1 person found this review helpful
Kiva.org: Loans that Change Lives
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February 28, 2013
1 person found this review helpful
Loved the concept of micro finance and giving interest free loans to people in developing countries. Jumped on board and made a loan without doing my research. Started telling my friends about this wonderful new thing I had discovered. Then did my research to find huge interest (can be as high as 40%) charged by the middle man involved in the loans and that the loans were predispursed so really my money was not even going to the business I intended it for.
During this same research I found Zidisha which was exactly the kind of organization I wanted to lend money through. I made the switch and I'm never looking back :)
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2012
February 28, 2013
I have been participating in Kiva loans as a lender for 4 years. The borrowers do pay interest to the local bank that manages the loan. As a Kiva lender my money, joined with the money of others, guarantees the loan, getting the banks to lend to the people. If not for Kiva, many of these borrowers would be dependent on loan sharks to fund their cyclical businesses or restock their inventory. And loan sharks not only charge a much higher interest rate, some even require the borrower sell their product to the shark at a barely profitable cost. Sure in a perfect world everyone could get loans with no interest and the bank would work for free to manage the loans but that's not going to happen. I like that Kiva helps people learn to budget their finances and grow their businesses. I don't have a lot to donate to charities. With Kiva, I usually get most or all of the money back (not counting my donation to the Kiva office) and I can then help someone else with the same money.
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February 10, 2013
No business can survive with a 30% interest rate. This cannot be helpful, but instead is most likely a last resort that people make in dire circumstances.
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February 8, 2013
As some have mentioned, most of the loans do have quite high interest rates. I wrote to Kiva about this and they explained that the cost of living increase in these countries can be very high (even 20-30%) and also these small finance companies also have to look after loans that don't get repaid. Often the only loans available to these people where they are have much, much higher loan rates and so in the big picture, Kiva's rates are not entirely unjustified. All in all, Kiva is providing access to loans which these people cannot get through the regular banks and most are finding it makes a great improvement in their lives. Also, there are some loans on the site which do not get disbursed to the "loanee" until the loan is fully funded. KIVA has a new site called KIVA ZIP where the loans must be fully funded BEFORE being disbursed to the "loanee". The Zidisha site, I think, is also a good option - where funds must be fully funded before being disbursed to the person needing the loan and the interest rates are much lower (between 0 and 12 approx.) but an additional 5% is paid in interest on top of the listed interest rate. The interest is paid to the person making the loan (i.e. me, you, anyone who goes on and makes a loan). It's an interesting one and, of course, one can make a little interest oneself while helping someone else in a far away land change their life. I don't think, however, we should be beating up on Kiva too much as they are, all in all, doing a good thing and are innovating all the time.
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2013
1 person found this review helpful
January 17, 2013
1 person found this review helpful
I was initially very enthusiastic about Kiva and about supporting them as a lender. The web site in particular is very well organised; it gives you a real sense of being able, with others, to directly help those in many developing and third-world countries. Similarly, the wide range of people seeking loans from Kiva means you can support people from across the World, in different continents, who are seeking to borrow for a host of different purposes. But I became increasing concerned about the high interest rates Kiva are charging - up to 30% - and the amount leaching out into administrative charges. The final straw came when I realised they also post applications for loans from people living in the USA. Now, I am sure there are very many poor people in the US, and that small business owners there may well have difficult in financing their enterprises. But I don't think this is where Kiva should be devoting its energy or resources.
So I have scaled back my involvement with Kiva and now mainly offer finance instead via Zidisha. They have a much smaller client base (focussed in Kenya) and the web site is much less sophisticated. But their admin charges are low and uniquely, I think, they allow the borrower to set the interest rate at what they can afford (sometimes even at 0%). I will still offer some loans through Kiva, but through gritted teeth and only where they appear to be the only micro-finance organisation operating in a country I am interested in.
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November 29, 2012
2 people found this review helpful
Fantastic idea. But, they do need to reduce the interest rates for the people who are getting the loans. I will still keep lending, BUT KIVA must work with the third party lenders to reduce interest rates should be their CEO and board biggest goal for the future. Interest rates are, at an all time low, around the world, it's time for hard working poor people to able to receive some of the benefits of it.
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November 17, 2012
When I first found Kiva I was amazed by what they were doing. I even donated all the Christmas money I had saved for my family to the to Kiva and had my family help me choose lenders. However, after doing a bit more research, I realized that some of the problems for the borrowers (high interest rates - they state the average for all their loans is 30%! ) are not alleviated through this platform. They have started a new platform to try and alleviate this problem (Kiva Zip) , but I really do not know how much the original site is HELPING those borrowing.... when they are paying 1/3 of their principal in interest! Other microfinancing non profits (I ran into zidisha.org yesterday for the first time) do a much better job at bringing down those rates, making the loans much more beneficial for the borrowers.
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1 person found this review helpful
October 16, 2012
1 person found this review helpful
Kiva works with lenders to provide micro loans to people who would never have access otherwise. They connect donors and borrowers to help make a farm more productive in a poor area of the world, or help someone buy stock for a used clothing store. I truly believe they provide a stepping stone to independence in places where there are no other ways to change your life.
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2012
August 12, 2012
Not quite sure about Kiva any longer. Their idea was initially good and I'm sure they are still working tirelessly to benefit those living in impoverished areas. Yet due to their system (ie. middle-men) they loose over 1/3 of lenders money in credit interest and fees. They have been repeatedly criticized by GiveWell and even by Mohamad Yanus himself. They social impact is to be checked as they seems to focus much energy on the financial side. They ethics (see the animal-fighting loans and the LAPO stories) are also questionable.
Ways to make it better...
If I had to make changes to this organization, I would...
They need to solve the issue with their middle-men as this is causing irresonable interest rates to be paid back by the borrowers. They also need to focus on their own ethics (see the animal-fighting loans) and find ways to audit and check their social impact...not just financial.
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Unlikely
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Unlikely
When was your last experience with this nonprofit?
2012
What specific problem, purpose, priority, or project prompted your gift?
Microfinance has a great potential while macro-funding and many charities keep being far too wastefuls systems to help those living in deprecated areas.
What would you tell others about this organization?
There are many choices around now. The very high credit interest that Kiva's middle-man charge borrowers are far too high. GiveWell have enlisted Kiva on "Charities that We Do Not Reccomend".
August 11, 2012
I have been donating with Kiva for over two years now. Kiva makes the whole process very transparent. The best part is that when the loans are paid back, I simply reinvest the payments to another person's needs! A full account of your loan, donations, credits, is clearly posted on your account.
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When was your last experience with this nonprofit?
2012
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