Updated on March 11, 2020

 

I will match up to $500 of loans, up to $25 per person who joins my team and makes a Kiva loan.

I love to travel.  I love to see amazing and beautiful places.  Many of these amazing places are surrounded by poverty.  By funding these microloans ($25 at a time) I hope to make an small impact and with your help, a larger impact.

HOW THIS WORKS

1. Click here to Join TheRewardBoss Kiva team
2. Make a loan.
3. Get Repaid.  Withdraw or lend again.

 

MY MATCH

• For every person who join my team and makes a loan (assigned to the TheRewardBoss team) by Sunday August 10, 2014 11:59pm EST, I will make a new $25 loan up to $500
• If a new person joins my team, I will also lend any lending credits Kiva provides.
• Existing Kiva members are also eligible: simply join my team and make at least a $25 loan assigned to TheRewardBoss team team.
• If enough people loan $25 to max out my match, we could make a $1000+ impact.
• MATCH CHALLENGE:  I challenge anyone else to join and pledge to make the same match.

 

WHAT IS KIVA?

Often only a relatively small amount of money stands in the way of Kiva borrowers and their dreams. Whether it’s a Kenyan farmer who needs $500 in order to double her grain production, or a young Bolivian woman who lacks the $1,500 tuition for nursing school, Kiva lenders provide a hand up to these and countless other borrowers.

The story of a Kiva loan:

The quick version:  Together with like minded people, you are making small loans $25 at a time to people all over the world for various purposes.  You choose the  borrower (sometimes a group of borrowers in a village) who explains why they need the money and when they will pay it back.  Your $25 is combined with other lenders to fund the loan. These are 0% loans and while they have a good repayment history, there is no guarantee that you will get your money back.  Some loans also have some foreign exchange risk.  All risk and no return?  Think of it as a donation to a charity that you will most likely get back.

I've done this a few times over the past couple years and always got 100% of my money back (but only $25 each time).  I want to do more.

WHICH LOANS TO SELECT?

So many options.  My simple strategy:  after I click the LEND button, I sort by ‘REPAYMENT TERM' to see the shortest loans first – usually around 6 months.  I read the profile and check the % default on the bottom right corner.  If I like the story and there is a very low default %(close to 0%) I make the loan, $25 at a time.  Keep adding loans to your cart and checkout/pay when you have loaned the amount you want.

MATCH BADGE:  When you see the x2 match badge , that means someone else (not me) is offering to match your loan. Choose this loan and you will be getting a double match (your loan + someone else matching + me matching).  Your $25 loan + someone else's match + my match = a $75 impact.

MANUFACTURED SPEND OPPORTUNITY?

Some people think of this as a way to manufacture spend to get credit card sign up bonuses.  Well, its not a very good way to manufacture spend.  While it is true that you can charge the loan on your credit card and when it is repaid, you can withdraw it then charge more loans to your credit card again.  Don't forget that you will have to wait 5-7 months or longer to get the money back and there is a chance you won't receive all of it.  Only charge on your credit card an amount you can pay in full (and treat it like a donation to charity that you will probably get back) so you don't pay any interest charges.  It would be foolish to borrow money from the credit card (and pay interest) then lend it to someone for 0%.

 

 

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