Lending through Kiva involves risk of principal loss. Kiva does not guarantee repayment or offer a financial return on your loan.
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How Kiva works
Kiva is an international nonprofit, founded in 2005 and based in San Francisco, with a mission to connect people through lending to alleviate poverty. We celebrate and support people looking to create a better future for themselves, their families and their communities.
About Kiva
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Join over 1.6 million lenders who have helped more than 2 million people around the world create opportunity for themselves!
97.0%
Loan repayment rate
1.6 million
People who've
made a loan on Kiva
★★★★
Charity Navigator's
highest award rating
82
Countries where Kiva works
Kiva is a platform for crowdfunding loans to small-scale entrepreneurs around the world.
- Choose a borrower
Browse hundreds of borrower profiles and find a story that connects with you. - Make a loan
Click ‘Lend’ to send money via our Field Partners, who vet, distribute and administer each loan. - Get repaid
Receive updates as the borrowers you support succeed and repay their loans. - Repeat!
When borrowers repay, that money is yours to keep, donate to Kiva or lend again to empower someone new!
In Nigeria, where almost 100 million people still live below the poverty line, the largest challenge lies in creating job opportunities for rural populations. That’s why Kiva partners with organizations in Nigeria to reach these communities and make a lasting impact through loans to agriculture, artisans, clean energy and more.
Kiva lenders are supporting entrepreneurs in Nigeria by giving them the opportunity to lift up themselves, their families, and their communities. Want to join in making a difference? Choose a Nigerian borrower who you want to support!
Arushi, a Kiva borrower in Peru