In an effort to help underserved entrepreneurs and small business owners gain access to much-needed capital, Spaceworks and the Chamber partnered with Kiva to offer 0% interest microloans to small business owners in Pierce County. These crowdfunded loans fill a critical lending gap for businesses that are too young, too small, or too innovative to receive loans from traditional lenders. Loans range from $1,000 to $15,000 with terms of 1-5 years to pay them back. The process requires no credit score, collateral pledges, or U.S. citizenship documentation.
Kiva is an international nonprofit, founded in 2005 and based in San Francisco, with a mission to connect people through lending to alleviate poverty. Kiva celebrates and supports people looking to create a better future for themselves, their families, and their communities.
At Kiva, loans aren’t just about money—they’re a way to create connections and relationships. When a Kiva loan enables someone to grow a business and create opportunity for themselves, it creates opportunities for others as well. A Swahili word meaning agreement or unity, Kiva is the perfect word for this crowdfunded loan program, wherein economically and historically disadvantaged borrowers are supported by their community.
If you’d like more info on how to take advantage of these 0% microloans or would like to support and invest in the borrowers who do, please contact David Combs at davidc@tacomachamber.org or visit www.kiva.org
By lending on Kiva, you are doing more than providing capital, you are telling the small business owner “I believe in you.” With as little as a $25 loan, anyone can help a borrower and will have the opportunity to support the growth of new businesses that would not otherwise exist and put them on the path to success or lift up Tacoma’s existing businesses.
This program was sponsored and supported by the City of Tacoma’s Community and Economic Development division, with funding from the National League of Cities, as well as Pierce County and the Pierce County Business Accelerator.
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