"Kiva's mission is to connect people through lending for the sake of alleviating poverty. 

Kiva is the world's first person-to-person micro-lending website, empowering individuals to lend directly to unique entrepreneurs in the developing world. 

The people you see on Kiva's site are real individuals in need of funding – not marketing material. When you browse entrepreneurs' profiles on the site, choose someone to lend to, and then make a loan, you are helping a real person make great strides towards economic independence and improve life for themselves, their family, and their community. Throughout the course of the loan (usually 6-12 months), you can receive email journal updates and track repayments. Then, when you get your loan money back, you can relend to someone else in need." – Kiva.org

Konceptet med mikrolån uppmärksammades mycket 2006 när Grameen Bank och Muhammad Yanus tilldelades Nobels fredspris, med motiveringen att de skapat ekonomisk och social utveckling underifrån, bland annat genom mikrolån.