agricultural buildings and fencing
- For rebuilding/restructuring homes or businesses damaged or destroyed by natural disaster or conflict
- For purchasing building materials for renovation
- To add a room to an existing home or business
- Replacing:
- Worn out items used in business, e.g., fishing nets, tables and chairs, barber chairs, cooking utensils, ovens, refrigerators, freezers, etc.
- Worn out items used in homes, e.g., furniture, carpets, curtains, tables and chairs, cookers, refrigerators, washing machines, etc.
- Loans to borrowers who provide repair or renovation services
What is not a #Repair Renew Replace loan?
- A loan to buy fuel (i.e., gasoline and oil) for a vehicle
- A loan to pay for registering or insuring a vehicle or to pay tax on it
- A loan to businesses selling spare parts
- A loan for first time buying of items for business or home
- A loan for new building construction of a house, business premises, or farm buildings
- A loan to pay rent while a house is being built
#Repeat Borrower
#Repeat Borrower tag definition
Borrower has had a previous loan from the Lending Partner or Kiva
What is a #Repeat Borrower loan?
- The borrower has had one or more previous loans (sometimes referred to as "loan cycles" or just "cycles") from the FP (which may or may not have been through Kiva)
Notes:
- There are several Lending Partners (One Acre Fund and CAURIE) for which being a member of their program means that they are always borrowers. If the loan definition states that the borrower(s) have been in the program (or “banc villageois” for CAURIE) prior to the current loan period, then the loan should get the Repeat Borrower tag.
- Loans from the lending partner RMCR fall into one of two categories (information which can be found in the first line of the “More about this loan” section): “solidarity group loans" which should always receive the #Repeat Borrower tag and “community bank loans” which should not receive the tag (unless specific information in the loan description indicates otherwise).
What is not a #Repeat Borrower loan?- The borrower has had a loan from a financial institution but not the FP/Kiva
- The borrower has defaulted on a previous loan
- There is no indication in the loan description that the borrower has had previous loans
Kiva Loan Tag Definitions (A-H)
#Animals
#Animals tag definitionLoans to purchase, feed, raise, sell or build shelter for animals
What is an #Animals loan?
- The borrower will use the loan to purchase, feed, raise, or build shelter for animals
- Includes aquaculture (raising aquatic animals)
- Includes beekeeping
What is not an #Animals loan?
- The borrower has animals, but the loan won't be used to purchase, feed, raise, or build shelter for animals
- The borrower is a meat vendor (including butchers)
- Fishing activity other than aquaculture
#Biz Durable Asset (BDA)
#Biz Durable Asset tag definition
Loans for purchasing durable assets for an income producing activity
What is a #Biz Durable Asset loan?
- A loan used primarily to acquire or put into service a business asset that is durable, i.e., expected to last for multiple years
- Includes durable assets used in any income producing activity
- Includes loans for Income-Producing Durable Assets (IPDAs) being purchased with installment payments
- Includes loans for animals purchased for breeding purposes
Includes, but is not limited to:
- Beehives
- Dairy cattle
- Chickens for egg production
Tree saplings for planting (fruit, coffee, etc.) - Milling machines
- Ovens for bakeries
- Oil presses (e.g., for olive oil)
- Welding machines
- Foundries
- Sewing machines
- Greenhouses
- Cars and trucks
- Taxis
- Tables and chairs, to expand a restaurant
- Computers for an internet cafe or for an entertainment business
- Larger tools that will be rented out (tractor, harvester)
- Purchase of land for farming
- Purchase or construction of rental units
- Purchase of furnishings to make a property rentable
In the category of reducing expenses:
- Solar hot water heaters
- Biodigesters
- Solar panels
- Water pumps
What is not a #Biz Durable Asset loan?
