Help Financially Excluded Entrepreneurs Get What They Need to Move Fore-ward and Create a Thriving Business in the Valley

After the success of the international model, Kiva recognized the need to tackle financial exclusion by supporting local entrepreneurs in the U.S. and started the Kiva U.S. program in 2011, originally named “Kiva Zip.” Entrepreneurs apply directly to Kiva’s U.S. site to fundraise on the platform and are connected to millions of Kiva lenders. It also enables local lenders to make direct loans—as little as $25—to entrepreneurs in their neighborhoods. Since its beginning, Kiva U.S. has facilitated the crowdfunding of over $40 million from over one million lenders to over 6,500 borrowers.

Kiva Fresno was launched in April 2021 and, in 2022, we aim to fund 50 to 100 zero-interest loans to BIPOC, veteran and women-owned small businesses in our underserved communities. This is a nonprofit platform, and there is no cost to a borrower to apply for this zero-interest loan. The Fresno Metro Black Chamber of Commerce was chosen to be the Kiva Hub—not only for Fresno County, but also for Merced, Madera, Kings-Tulare and Kern Counties. The Kiva loan platform is not free and our license to use it will need to be renewed in March 2023. The fundraising from this tournament will help us pay for the licensing fee, create a loan matching fund for our local borrowers and increase our outreach in the Central Valley—and beyond our urban communities.

We are asking for you to help us by being a sponsor or donor to this worthy cause to increase and stabilize business growth in the Central Valley. We are a nonprofit organization, and all fees, sponsorships and donations are tax-deductible. The Chamber Foundation’s tax ID number is 27-2369570. We are looking forward to an exciting day of golf and fun!