Thank you for the impact you’ve made in 2019! Together we funded more than 170,000 loans and raised more than $120 million for financially excluded people around the world. It costs us more than $3 to facilitate each $25 loan. Since every dollar lent on Kiva goes to the field, we rely on optional donations from individuals like you to cover our operating costs. Every dollar makes an impact on our progress and the borrowers we serve.
But what do your donations really do? Here are just a few highlights from this year that could not have happened without the support of your donation dollars.
Revolutionizing credit systems for unbanked people around the world
One of our most important projects that kicked off in 2019 was Kiva Protocol, an exciting new initiative to give unbanked people digital identification and secure control over their own credit information. In August, we launched Protocol in Sierra Leone, now Africa’s first blockchain and decentralized identity platform.
The Kiva Protocol team introduces their work at the launch in Freetown, Sierra Leone.
Partnering with the Government of Sierra Leone, the United Nations Capital Development Fund (UNCDF), and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) has provided all citizens of Sierra Leone with the ability to digitally own and use their national civil identity. With just a thumbprint and their national identification number, Sierra Leoneans will be able to open or access an account at any financial institution in the country! This wouldn’t have been possible without the financial support of the Kiva community to continue innovating for progress toward global financial inclusion. Stay tuned next year to see where we launch Protocol next!
President Julius Bio of Sierra Leone expresses his excitement for the future of financial inclusion in his country.
Conducting due diligence and reaching borrowers in 80+ countries
We’ve also had an amazing cohort of Kiva fellows this year, like media fellow Idania Ramirez. She’s shared incredible stories about generations of Kiva borrowers in Peru and how farmers in Colombia have made the switch from cocaine to cacao. Other fellows like Social Enterprise/ Kiva Labs Fellow Tamar Honig have been visiting our Field Partners, like Pueblos en Acción Comunitaria (PAC) in Nicaragua. These fellows would not be able to continue their important work abroad without the donations of our Kiva lenders.
With your donations, we’ve been able to make significant progress in the way Kiva works, all while supporting our employees and their dedicated work.
Media Fellow Idania Ramirez visits a borrower in Colombia.
A Kiva app, global impact, and community engagement
This year, our engineers have been tirelessly working to bring you a technologically advanced and highly-functional Kiva mobile application (to be released in early 2020). Meanwhile, our executive and strategic teams have built incredible partnerships with other non-governmental organizations like the UN (where Executive Chair board member Julie Hanna spoke at the General Assembly in October).
Throughout the year, our review and translation program mobilized a team of 400+ volunteers, our investments team continued to manage and produce vital relationships with our Field Partners, and our Kiva U.S. team made sure we were creating impact at home too. We had successful campaigns like launching a multi-million dollar World Refugee Fund on World Refugee Day, and celebrating $1 billion in loans to women over the past decade and a half.
The #FuelHerFuture campaign celebrated $1 billion in loans to women.And we couldn’t have done it without the Kiva community.
100% of money lent on Kiva goes to the field, so we rely on donations to continue this important work. Thank you, Kiva community. Without your donations, none of this would be possible!
Want to know more about where your donations go? Read five reasons to donate to Kiva, and donate here.
