As I've mentioned, I've been asked many times whether all the bad press around microfinance in the last few years has affected perceptions among the public in general and funders in particular. Usually in response to this question, I've shrugged and pointed out that Kiva seems to be doing fine.I just downloaded data from Kiva's web site in order to quantify and test "seems." Turns out Kiva is indeed going strong. This is a graph of the total value of loans funded each day by Kiva users. (A loan is "funded" when Kiva users collectively commit enough to cover the full amount. A $500 loan with $490 committed is not considered funded.) I think the big, recent surge is Christmas-related.
Data
Disclaimer
CGD blog posts reflect the views of the authors, drawing on prior research and experience in their areas of expertise. CGD is a nonpartisan, independent organization and does not take institutional positions.
