With $25, students could buy a night of food and entertainment, or they could create a microloan through Kiva that could change someone’s life.

Kiva is a non-profit organization that works with existing microfinance institutions around the world to provide loans to borrowers who do not have access to the traditional banking system, Amber Matthews, lender communications volunteer with Kiva, said.

Kiva applicants will request to post for a microloan on their website.

Lenders can view their descriptions and choose to whom they would like to provide a microloan, usually in small amounts, such as $25.

Matthews said over time, the borrower repays the loan to the lender. When lenders get repaid, they can re-lend to another borrower, donate their funds to Kiva’s operating expenses, or withdraw their funds to a PayPal account.

Tim Mason, a professor of economics, said microloans often prove to be beneficial not only to the individuals receiving them, but to the entire neighborhood.

“If they get a loan, they can do well and improve the community,” he said.

Mason said when microloans are distributed throughout the community, they often make sure the loan is being put to good use so others in the community can receive future microloans as well.

“Everyone is contributing to seeing that loan succeed,” he said.

Mason said these loans also help create a positive economic impact.

“The amount they’re borrowing is so little, but they can do a lot with it,” he said. “It doesn’t take much to get the ball rolling.”

Julie Dietz, a professor of health studies, said she has been involved with Kiva for almost 10 years.

Dietz said she was initially more inclined to lend to individuals in textile industries because of her passion for that area.

She said she is also apt to lend to women and families looking to send their children to school.

She said she was first drawn to Kiva because of their ability to distribute a small amount of money to people in need.

“Ten or 25 dollars isn’t that much for us to come up with — that’s a couple pizzas we don’t buy, or a few trips to the coffee shop we don’t take,” she said. “For someone who earns $100 per year, that’s an insanely large amount of money for them to come up with.”

Dietz said Kiva is a good fit for college students because it does not require large donations.

She said even if college students think they can’t contribute, they can take small steps that can make a difference.

“It is so easy to feel that the problems of this world are so huge that no one person can make a difference, and especially not some poor, struggling college student. But $25 is not that much,” she said. “Save up your change for a few months. Skip one pizza a month, and in a few months, you’ll have that much. Thinking about it in those terms makes it a lot easier.”

Patricia Poulter, associate dean of the college of arts and humanities, also said a Kiva donation does not have to be much to create an impact.

“Rather than waiting to give a fortune, $25 can make a huge difference,” she said.

Poulter said she has provided loans to around 15 Kiva applicants, ranging from sustainable farming and art and women’s cooperative programs.

Poulter said she loves Kiva because it provides her the opportunity to donate to causes she supports.

“I can go through and select things that are close to my heart,” she said.

Poulter said even if students cannot afford to donate $25, Kiva accepts smaller donations, such as ten dollars.

She said she suggests students even pooling their money together to create a donation.

Poulter said even during the holiday season, students could ask those who normally give Christmas gifts to forgo one present in favor of a Kiva donation.

“Even if that’s all you ever do, you still make a difference,” she said.

For more information, visit www.kiva.org.

Sara Hall can be reached at 581-2812 or [email protected].