Thursday, January 26, 2012

By the Numbers: Microfinance and... football?


Superbowl Sunday is fast approaching! And as the Giants and the Patriots gear up to face off, we started wondering how the game on the field might tie into our work in the field. It’s a natural question when millions of people rally around something -- whether it’s a cause or the big game. How powerful could all those people be? When it comes to the Superbowl and Kiva, the answer is: very. Here’s some food for thought (to go with your hot wings):

Capacity of Lucas Oil Stadium: 70,000
Kiva’s user base: 1,056,402 - We fill over 15 stadiums, but could always use one more!

Number of 2011 Superbowl viewers: 111 million
Population of the 8 African countries Kiva helps serve: 99.4 million (if every watcher gave $1 - that would be 4.4 million $25 loans.)

Average cost for 30-second Super Bowl commercial: $3.5 million
Total amount lent in December 2011: $10.5 million (3 times more!)

Total amount spent on 2011 Super Bowl Commercials: $205.2 million
Total amount of loans made through Kiva: $280.3 million

Average price for 2011 Super Bowl ticket: $4,683
Average size of a Kiva loan: $385.49 (12 loans could be made for just one ticket!)

To harness some of this amazing fan power -- and in the spirit of friendly competition -- we’re kicking off the first ever KivaSuper Bowl. That’s right, it’s the New England Patriots Lending Team versus the New York Giants Lending Team! Whichever team lends the most between 12:01 am on January 27 and the last whistle blown at Sunday’s game wins eternal bragging rights and karma points.

This is your chance to support your team and do good for the world at the same time. Now that’s a winning combination!