- A loan used for materials consumed during production
- A loan for personal use items
- A loan for maintenance of or spare parts for an existing durable asset
Exclusion examples:
- Animals for fattening and slaughter
- Cattle not raised for milk production
- Chickens not raised for egg production
- Maintenance or repair of durable assets such as vehicles or machinery
- Spare parts on durable assets such as vehicles or machinery
- Retail store inventory
- Seeds that will not produce a 2nd generation of seeds with harvest (often referred to as hybrid seeds)
- Items for non-business (i.e. personal) use such as cars, computers, solar panels on borrower's home
- Purchase of land for personal use, such as building a home
- Home improvement or repair
#Eco-friendly
#Eco-friendly tag definition
Reduces the borrower's carbon footprint or improves the environment (recycling, clean energy, etc.)
What is an #Eco-friendly loan?
- Any loan involving the recycling, reusing, repairing, or re-purposing of products or materials that would otherwise be disposed of in the trash
- Any loan that improves or prevents a harmful environmental condition
- Any loan involving water conservation, including water reclamation, rain water collection, drip irrigation, gray water recycling and the like
- Any loan that meets the criteria for the #Sustainable Ag tag is also by definition #Eco-friendly (and should get both tags to make these loans easy to find by lenders searching for either tag)
- It is acceptable to tag loans already in Clothing, Green / Housing or Green / Agriculture sectors to give lenders a second way to search for these loans.
Examples:
- Reselling used clothing (often called just bales of clothes) or shoes, gathering/selling recyclable materials including scrap metal, electronics/appliance repair, etc.)
- Solar panels or solar-powered products
- Energy-efficient versions of common technology (such as electric vehicles or fuel-efficient cookstoves)
- Beehives
- Bicycles
- Biodigesters
- Home improvement that will improve energy efficiency of the home (for example by adding insulation to reduce coal burning)
- Sanitary latrine or toilet where none previously existed
What is not an #Eco-friendly loan?
- Home improvement loans that do not specifically provide improvements in energy efficiency
- Replacement latrine or toilet
- Buying or reselling of used vehicles, other than electric, as these vehicles become less eco-friendly the longer they are used
#Elderly
#Elderly tag definition
Loans to older borrowers.
What is an #Elderly loan?
- Although the Kiva tag description does not state a specific age for a borrower to be considered elderly, the Loan Taggers Team has agreed to use this tag for borrowers 50 years of age and older
- #Elderly can be used based upon the photo alone, if age is not explicitly indicated in the loan description
What is not an #Elderly loan?
- Elderly people living with the borrower, but not being the loan applicants. The #Elderly tag applies only to the borrower
#Fabrics
#Fabrics loan description
Photos with beautiful fabrics, or loans for fabrics, sewing, weaving, embroidery, etc.
What is a #Fabrics loan?
- Loans for fabrics, sewing, tailoring, dressmaking, weaving, embroidery, batik, or basketry
- Can be based on the photo (what borrowers are wearing, clothing that reveals culture, furnishings in the home,decorations, etc.)
- Can be based on the loan description and/or photo (e.g., borrower may be dressed in beautiful fabric but loan itself may not have any connection with fabrics, sewing, etc.)
- Loans dealing with pagnes (colorful wax cloths)
- Elei printing (a type of Samoan fabric painting)
What is not a #Fabrics loan?
- Buying clothing for resale
#Female Education
#Female Education tag definition
Loans used for educating women and girls, or for generating income to pay for their education.
What is a #Female Education loan?
- A loan to pay current (scheduled) tuition, school fees, and/or other education-related expenses (textbooks, supplies, school uniforms, etc.) for a female student/s
- A loan to support the operation of a school which has a particular focus on educating women or girls. In a coeducational school, 25% or more of the students should be female
- A loan to an entrepreneur who will use the income generated by the current loan (at least in part) to support the education of a female student/s. This could be an adult woman putting herself through school or parents supporting their daughter's education
Note: This tag is to be applied only when the gender of student is female (the gender of the borrower is not to be consideration for this tag).
What is not a #Female Education loan?
- A loan to a female borrower to pay educational expenses for a male student/s (e.g., mother paying for her son's school fees)
- A loan to a coeducational school in which the percentage of female students is not stated or is less than 25%
- A loan to an entrepreneurs who has school-aged daughters (or other female dependents) where paying educational expenses is not explicitly mentioned as a benefit of the current loan
- A loan where the education of a female (e.g., daughter) is stated as a future goal or hope of the borrower
#First Loan
#First Loan tag definition
First loan for the borrower with the Lending Partner
What is a #First Loan loan?
