Kiva's Impact Strategy

Kiva is an online platform that sources crowdfunding for low-income borrowers. By 2018 it has facilitated $1.1 billion in loans to 2.5 million borrowers worldwide. However, as questions are raised about the adverse effects of microcredit worldwide, Kiva must adapt its strategy to demonstrate maximum impact on improving the lives of the poor, while continuing to grow the user base and ensure financial sustainability.

This case is well-suited for modules related to social enterprise strategy, microfinance, financial inclusion, crowdfunding, technology for good, scaling up, venture philanthropy, impact investing and impact evaluation. It demonstrates how “good intentions” are not the same as “maximizing impact”, and how an enterprise can contribute to, as well as learn from, cumulative knowledge on how impact is best achieved in a given sector.