Your Guide to Getting Funded on Kiva

  • Collect as many of these as you can:

    • Business bank account statement

    • Articles of Organization/Incorporation (or DBA certificate)

    • Operating Agreement (LLC) or Bylaws (Corp)

    • EIN letter (if you have one)

    • Business license or state tax permit

    Make sure your business name and address are consistent across all documents

  • You’ll need three short paragraphs (max 300 words each):

    1. Who you are

    2. How your business started

    3. How you’ll use the loan

    Also submit a horizontal photo of yourself with your business — a storefront, product, or branding visible is ideal.

  • Kiva uses “community collateral” instead of traditional collateral. Once approved, you’ll need 5–30 people to lend $25 each within 2 weeks.
    ✅ Start making a list of friends, family, or loyal clients you can reach out to.

  • After completing the private phase, your loan goes live on Kiva for global funding.
    📅 Public phase can take up to 30 days — but most loans fund in 12–26 days.
    💸 If you're in Benton or Washington County, every $25 you raise is matched by the Walton Family Foundation.