How to Start and Run a Chapter

Impact Collective grows through student-led Kiva chapters in schools. These chapters are how we expand access to microfinance and bring more students into the work of financial inclusion. Any student can start a chapter at their school, though we recommend that chapter leads have a basic understanding of finance or entrepreneurship and are able to take on a leadership role (typically upperclassmen in high school).

This page outlines what a chapter is, how it operates, and the steps to get started. You'll learn how to set up a Kiva lending team, build a student-run venture to generate capital, and use Impact Collective's tools and resources to manage and grow your chapter effectively.

Impact Collective's goal is to build lasting, student-run chapters that make microfinance accessible in schools and put real capital into the hands of underserved entrepreneurs worldwide.

Most students never learn how capital actually works — and even fewer get the chance to put it to work. That's the gap Impact Collective was built to close.

The Chapter Program brings microfinance into schools hands-on. Students don't just study capital, they raise it, manage it, and deploy it through real Kiva loans. Our goal is simple: help students build chapters that last and make a measurable impact.