I’m excited to share insights from my recent conversation with Steve Kaufer, co-founder and CEO of Give Freely, and former CEO and co-founder of TripAdvisor. Our discussion centered on how technology amplifies social impact, a topic close to my heart and integral to Kiva’s mission.
Steve’s journey from TripAdvisor to Give Freely
Steve co-founded TripAdvisor in 2000, where he revolutionized travel by organizing user reviews, making it easier for people to plan their trips. After two decades, he stepped down from his role at TripAdvisor and followed a calling to pivot towards social impact, which led to the creation of Give Freely—a browser extension that donates affiliate fees from online shopping to charities. Steve is also a personal Kiva lender and advocate of our organization.
Give Freely: A new model for philanthropy
Steve introduced Give Freely as a browser extension that partners with over 10,000 stores. When users shop online, a portion of their purchase is donated to a charity of their choice. It’s a brilliant model that, like Kiva, leverages the power of collective action to drive change. The simplicity and effectiveness of Give Freely’s approach resonated deeply with me, as it aligns with Kiva’s principle of enabling people to contribute to a greater cause through everyday actions.
Kiva’s impact through collective action
I shared with Steve how Kiva’s model has successfully mobilized over $2 billion in loans, impacting 5 million people worldwide. This milestone was achieved through the collective efforts of more than 2 million lenders. It’s incredible how small contributions, pooled together, create profound change. This community-driven approach is at the heart of what makes Kiva so impactful.
The role of technology
Our conversation naturally gravitated towards the role of technology in scaling these efforts. For Give Freely, browser extension technology makes charitable giving seamless and integrates it into everyday activities, a key driver of their success. At Kiva, technology enables us to connect lenders and borrowers globally, ensuring that financial access reaches those who need it most. Without the technology behind organizations like Kiva, these movements of global philanthropy would not be possible, particularly at the speed and with the wide reach we are able to achieve today.
Embracing AI for greater impact
Steve and I also discussed the transformative potential of AI. At Kiva, we’re exploring AI to enhance our processes, improve user experience, and make more precise loan recommendations. AI’s ability to personalize and streamline interactions could revolutionize how we engage with our community, driving more meaningful and sustained impact.
Reflecting on AI’s role in our work, I see it as a powerful partner in driving collective action. AI can analyze vast amounts of data to identify patterns and trends that humans might miss, enabling us to make more informed decisions. Steve shared an example from his past organization, TripAdvisor. A hotel with 10,000 reviews is not much help to someone who only has time to review a handful, but with the power of AI, those 10,000 reviews can be searched and summarized, providing tailored responses based on whether you are a family with kids, a business traveler, or more. Applying this same idea to philanthropy could mean individualized experiences that empower donors to direct their funding in more specific and impactful ways, benefiting nonprofits, donors, and ultimately, the people being served.
For Kiva, AI brings a promise of better matching lenders with borrowers to create more impactful connections. Through generative AI tools, a Kiva lender could have a conversation to better understand the geopolitical, climate, and agricultural factors impacting a particular region within a country, for example, leading them to better understand just how and why their funds will make meaningful impact. AI can also automate routine tasks, freeing up our team to focus on strategic initiatives and personalized engagement with our community. The potential to scale our efforts and increase our efficiency through AI is immense, and we are just scratching the surface of what’s possible.
Partnering for greater social impact
Steve concluded our conversation with a heartfelt appeal for people to support Kiva through Give Freely. By simply downloading the extension and selecting Kiva as your charity, you can contribute effortlessly to our mission. For each new user selecting Kiva, Give Freely will donate an additional $20 to our organization until June 30, 2024. This initiative is a testament to the power of partnership and community in driving social good.
How you can harness the power of technology for good
Our conversation left me inspired and optimistic about the future of social impact through technology. It’s clear that when we harness the power of the crowd and innovative tech solutions, we can create lasting change. I’m grateful to Steve for his support and for sharing his insights on this journey. I encourage you to watch the full conversation and be sure to download the Give Freely browser extension to begin making your charitable contributions through your shopping habits today.
Thank you for being part of Kiva’s community and for your continued support. Together, we can make a difference, one loan at a time.
Warm regards,
🙏💚
Vishal Ghotge
