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kiva zip
Posted: July 11 2013
Why are you interested in becoming a Trustee?
To support young farmers as they begin to capitalize small businesses, establishing good business practices, facilitating access to credit, and exploring the potential to use micro-finance for operating loans.
What is the mission of your organization?
To promote, recruit and support new farmers in America. To produce events, workshops, media and new media for young farmers, to engage in strategic advocacy and solution making.
What indicators/metrics do you use to evaluate and monitor your impact?
Numbers of young farmers increasing, success increasing, attendance at events, interest in media, web hits, policy change.
How have you performed in the past, according to these indicators/metrics?
We are winning. More interest than ever, farmers scaling up, apprenticeships super hot and even competitive. Events sold out, more invitations than we can fulfill.
How will you determine whether or not the business plans of the Borrower(s) you endorse are sound?
We will support the process of micro-lending by facilitating a connection between the farmer, Kiva and the service-provider/ extension agent who is most able to access the viability of the farmers business. Farming is an unpredictably complex business, and the climate changes we face make it even harder-- but conservative borrowing is good practice, and many farm businesses can benefit from small loans. Greenhorns itself will only recommend individual farmers that we know have a good record-- it is our goal to set up protocols, interpretation and support to those service providers who can begin recommending individuals in their networks to Kiva.
How will you know whether the Borrower(s) you endorse will have the character to repay a loan?
We are conservative, and the team is strong.
Please describe what type of business, financial, technical or other support you plan on providing to the Borrower(s) you endorse:
Already discussed above. Our goal is to interpret the lending process to potential borrowers, so that they can anticipate what it takes for a successful project and payback.
How will you establish whether the Borrower(s) you endorse are in debt, or have a history of debt? How will what you find affect your endorsement of their loan application?
Trust
Why can't the Borrower(s) you endorse access traditional loans?
Often the issues are a lack of credit history, school loans, no equity, and a recent past that includes poverty-line wages as a farm apprentice. In many cases micro credit is appropriate for young farmers exactly because it is a low-sum experiment, good practice for when larger sums and more complexity will come into play.
Please describe how you could help us to ensure that the loans you endorse on Kiva Zip have a significant and positive social impact:
Young farmers overwhelmingly start businesses with a local focus. These businesses are employers, generate economic development in rural areas, increase food security and steward the land and water in a sustainable manner. Sustainable agriculture is one of the best places to invest energy, as well as money. If you are considering farming as a career, do!
hudson, new york