Kiva US - 0% Interest Loans up to $15,000
Fully participating in this course makes you eligible to be endorsed by the Cornell Small Farms Program (CSFP) for a 0% interest loan of up to $15,000.**
These are crowd-sourced loans, and the application process is much simpler than a bank loan. You don't need to have a good credit score or a business plan already written. You do need to have social media accounts set up and the ability to get some of your friends, family, neighbors, or customers to lend you as little as $25 each on Kiva. Once you've met this requirement, your loan "goes public," so that any lender on Kiva's global platform can contribute to your loan. Farmers are popular on Kiva, and it's common to have several hundred lenders fund a $15,000 loan - a nice morale boost for the borrower!
**Endorsement is NOT required. Anyone who meets Kiva's eligibility requirements can apply; endorsement by the Small Farms Program just helps attract more lenders and speeds up the process to get your loan filled!
If you're interested:
1) Check your eligibility and learn more about the process at this link:
>Check your eligibility for a Kiva loan
Make sure you qualify.
2) If you're eligible and ready to apply, you can start your application at the link provided next.
Cornell Small Farms Kiva page
Start your application for a crowd-sourced 0% interest loan.
3) Please email the Small Farms Program to officially request endorsement. We will send you a few questions to answer and will make a decision about endorsing your application within a week.