Check it out: How rich your really are

See how rich you are in comparison to the rest of the world and what you can achieve by committing some of your wealth to others. It gives you a great idea of the impact you make by loaning through Kiva.

http://www.givingwhatwecan.org/resources/how-rich-you-are.php

Kiva Launches in the U.S.!

Kiva is excited to begin offering loans to entrepreneurs in the United States. All U.S. based loans offered on the Kiva site at this time are of entrepreneurs in New York and California, however, we will be including entrepreneurs from additional states as we continue to work with our Field Partners to add more borrowers from all over the country.

Why does Kiva lend funds to entrepreneurs in the U.S.?
Kiva is a global organization and seeks to provide working capital to entrepreneurs all over the world. Poverty exists in every country, including the United States, and Kiva hopes to address poverty wherever it exists.

Click here to view all U.S. entrepreneurs.

Check it out... The Good Things We Have Done

2009 will soon be upon us and, in March of the new year, Kiva will celebrate its fourth anniversary of doing good things for this world and making it possible for all of us to be a part of those good things. Here's a numerical look at what we have helped to accomplish over the past four years. Thank you, Kiva. Thank you, Loaners, one and all. Happy New Year. Let's keep up the great work.

Total value of all loans made through Kiva:	$54,458,460
Number of Kiva Lenders:	405,474
Number of loans that have been funded through Kiva:	77,981
Percentage of Kiva loans which have been made to women entrepreneurs:	77.97%
Number of Kiva Field Partners (microfinance institutions Kiva partners with):	93
Number of countries Kiva Field Partners are located in:	42
Current repayment rate (all partners):	97.15%
Current default rate (all partners):	2.85%
Average loan size (This is the average amount loaned to an individual Kiva Entrepreneur. Some loans - group loans - are divided between a group of borrowers.):	$439.38
Average total amount loaned per Kiva Lender (includes reloaned funds):	$134.39
Average number of loans per Kiva Lender:	3.63

This is information comes from the Facts & Statistics page at Kiva.org.

Check it out... New Unused Credit Policy

The following was just posted in the December 2008 newsletter from Kiva:

For many Kiva Lenders, the best part about lending is re-lending; $25 can be used to help multiple entrepreneurs over time.

Some lenders haven't caught onto this part of the lending process, and funds from loan repayments are sitting idle in their Kiva Accounts, neither re-loaned nor withdrawn. Way back in April, our CEO Matt wrote a blog post about the accumulating balance of unused Kiva Credit.

It seems a shame to us. Unused Kiva credit sitting idly in the system isn't helping entrepreneurs in the developing world, and if it sits there long enough, we'll have to turn it over to the government.

So, later this month, we'll be rolling out a new policy where credit that has been inactive for 12 months will turn into a donation to Kiva. This way, the funds will be put to use helping Kiva fulfill our philanthropic mission, and affected lenders will receive something of value - a tax receipt for a charitable donation.

This will affect a small number of accounts, which are those where the lender:

• Has not logged into Kiva for 12 months or longer, and
• Has not received any changes in credit (such as repayments) for 12 months or longer, and
• Does not hold an active loan.

If you have any questions about this policy, don't hesitate to let us know by emailing us at contactus@kiva.org

Check out... EurasiaNet.org

This is a fantastic web site for information about many of the regions we're loaning to.

EurasiaNet provides information and analysis about political, economic, environmental and social developments in the countries of Central Asia and the Caucasus, as well as in Russia, the Middle East, and Southwest Asia. The web site also offers additional features, including newsmaker interviews and book reviews.

Based in New York, EurasiaNet advocates open and informed discussion of issues that concern countries in the region. The web site presents a variety of perspectives on contemporary developments, utilizing a network of correspondents based both in the West and in the region. The aim of EurasiaNet is to promote informed decision making among policy makers, as well as broadening interest in the region among the general public.

EurasiaNet is operated by the Central Eurasia Project of the Open Society Institute.

Check It Out... The Central Asia Institute

The Central Asia Institute (CAI) is a not-for-profit organization whose mission is "to promote and support community based education, especially for girls, in remote regions of Pakistan and Afghanistan." This formal statement of purpose is an understatement for the things they do and have achieved.

The CAI was born of Greg Mortenson's one-man efforts to build schools in the farthest flung regions of Pakistan. After a failed attempt to summit K2 and his experiences in a local village immediately following, Greg committed himself to giving back to the people of the region by building schools. He did this solo for many years by cultivating relationships with local village leaders, religious leaders, and businessmen before the CAI was officially born in 1996. His goal then and now is to see the rural children of Pakistan and Afghanistan -- especially girls -- provided with a "non-extremist education" by local teachers.

In a part of the world where we think of the Unites States being hated, Greg Mortenson and the CAI are making a huge difference. Not only are they doing tremendously good work for the children of the region but they are helping to rebuild our nation's reputation and image one school at a time.

Check out the CAI web site at www.ikat.org.

Read Greg's own story and the history of the CAI's work in his book Three Cups of Tea. An incredible read.