2014 annual review

Cicely Tyson said this:

“I think when you begin to think of yourself as having achieved something, then there's nothing left for you to work towards. I want to believe that there is a mountain so high that I will spend my entire life striving to reach the top of it.”

…Which is to say that we are striving hard on the Kiva Zip team. And the mountain we’re climbing is shrouded in clouds.

We want to empower MORE hard-working entrepreneurs with our unique interest-free, crowdfunded capital to climb their own mountains. But also to provide better services and support to our Borrowers and Lenders…

…To keep improving our repayment rate. But also to keep expanding access to capital for people and populations that conventional lenders deem too risky or expensive to serve.

Cicely Tyson said this:

“I think when you begin to think of yourself as having achieved something, then there's nothing left for you to work towards. I want to believe that there is a mountain so high that I will spend my entire life striving to reach the top of it.”

But C. P. Cavafy said this:

“Keep Ithaka always in your mind.

Arriving there is what you are destined for.

But do not hurry the journey at all.

Better if it lasts for years, so you are old by the time you reach the island,

wealthy with all you have gained on the way.”

But C. P. Cavafy said this:

“Keep Ithaka always in your mind.

Arriving there is what you are destined for.

But do not hurry the journey at all.

Better if it lasts for years, so you are old by the time you reach the island,

wealthy with all you have gained on the way.”

…So while we’re just starting out on our journey, we wanted to take a moment to reflect on what we achieved along the way in 2014.

In 2014, 33,218 people crowdfunded $2,727,400 of loans to 574 U.S. small business owners looking to make a

positive impact in their communities.

Restauranteurs like Jimmy

Clarksville, IN

“Words cannot express the amount of gratitude everyone involved is feeling right now.”

$5,000

165 lenders

11 days

Florists like Sarah

Detroit, MI

“Kiva Zip is a really remarkable thing.

Even beyond money, I've gotten a lot out of

the time spent meeting neighbors

who have been stopping to say hi and voice their support for

this business.”

$5,000

145 lenders

7 days

Bakers like Shawn

Oakland, CA

“Just a quick THANKS! To all of my Lenders. 40%. WOW! You guys rock!”

$5,000

49 lenders

7 days

“To my dear friends--thank you so much for your support. You are the wind at my back, helping me to become who I am today--I never would have made it here without you.”

$10,000

56 lenders

4 days

Farmers like Kat

Racine, WI

We made our 1,000th loan in 2014. Which looks like this…

Cumulatively, we have now made over $5 million of loans.

The total amount of interest we have charged on these loans has

been $0. The total amount of fees we have charged has also been $0.

We launched Kiva City Pittsburgh in March…

Kiva’s President Premal Shah at the Kiva City Pittsburgh launch

The Evan and Tracy Segal Family Foundation

…Kiva City Louisville in November…

Kiva Fellow David Taliaferro introduces the Mayor of Louisville, Greg Fisher

…and Kiva City Philadelphia in December.

Mayor Michael Nutter introduces Kiva City Philadelphia

Our 500th “Trustee” endorsed a Kiva Zip loan in 2014.

Here are the Top 10:

1) Institute for Veterans and Military Families, Syracuse, NY

2) Mission Economic Develop-ment Agency, San Francisco, CA

3) Union Kitchen, Washington, DC

4) The Greenhorns, Hudson, NY

5) Northern Virginia Family Service, Falls Church, VA

6) The City of Oakland, Oakland, CA

7) Centro Community Partners, Oakland, CA

8) Rebecca Parker, Portland, OR

9) Rising Tide Capital, Jersey City, NJ

10) Center for the Acceleration of African American Business, St. Louis, MO

Our cumulative repayment rate improved from 87.3% to 88.5% in 2014, thanks to our Trustees, and also our innovations in social underwriting.

To all of our borrowers, trustees, funders, staff, fellows, interns and lenders.

THANK YOU for climbing this mountain with us in 2014.

With deep gratitude, the Kiva Zip team :: www.KivaZip.org