See Microfinance in Action: Apply today to be a Kiva Fellow!

Since 2007, Kiva has offered over 350 individuals a rare opportunity to witness firsthand the realities of microfinance through the Kiva Fellows Program. Applicants chosen for the program serve as Kiva’s eyes and ears on the ground, working directly with our microfinance institution (MFI) field partners in over 50 countries around the globe.

Our 16th class of Kiva Fellows will train August 15-19, 2011 at Kiva HQ in San Francisco, and there’s still time to apply! Applications must be submitted by April 23rd, and we encourage you to get started today.

You can also visit our program calendar to view future training dates and application deadlines.

Fellows simultaneously serve in several vital roles for Kiva. They expand Kiva’s impact by building key relationships and transferring critical knowledge to their host MFI, help Kiva develop sustainable practices by utilizing their individuals skill sets to improve current MFI processes, and they share their insights, pictures and stories from the field to help connect members of the Kiva community to one another. In short, they provide invaluable support for Kiva’s mission of connecting people through lending for the sake of alleviating poverty.

If you take a few minutes to look over the bios of past Kiva Fellows, you’ll notice something - there’s no such thing as a typical Kiva Fellow. Over the years, MBAs, filmmakers, professionals transitioning careers, lawyers, public policy researchers, consultants, financial planners, firefighters, engineers, and former US soldiers have all succeeded in the role and contributed in their own way. Fellows range in age from the minimum of 21 to over 60 years old.

While these individuals represent a broad array of perspectives and skill sets, the most successful fellows do share some attributes. They are all humble, talented and adaptable. They all strive to make the most of every situation, and they are prepared to work through challenges to sustainably impact our field partners.

If you believe that you, or someone you know, has the personality, skills and drive to succeed in this dynamic role, we hope to receive your application.

If you’d like more information about the experience and application process, you can:

• Read a program overview and watch our brief introductory video about a former Kiva Fellow

• Learn about the realities of life in the field in the Kiva Fellows blog

• Check out our extensive Frequently Asked Questions page.

• See the countries where fellows serve on the interactive map of Kiva field partners and current fellows around the globe

• Email kivafellows@kiva.org with any additional questions

When you’re ready, we invite you to return to Kiva.org to start your application.

Thank you for your consideration. We sincerely hope you will pursue this opportunity and we look forward to learning more about the incredible individuals who hope to share their time with us at Kiva!