April 18, 2022

Happy International Volunteer Week! To commemorate this week-long celebration, Kiva would like to express our immense gratitude and appreciation for our fellows, interns, and volunteers who put in countless hours to make an impact in our community and the world. Thank you for all you do to help expand global financial access.

We’d like to start off by spotlighting a few of our wonderful Review and Translation Program volunteers, who review, translate, and edit loans daily to see them fundraise on the Kiva site. Learn...

Access to clean water and sanitation is a universal and basic human right, and yet 1 in 3 people on Earth lack access to safe drinking water. 

Half of the people who today drink from contaminated water sources live in sub-Saharan Africa, and 8 in 10 live in rural areas. For those in developing countries, human-caused climate change is projected to reduce renewable surface water and groundwater resources, which will intensify already-fierce competition for water. Receding and melting glaciers will decrease water supplies for drinking and...

No matter where we live on this big, beautiful planet, all of us have the right to a clean, healthy, sustainable environment—a declaration that was made manifest in 2021 by the UN Human Rights Council.

Yet the challenges facing the earth can seem overwhelming. Can one person really make a difference to issues this huge?

The good news is that we can help the earth with the small choices we collectively make every...

Women entrepreneurs face formidable challenges at every stage of the enterprise journey, from securing financial backing to balancing household responsibilities to navigating gender-related social norms. COVID-19 exacerbated many of these hurdles, prompting the necessity for microfinance institutions, investors, and development partners to meet the needs of women entrepreneurs in new ways. 

To get a better understanding...

In the rolling hills of Kigali, Rwanda’s capital city, Thacienne knew she would excel as a college student—if only her family could afford it. 

“As the first born of the family, my parents were worried about my education,” she says. Her parents asked her if she could wait two years before starting college; the family needed time to raise the funds to cover her tuition, which in Rwanda can cost several times the average annual wage. The cost of higher education...

Kiran is going beyond the traditional expectations for women in Nepal. And with the help of Kiva lenders, going beyond her financial limitations too.

Meet Kiran from Kathmandu

Kiran, a college student studying business at the University of Kathmandu in Nepal, is using her Kiva loan to help fund her education. 

But, before she got to where she is today, Kiran found herself in a situation many Nepalese women face: being qualified, deserving, and eager to...

We couldn't have done this without you. Thank you, Kiva community, for supporting 150,000 loans this year!

 

Show your support for...

You help us change the world every day of the year, but it’s especially meaningful during the holiday season. Thank you for keeping the holidays bright for people everywhere.

As you read about holiday traditions around the globe, we invite you to add Kiva to your own giving traditions. Donating to Kiva helps us cover the cost of loans to new borrowers, groundbreaking projects, and so much more.

Read on to learn more about unique holidays from around the world, taking place in the very communities you...

This year, make an impact with your giving. We’ve got your entire gift list covered!

First up: Kiva Cards. With a Kiva Card, recipients can choose a Kiva borrower to support, then re-lend the same funds again after getting repaid. They’re a perfect way to introduce family and friends to Kiva!

Then, explore the Kiva Store, where you can buy goods from borrowers around the world.

Last (but definitely not least), you can always pay it forward by lending. Whether it’s your...

October 7, 2021

A key component of Kiva's efforts to connect people throughout the world is to partner with other trustworthy, high-impact organizations. We connect you with entrepreneurs in 65 different countries around the globe, and the truth is, we couldn’t do it without the help of our Field Partners.

The Field Partners we connect with are microfinance institutions or social enterprises. We make these connections through the Kiva Labs: Social Enterprises program,...

Our main goal at Kiva, now and always, is to reduce financial exclusion around the world and in our local communities. That’s why occasions like National Black Business Month are so important. Because we see firsthand how often Black business owners are denied the funding they need to progress.

At Kiva, our U.S. loan application review is the same regardless of the applicant’s race or ethnicity. Our interest rates are 0% for U.S. borrowers and the application process is simple. We’re here to support everyone in achieving their entrepreneurial dreams.

That’s...