Microfinance Worldwide: Kiva by the Numbers

Founded in 2005 as a non-profit organization to alleviate poverty through microloans to small entrepreneurs worldwide, Kiva has facilitated $1.18 billion in total lending to some 2.9 million entrepreneurs in over 80 countries. Having established a global network of microfinance field partners, Kiva currently has a repayment rate of 97% across all loans. 

To date, the Common Curator has made 200 microloans for projects in 84 countries in the following sectors: agriculture; food; retail; services; arts; construction; clothing; health; education; personal use; manufacturing; housing; wholesale; and transportation. 

To learn more about how Kiva works and its history, visit the organization's website and consider joining the effort to fund entrepreneurs around the world. 

Kiva Surpasses $1 Billion in Microloans Worldwide

Founded in 2005 as a non-profit organization to alleviate poverty through microloans to small entrepreneurs worldwide, Kiva has just surpassed $1 billion in total funds lent to some 2.5 million entrepreneurs in over 80 countries. Having established a global network of microfinance field partners, Kiva currently has a repayment rate of 97% across all loans.

To learn more about how Kiva works and its history, visit its website and consider joining the effort to fund entrepreneurs around the world. To date, the Common Curator has made over 180 microloans for projects in 82 countries.

Kiva 101

Since Kiva was founded in 2005, it has networked with 250 Field Partners in 75 different countries to provide $566,835,175 in microloans to 1,317,699 borrowers. To date, the Common Curator has made 101 loans through Kiva to small entrepreneurs in 64 countries. Kiva loans are interest-free and the overall repayment rate is currently 98.86%. As loans are repaid, most Kiva lenders choose to reloan their funds to new borrowers of their choosing.

Visit the Kiva website to learn more about microfinance and how the lending process works, as well as the many milestones in Kiva's history as an organization dedicated to alleviating poverty around the world.

Kickstarting "To Catch a Dollar"

The Common Curator only just heard about this Kickstarter project, but consider supporting filmmaker Gayle Ferraro as she works to complete the documentary, "To Catch a Dollar: Muhammad Yunus Banks on America." Professor Yunus is a pioneer of microcredit, and in 2006 was jointly awarded the Nobel Peace Prize with Grameen Bank, which he founded in Bangladesh.

Ferraro describes her project as follows:

The film follows Nobel Peace Prize winner Professor Yunus as he brings his unique and revolutionary microfinance program to the US. We witness the birth of Grameen America and the compelling stories of the first women borrowers; from the challenges they face to the successes they achieve, as they learn to sustainably lift themselves and their families out of poverty by starting and growing their own businesses with the education, support, and non-collateral microloans they receive.

As of early afternoon September 19, 2011--the last day for funding--the project has garnered over 100 backers but is still short of its $20,000 goal. To learn more, visit Kickstarter.

Update: With a final burst of support, "To Catch a Dollar" surpassed its goal, netting $20,909 from 118 backers.

UNC Graduate Certificate in Entrepreneurship

The Graduate Certificate in Entrepreneurship and the Introduction to Entrepreneurship course are both designed for UNC graduate students, doctoral candidates, post-docs, faculty and staff to complement their studies in traditional disciplines with an exploration of how entrepreneurship is changing their fields and learn how to conceive, plan and execute new commercial and nonprofit ventures.

Introduction to Entrepreneurship is an open-enrollment course open to any UNC graduate student, doctoral candidate, post-doc or faculty or staff member, regardless of whether they intend to pursue the full certificate. Enrollment is by permission of the instructor. Students may choose an introductory course in one of three areas:

:: Artistic Entrepreneurship — creating for-profit and nonprofit ventures in any industry related to the arts, from music, film, gaming, performing arts, creative writing to graphic design, photography, and arts and crafts.

:: Scientific Entrepreneurship — entrepreneurship, technology transfer and venture creation related to any field of science.

:: Social Entrepreneurship — using social entrepreneurship to address social needs and launching new ventures with a social purpose.

The Graduate Certificate requires nine credit hours for completion, including the introductory course. It is offered in two sequences, Literacy and Enterprise Creation, based on students' interests and whether they intend to create a real business or nonprofit.

For more information, contact: Margaret Swanson, Graduate Certificate Registrar, (919) 962-2753, Margaret_Swanson@unc.edu.

The Carolina Challenge 2010: Connect, Create, Launch

To foster social and commercial entrepreneurship at the university, UNC sponsors the annual Carolina Challenge, which on November 17, 2009 will begin holding preparatory sessions leading to entry in the 2010 competition (see 2009-10 schedule).

The Carolina Challenge is an innovative venture competition, and last year medically-related projects took the winning and runner-up prizes (large cash awards) in both the social and commercial entrepreneurship tracks. Rules, FAQs, and contact information are provided on the Carolina Challenge web site.