Kiva Reviews 

I've loaned through Kiva for 7 or 8 years in a diverse cross-section of areas from education to agriculture and retail help for borrowers. Kiva has no-nonsense profiles of borrowers and keeps me advised of loan progress and even the rare default. I can't think of a better way than micro-loans to those in need when done on a one-to-one basis through Kiva. Great job, Kiva!

With Kiva I can choose the recipient of my loan. This gives me the chance to support causes I believe in.

This is about an unresolved ongoing theft by KIVA, and this is my best effort to caution you to choose another platform if you have a heart for supporting small business.

My investment was repaid super early, but I received no notification from Kiva that my money was back in my account, so naturally it sat there until it past the point which Kiva defines in their user agreement that allows them to "reinvest" however they choose. Not only did they use my money to support projects that did not deserve funding just so they could harvest 12% from each investment, but they also split the investments up into so many fractions that I couldn't simply wait for the repayment to withdraw a lump sum again. It was a strategic effort designed to make me abandon all hope of getting my money back so they could continue to reinvest, collect 12% each time, and profit from high interest on the back end.

They are robbing you (and small businesses in need).

Truly, I would have been okay if the projects they picked were ambitious and trying to achieve something good, but it was just a money grab for Kiva. They didn't even send me an email saying "Hey, we just re-invested in these projects for you, thought you might like to know."

Their communication is non-existent

When I eventually found out, I tried working with their customer service, but the whole experience was designed to wear me out, and it did. It was a rude nightmare and there was no resolution and one of the higher up employees that got involved even told me that I was better off forgetting about the money because there was nothing they could do.

Meanwhile, Kiva continues to profit from my money, taking interest while it is locked away and untouchable. It's been years and the best I can do is withdraw a couple bucks every once in a while just on principle (because it is not worth my time and energy) but I don't want them to continue using my money.

Stay away from this awful wolf-in-sheeps-clothing for-profit company

Well run and good way to help people in other countries! I've been lending since 2021 and rarily do loans not get paid back. I keep re-lending the balance that is paid back and adding some new funds each year. It's rewarding and the dashboard makes it easy to see who you are helping.

In a big world with many problems, Kiva has found a way to help, in a significant way, those who need a path to improve their lives, their families’ lives, and their community. These are people with a plan, likely a small business, a farm, or perhaps a craftsman, an artist in embroidered clothing, who just need what every other business has — access to funding and information on best practices. In partnership with other small lenders, borrowers who have no access to a banking system, now have the opportunity to run their business in a more efficient, modern way.

The website makes it easy to search loans in different ways, such as by region or country, by type of business or project, by women or men or refugees. The reward is becoming a part of their real-world story and celebrating their successes. Very rarely, problems of the larger world interfere with repayment, and Kiva steps in to try to help, but it’s not possible. It makes me grateful for my own good fortune and glad to have tried to help someone whose only insurmountable difficulty was outside their control.

I love what I call my Kiva family, those I have helped, and it’s made me more aware of how precarious life is for so many.

I've been active for several years on Kiva now, it's great to see the investment working directly at organisations who need it and being able to select regions and topics myself feels way more effective than any other help I can provide.

Kiva is a good thing and bright light in a troubled world. It gives me insight into the lives of others and a way to make a positive difference in their lives.

I have been lending to Kiva borrowers for many years. It is a simple, straightforward program of lending a small amount of money, being paid back and then lending that same money again, over and over. I have never had a bad experience with Kiva and they offer excellent customer service. I have many choices of borrowers from all over the world and am provided with information about how the loan will be used. I have made loans for medical treatment, equipment for a small business, supplies for improving housing and sanitation and more! Most recently I loaned a small amount, along with other lenders, for tuition for medical school for a young student from a small village in Georgia. Multiple lenders like me made the large loan possible. It's an effective model of a group effort to help others and has lasting results for the borrower.

A great way to help someone improve their lot. The process of lending and repayment is simple. In my opinion Kiva exemplifies what we all thought and hoped the internet would do.