- The loan description specifically states that the loan is the first loan for the borrower with the Lending Partner
- The borrower may have had a loan with a different financial institution/Lending Partner
What is not a #First Loan loan?
- The loan does not explicitly state that it is the borrower's first loan with the Lending Partner (Sometimes a borrower will be a repeat borrower with the FP, even though the loan is the first one posted on Kiva.)
#Health and Sanitation
#Health and Sanitation tag definition
Borrowers who deliver or are in need of health care services, or a loan that has a direct impact on health
What is a #Health and Sanitation loan?
- A loan for health care expenses related to the borrower or a person supported by the borrower
- A loan to a borrower who is a health services provider (such as doctors, nurses, physiotherapists, midwives, pharmacists, dentists), even when the loan is for another purpose
- A loan to a borrower who delivers health information or advice (e.g., family planning)
- A loan for home improvements which have an impact on health (e.g., installation of toilet where there was none previously; water filtration; repair of roofing to eliminate mold)
- A loan to a borrower studying to pursue a career in health services (examples above)
What is not a #Health and Sanitation loan?
- A loan description stating that with the profit from the loan, the borrower hopes to improve the family's health in the future.
Can you help me understand my account history?
The following FAQs can help you better understand your current balance, recent transactions, and the status of any loans made from your account:
How do I view matched loans on the mobile app?
Loan that are matched will have an icon and the name of the organization that is matching underneath the "Lend Now" button.
To filter for matched loans, use the "with a loan to" field to select "improve their lives" and "dollar matched" in the search view.
How can I increase my fundraising speed?
The most powerful way that you (or your Trustee) can increase fundraising speed is by inviting your network to become lenders.
You can invite lenders to contribute to your loan by sharing the link to your loan, which can be found on their Borrower dashboard.
Additionally, you can work to increase your fundraising speed by doing the following:
Post a high quality profile with a good photo. The best photos are ones that clearly and colorfully show your face (ideally smiling!) and show you doing something related to your business.
Post comments and updates in the comments section.
Finally, the endorsement of a Trustee with a proven repayment history of other endorsed borrowers can increase fundraising speeds. Lenders can sort by repayment rate when looking for credible Trustees and borrowers.
Best practices, tips and templates for fundraising can be found here.
Why does Kiva US require borrowers to invite their own lenders?
Kiva US borrowers must invite lenders from their own network to fund their loan before they are posted live to the Kiva website for the larger Kiva lender community to support. This as an important measure of the borrower’s trust network and hope that the lenders invited by the borrower will help keep them accountable for repaying their loan. Depending on the size of the loan and other factors, borrowers are required to invite between 5 and 25 lenders from their network.
We ask borrowers to recruit lenders from their own networks for three principal reasons:
- Borrowers who invite their own networks have a significantly higher repayment rate on their loans.
- We’ve found that loans fundraise much faster when the immediate network of the borrower is engaged in the fundraising period. When lenders see that a borrower has some skin in the game because they have invited their own friends and family to lend to them, we believe they're more likely to make contributions of their own.
- Inviting lenders fuels the growth of the Kiva US program, allowing us to support more entrepreneurs.
Does the honoree have to have a Kiva account to dedicate a loan to them?
No. While we hope that loan dedications will encourage new people to learn about Kiva and make their own loans, the recipient of a loan dedication doesn't have to have a Kiva account in order to receive a loan dedication.
Will Kiva be monitoring Lending Partners in India regularly?
Kiva will be conducting routine monitoring with our Lending Partners in India to help ensure that they are following Kiva’s policies and procedures. This monitoring will occur through staff visits, Kiva Fellows placements and borrower verification “spot checks”. Although we won’t be able to share detailed information on individual loans, we will be monitoring Lending Partners in India in the same way we monitor other Lending Partners on Kiva.
Will I know if a borrower in India defaults on his/her loan before the end of the loan term?
Our Lending Partners in India will be tracking repayment information on their Kiva loans, but Kiva will not be able to report repayments or defaults on individual loans until the end of the 43 month loan term.