Kiva Blog

Jan 22, 2013 Kiva HQ KV
Why are there so few loans on Kiva? By Camille Ricketts

We've been getting questions from many of you about the unusually low number of loans on the Kiva site for the past week. Currently, there are fewer than 100 loans on the site, when typically lenders can find over 1,000 borrowers looking for support. 
We call this "low inventory," and we realize it can be frustrating because it may mean that you can't find the exact type of loan you like the fund. In Kiva’s world, this is both good news and bad news.The good news is that borrowers are getting funded! The not-as-good-news is that our lenders may not...
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Jan 21, 2013
Join the Kiva Insights call with Matt Flannery and Premal Shah By Brandon Smith

Join us on Thursday, January 24 at 10 a.m. PST for our latest Kiva Insights call, a quarterly video conference between lenders and Kiva staff, featuring: Matt Flannery, Co-founder and CEO; Premal Shah, President; Michelle Kreger, Senior Director of Strategic Initiatives; and representatives from our most active lending teams.
These calls are an amazing opportunity to interface directly with Kiva's management, and we're thrilled to involve our top lending teams this time around. 
Not a member of a lending team? Check...
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Jan 18, 2013 Kiva HQ KV
Week in Review: Microfinance helps spread clean energy to rural areas By Emily Wakefield

Today there are 1.6 billion people living without electricity. If we agree that access to electricity is fundamental to economic development, that number is very disheartening. Triple Pundit put out a very interesting article this week highlighting how microfinance specifically can help bring sustainable energy to the quarter of the world’s population that lives without it. Traditional energy infrastructure has been highly centralized as it is the most efficient option for urban areas. While they’ve worked great in those environments, these electricity grids often fail to reach people in... Continue Reading >


Jan 17, 2013 Kiva HQ KV
Apply to be a Kiva Fellow by January 27! By Emily Wakefield

Want to see the world and do good?
Since 2007, Kiva has sent over 400 Kiva Fellows to more than 60 countries around the world to work directly with our Field Partners and witness the power of microfinance firsthand. Kiva Fellows play an integral part in Kiva’s operations, as they build key relationships with our partners, develop sustainable practices, and share their experiences with the Kiva community. The Kiva Fellowship is a 4 to 12 month volunteer position, and is designed to further Kiva’s mission as well as provide fellows with a unique and invaluable personal...
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Jan 16, 2013 Kiva HQ KV
Zip borrower Cafeto grows with second loan By Emily Wakefield

Victor at Cafeto's first location.
Zip borrower Victor Chicero, owner of San Francisco-based coffee shop Cafeto, received one of the very first Kiva Zip loans to finish construction of his shop and realize his dream of owning his own business. Now, we’re thrilled to announce that Cafeto was so successful in its first year that Victor is already taking out another loan to open a second location! Victor’s first loan allowed him to create four new jobs, and with a second location, he can create... Continue Reading >


Jan 14, 2013 Kiva HQ KV
What's new on Kiva? By Camille Ricketts

One of Kiva's core values is transparency. So we're introducing "What's new?" to keep our users informed about the latest interesting changes to the website. 
 
Did you know we release a new version of the Kiva website every two weeks? Our last release was on January 8, and it was a little special because it included Innovation Iteration changes -- meaning that developers got to choose their own projects.
 
... Continue Reading >


Jan 8, 2013 Kiva HQ KV
New Field Partner: Cycling (and lending) for clean power in Rwanda with Nuru Energy By Camille Ricketts

Kiva is committed to promoting sustainable progress -- and a huge part of that is encouraging clean energy. That's why we're very excited to welcome Nuru Energy as our newest Field Partner in Rwanda.Nuru is a socially-driven corporation that provides renewable sources of energy in developing countries. Seed funded by the World Bank in 2008, it currently operates in East Africa and India.The organization is on a mission to eradicate energy poverty -- the lack of electricity (and economic activity that comes with it) that affects over 2 billion people around the world. To address this problem,... Continue Reading >


Jan 8, 2013 Kiva HQ KV
New Field Partner: Empowering women borrowers in Honduras with COMIXMUL By Amniya Shahbozova

We love to see how loans help women borrowers establish new businesses, gain financial independence and contribute to their families’ incomes. That’s why we’re thrilled to announce our newest Field Partner in Honduras, COMIXMUL!
Founded in 1986 by 12 women who had only $160 between them, the organization aims to help single women gain access to savings and credit services. Today, with a portfolio of over $26 million, the organization impacts over 26,000 women borrowers in Honduras, including a large number of single... Continue Reading >


Jan 8, 2013 Kiva HQ KV
New Field Partner: Building vibrant communities in Washington D.C. with LEDC By Amniya Shahbozova

We’re thrilled to announce our new partnership with Latino Economic Development Center!
 
Based in Washington, D.C., this nonprofit organization aims to help low-to-moderate income neighborhoods with significant Latino populations by supporting businesses, housing and human resource development. Kiva is partnering with both LEDC and Capital One to turn D.C. into a Kiva City! With help from both of these organizations, borrowers will receive holistic support and financial services. D.C. joins other Kiva Cities Detroit, New Orleans and Los Angeles....
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Jan 8, 2013 Kiva HQ KV
Welcome Kiva City D.C.! By Camille Ricketts

Big news today!This morning, we launched Kiva City D.C.! Partnering with Capital One Bank and the Latino Economic Development Center (LEDC), Kiva will now offer loans to small businesses in Washington D.C.Kiva City D.C. is a new online portal connecting small business owners in our nation's capital with Kiva's global network of over 870,000 lenders. By providing loans to these entrepreneurs, lenders can help them start, sustain and grow their businesses -- and even create new jobs!"This initiative gives everyone a chance to help make a difference in the life of D.C.'s... Continue Reading >


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