A wonderful way to support people doing real things, individuals not corporations... Well-managed, with no agenda, and a good non-delinquency on your $$$$ lent

It is great to easily support and micro-finance disadvantaged communities and individuals to succeed in securing a loan for a better future or business opportunity.

Kiva provides an easy way to help people fulfill their dreams by loaning money to them. As such, it is not a charity but rather an organization that makes micro loans, most of which are paid back in full. You can truly impact people lives for the better in ways that would otherwise be impossible. And you can loan your funds over and over as you are repaid by those to whom you have loaned money.

Kiva makes me feel that I am helping people who wanted to help themselves, entrepreneurs who needed a little boost.

Been making loans to recipients thru Kiva for many years. So happy to help. I have very little money to lend, but I find it incredibly rewarding to help women in various countries who want loans for enabling them in my areas of interest. I’ve occasionally given the gift of letting someone else in my family pick a loan candidate and provide part of a loan in their own name. They get the payback and can re loan to one or more applicants in future.

Releading day is a real boost to my day.

I enjoy the pictures of people ready to start a new project.

Kiva is easy to use and has a great person to person impact on improving people's lives. It is one of my favorite non-profit causes.

I like the idea. From the start it was great Helping people around the world and getting to choose who and how much you loan them is satisfying\self affirming But!!!....as is always the case it seems "all good things come top an end"
The focus has changed dramatically IMO. Not so much 3rd world financing as 1st world
This shift of focus manifests itself in the form of a complex and for anyone outside of the USA a fee laced time consuming overly complicated method of getting you money out
IE....credit cards accepted for loans......all repayments must go through Pay Pal from where I sit there are fees to
- transfer your money from Kiva to Pay Pal
- A fee to transfer your money to any currency that is not the USD
- finally a fee to transfer from Kiva to my card account
I financed loans directly from my credit card. Why cant the credit card just be reimbursed from Kiva directly? Rather than through a "partner" that i have not used in years.......It seems money is the focus..... specifically making/keeping as much of my money as possible
Why am I leaving
- loans to US citizens seeking financing seem to be being pushed to the forefront. For me it was a surprise when I saw the first US based financing recipient.
As the largest economy on the planet that IMHO is directly responsible for the misery that I am trying to alleviate in war torn countries the US has left behind backed the brutal regimes causing the suffering around the globe That economy can finance their own through their dysfunctional banking system
- Donations to Kiva are voluntary yes.....I have been repeatedly reminded that a 15% gratuity is expected. NOT GOOD
- My money seems to be "dissolving" at a faster rate than in the past. Yes loans go bad....if memory serves I have had 4 go bad. Still does not equate into what I see in my accounts balance and what I have deposited....DIRECTLY FROM MY CREDIT CARD IN CAD
As a last. I am signing into my Kiva account for the fourth time today trying to get my money out. My pass word is refused AGAIN. That after two resets
Seems I can only sign in via google FB or apple.
- is this the plan? make closing your account as difficult as possible in the hopes I will just abandon the account. I saw some change that allow Kiva to loan money from accounts that are deemed as inactive
- By forcing me to sign in via FB Google or Apple is Kiva selling my info?......seems like it to me and that is all that matters on that front

1) there are too many loans that charge very high interest rates to the borrowers ie above 25% per year
2) there are too many loans supervised by (very) unreliable field organisations
3) there are too many loans with borrowers that will repay the loan at the end or irregularly
4) there are too many loans with borrowers asking loans that exceed 1,000 €
5) there are too many borrowers from countries with currency exchange losses
6) there are too many borrowers who ask loans to increase their already excessive inventory or they lack space to the increase their inventory for which they're asking a loan for

I have ben part of Kiva lenders for many years. I am very satisfied of being able to help people in need to improve their lives and help them fulfill their dreams. You do not need to give much, 25$ is enough to start, and you can keep circulating to new borrowers. I like that I can choose among the borrowers who I want to lend too. Let us share what we can with those who are less fortunate.

I love being able to help people around the world from my computer in a small Australian town - then being repaid and lending over and over.