Kiva Borrower Nominated For Siete Community Choice Award
September 23, 2025
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Laura Carrasco-Quezada (right) and her sister, Sandra (left), are the proud owners of
Apply for a 0% interest, no-fee microloan or lend from $25 to help entrepreneurs in Northwest Arkansas start and grow their businesses.
Access Capital
Up to $15,000 at 0% interest with one-on-one guidance.
Grow Local Impact
Lend from $25. 100% of your loan goes to supporting borrowers.
Learn The Steps
Guides, checklists, and events to move forward with confidence.
Northwest Arkansas is full of makers and doers, yet many still lack access to capital. With local backing, we can close that gap and keep our region a thriving hub of innovation, opportunity, and inclusive growth.
Here’s what to expect, it’s easier than you think.
What you need to get started.
Craft a clear 3-paragraph story + photo.
Activate your first 5–30 lenders.
Go live on Kiva and fund your loan.
For early-stage and growing businesses
For individuals and partners
For organizations that want to amplify impact
Local borrowers used 0% interest, no-fee microloans—and the support of community lenders—to launch and grow real businesses across Northwest Arkansas.
$2M+ crowdfunded. 200+ local businesses supported. And we’re just getting started.
Proudly part of the Kiva network and locally supported by Startup Junkie Foundation and community partners.
Answers about 0% interest microloans, how lending works, timelines, eligibility, and bilingual support in NWA.
Kiva is a crowdfunded loan platform for small businesses. Kiva provides zero-interest, zero-fee loans. Individual lenders from around the world fund these loans in increments, typically $25 each.
Up to $15,000 at 0% interest, with no fees.
The process has three main stages:
You don’t need all documents to start, but here’s what’s ideal:
Note: Make sure all documents have matching names and addresses.
Yes. You must provide a horizontal photo of yourself visibly connected to your business (e.g., in front of your office, wearing branded apparel, etc.).
Yes, three short paragraphs (max 300 words each):
Send these to your hub contact for review.
There are three main phases:
Contact your Kiva Hub representative to schedule a call or in-person meeting to move forward.
No. Kiva funds cannot be used for debt repayment or equity purchases.
Yes. For example, Kiva does not fund drug businesses.
Typically 10–15 business days after submitting your application.
Usually 5–30 lenders giving $25+ each within two weeks.
Bank statement, Articles/DBA, Operating Agreement/Bylaws, EIN (if applicable), and business license or state tax permit.
A horizontal photo of you at work; a 3-paragraph story (who you are, how you started, how you’ll use the loan).
Any Kiva NWA borrower who has reached a meaningful milestone—funded, launched, expanded, or repaid.
No. We feature stories at different stages to inspire others.
A short story (100–150 words), a vertical photo of you at work, and any metrics or wins you’d like to share.
Yes—send us new photos or milestones and we’ll refresh your page.
Kiva lets you lend as little as $25 to real entrepreneurs. Your loan combines with others to fully fund the campaign. Borrowers repay over time; you can re-lend your repayments, withdraw them to PayPal, or donate them.
Go to Kiva.org, click Sign Up, and create a lender profile. It takes a couple of minutes—then you can start lending immediately.
$25 per loan.
No. Kiva loans are 0% to the borrower and do not earn interest for lenders. Your impact is social return, not financial return.
Use the location filter to search the U.S. and then “Arkansas” or the NWA cities (Fayetteville, Springdale, Rogers, Bentonville). You can also browse our Featured Borrowers on this site.
Every profile lists the business purpose and a short plan for how the loan will be used (equipment, inventory, marketing, etc.).
Latest stories from our borrowers, Kiva NWA, and the local community.
Laura Carrasco-Quezada (right) and her sister, Sandra (left), are the proud owners of
Tell us about your business and funding needs. We’ll follow up within 1 business day. Bilingual support (EN/ES).
Want to be added to our lenders list and hear from our borrowers?
Want to learn about the different ways you can get involved?