Help Center

1. Click the "Lend" button at the top of the Kiva home page. You will be taken to the businesses In Need.


2. Select an entrepreneur to whom you would like to lend and click "Lend $25" to the right of the business description.


3. Add additional loans to your basket or click "Loan Added! Checkout."


4. Review your Basket: If you want to change the amount you wish to lend, select the amount in the drop down menu and click "Update" and then click "Continue."


5. Choose a password to create an account, or log into your Kiva account.


6. Make an optional donation to Kiva's operational expenses or click "No Thanks."


7. Pay for the loan through PayPal's secure website.

Any Kiva lender can create a lending team by following these steps:

1. Log into your Kiva account and click "Community"


2. Click the "Start a New Team" button on the top left side of the page.


3. You'll be taken to the "Edit Team" screen. First, choose a name for your team and enter it in the "Team Name" field. Then, click the drop down box next to "Category" and select the category that you think best fits your team. If you would like to upload a photo, click the "Browse" button and locate the photo on your computer. Click "Open" to upload the photo. Complete the rest of the required fields and indicate whether or not you'd like the team to be open to all Kiva lenders, or if it should be closed - and members can only be added by your approval. When you're finished, click "Save Team".


4. You'll be given the chance to recruit team members on the next page, or you can continue without inviting by clicking "Skip this Step". Once you're finished with this step, you'll be taken to your Lending Team's page.

You are automatically made the captain of any lending team that you create, which gives you administrative privileges.

1. Click "Kiva Gifts" at the top of the home page.


2. Under "Gift Certificates" click "Redeem".


3. If you already have a Kiva Account click "Login Now" at the top of the page, then enter the Gift Code and Email of Purchaser, which appear on your Gift Certificate (to the right of the Kiva logo). Click Redeem Gift Certificate.


4. If you are a new Kiva User, enter the Gift Code and Email of Purchaser, which appear on your Gift Certificate (to the right of the Kiva logo). Then enter your details, including a password, to create a Kiva Account. Click Sign Up.


5. Your Gift Certificate has now been redeemed, and the value of your gift is available as a credit balance in your account. To make a loan, click on LEND to browse the businesses in need of funding.


6. "Pay with Kiva Credit" during checkout.

If your total exceeds the amount of Kiva Credit in your account, the amount of your Kiva Credit will be deducted from your total, and you can proceed to PayPal to pay for the remainder of your purchase with funds from a credit card or a PayPal account.

Select "Log In" at the top of the Kiva home page. Then click the "Forget Your Password?" link. Enter your email address, and we'll send you instructions on how to reset your password.

***For security reasons, the instructions we send expire if they are not used soon after being sent, so make sure you change your password directly.

When you successfully complete a transaction, you receive a receipt confirming your purchase from PayPal. This receipt contains a transaction ID that will be referenced in your Kiva Transaction History. You can log into your Kiva Account at any time to view your transaction history or to view the loans to which you contributed. These are two great steps to take to ensure that your purchase was successful.

Simply log into your Kiva account and click "My Portfolio." Then click "Account" and "Transaction History" to view your transaction history. Or, you can click Loans to view the entrepreneurs to whom you contributed. Here, please note that you can select from the following options under the heading "My Loans:" Fundraising, Raised, Active, Paid Back, Defaulted, Refunded. Depending on the heading you chose, different loans in your portfolio will be displayed.