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Press release: Kiva honored with 2023 UserTesting illumi award for Outstanding Non-Profit

October 20, 2023
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[San Francisco, CA] – Kiva is thrilled to announce its recent accolade as the recipient of the prestigious 2023 UserTesting illumi Award for Outstanding Non-Profit. This achievement marks a significant milestone for Kiva, which is the first nonprofit to earn this esteemed recognition.

The UserTesting illumi Awards, presented annually, celebrate organizations that utilize UserTesting's tools to make a meaningful impact on their user experiences. UserTesting, a leader in the field of customer experience research, provides valuable resources to organizations globally, aiding them in better understanding their customers.

Kiva's success in earning this award underscores the organization's commitment to enhancing the experience of Kiva lenders and, in turn, its ability to drive positive change in the lives of the people it serves. Senior Product Designer Nathan Treviño worked with Lauren Teresi, Senior Product Manager, and Meg Gloudemans, Senior User Researcher, in utilizing UserTesting's tools to conduct surveys and user research. Their work deepened Kiva's understanding of Kiva lenders, enabling more informed decision-making regarding the user experience lending on Kiva.org.

The team used insights from lenders to address a tension point between enjoyment of choosing a loan profile to fund and the complexity of having so many options available. By understanding the personal nature of a lender’s decision making process and combining qualitative and quantitative insights, they were able to design a new loan finding experience that prioritized connection through a curated list of tailored options.

The award was officially announced on August 28th, 2023, during The Human Insight Summit held in Seattle. In recognition of this outstanding achievement, Kiva received a physical award in the form of a crystal trophy.

Kiva is honored to join the ranks of previous UserTesting illumi Award winners, which include Amazon, Athletic Greens, and Costa Coffee. This recognition serves as an example of Kiva's commitment to leveraging technology to drive its mission of increasing financial access for individuals and communities worldwide.

For more information about the 2023 UserTesting illumi Award winners, please visit https://www.usertesting.com/2023-illumi-award-winners.

About Kiva

Kiva is a non-profit organization dedicated to expanding financial access to underserved communities worldwide. Since its inception in 2005, Kiva has facilitated over $1.6 billion in loans to more than 4.5 million borrowers in 80 countries, empowering individuals to create a better future for themselves and their communities. For more information about Kiva's impactful work, please visit https://www.kiva.org.

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