How do Kiva giving funds work?
Giving funds combine the power of lending with collective action. People donate to a giving fund, and the money is lent out to help people reach their goals. When borrowers succeed and repay, the funds are lent again to help new people. A small portion also supports Kiva’s work, so we can keep creating an impact together — without extra effort from you.
Where your donation goes
100% of your initial donation funds loans for borrowers on Kiva.
As people succeed and repay the loans, Kiva automatically relends your funds to someone new.
A small portion of repayments are used to power Kiva’s work and cover costs to continue growing Kiva’s impact.
What this means
All giving fund contributions are donations — which is different than regular lending. Every giving fund donation is tax-deductible in the U.S.
You cannot withdraw your funds like you can with repaid loans. However, the money within your fund will be automatically re-lent to new people each time someone repays.
Every time your fund reaches at least $28.75, Kiva automatically lends $25 to a new borrower and uses $3.75 (15%) to keep the system running.
How we use the 15%
Your support powers the whole Kiva ecosystem. We put your 15% to work funding our:
Impact and partnerships: Working with 300+ partners in 80+ countries to find and vet borrowers.
Technology: Building and maintaining Kiva.org so loans can be posted, tracked, and repaid.
Storytelling: Sharing real borrower stories so you can see your impact.
Support and transparency: Handling questions, translations, and compliance.
Why it matters
This model keeps your impact going — again and again — without more work from you. Every dollar helps someone build a better future and supports the systems that make that possible.
Thank you for fueling a world where everyone has the opportunity to create a better future.
Impact first. Transparent always.