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An Interest-Free Loan from Kavod Fund can transform your life for the
better.

Our global community of Jewish lenders believes in building a better world one life and story at a time.
Let's start
with yours
.
Kavod Fund is a nonprofit that connects Jewish lenders and borrowers around the world through the ancient Jewish value of interest-free lending.
Lenders worldwide receive the sacred power to improve others' lives with as little as $18
Borrowers receive interest-free funds from a global community that believes in their hopes and dreams.
Why borrow from Kavod Fund?
No interest. No fees.

All approved borrowers on Kavod Fund receive completely interest-free loans to help them improve their lives and circumstances.

Our global Jewish community believes in you.

Connect to fellow community members around the world who believe in your dreams and will help fund your success interest-free!

Multiple Loan Options.

The Kavod Fund community offers loans for emergencies, small business, debt consolidation, education and more & flexible loan terms and repayment options.

What they say about us
How
it Works

Apply

Find out if you prequalify. Then fill out our easy application. (20-30 minutes)

Approval

Receive approval from Kavod Fund and finish your loan profile with your personal story and photos.

Fundraise

Take your loan public on Kavod Fund and share it as widely as possible! Your loan will be visible to lenders worldwide. (Up to 60 days)

Repay

Repay your loan as you build your dreams! (up to 24 months)

Our belief in every person's potential inspires us to provide life-changing funding opportunities to individuals, families, and small businesses that traditional lenders won't.
What You Need to Qualify for a Kavod Fund
Interest-Free
Loan
You must be 18 years of age or older
You must work with a local Jewish partner organization as a sponsor
You must be able to provide a verified guarantor(s) for your loan
Frequently asked questions
Do I qualify for a Kavod Fund loan?

Unlike traditional bank loans, Kavod Fund loans don't require a minimum credit score, years of cash flow documents or collateral. But you do need to meet the following minimum criteria in order to be considered:

  • You must be over 18 years old to apply for a personal or business loan.
  • If you're seeking a business loan, you must have at least 12 months of operating history.
  • Business loan proceeds must be used for business purposes only.
  • Your business must not be engaged in any of the following activities: multi-level marketing / direct sales; illegal activities (e.g. gambling, scams); or pure financial investing (e.g. stocks)
  • You cannot currently be in foreclosure, bankruptcy, or under any liens.
  • You must be willing to secure an acceptable loan guarantor from your closest supporters, friends, or family.
How does the Kavod Fund loan process work?
  • To apply for a Kavod Fund U.S. loan, start an application here. The application is all online, and takes between 30 minutes to an hour to complete.
  • Once you complete the application, a member of our team will reach out to you to better understand your personal or business needs and ask any follow up questions.
  • After reviewing the completed application, the Kavod Fund team will determine what loan amount you qualify for and notify you of next steps.
  • If your application is approved, we'll ask you to demonstrate your community creditworthiness through inviting your closest supporters, friends and/or family to help fund your loan.
  • You’ll also need to secure an acceptable guarantor for your loan.
What is "community creditworthiness" and why is it a requirement to get a Kavod Fund loan?

At Kavod Fund, we want to help repair the world through more just financial systems for all, where someone's creditworthiness is determined by their community roots and strong character rather than their credit history.

  • To demonstrate community creditworthiness, we require all borrowers to secure support from their community during an initial private fundraising period. During this 15-day period, we ask that borrowers recruit a certain number of lenders from their personal network to lend to them before the loan is publicly posted on Kavod Fund.
  • We also require all lenders to secure an acceptable guarantor for each loan from their closest friends, family, and supporters.
  • These requirements demonstrate a direct endorsement by a borrower's trust network, and we hope these important community endorsements help keep the borrower responsible and accountable for repaying their loan.
  • The private fundraising period is a tool we use to assess a borrower's creditworthiness, and it increases a borrower's chance of success on Kavod Fund, as loans fundraise much more quickly when the borrower's personal network of supporters, friends, and family is engaged during fundraising.
  • Borrowers must invite between 5 and 35 lenders from within their network, depending on the size of the loan and other factors evaluated by the Kavod Fund.
  • Borrowers must have at least one (1) guarantor for each loan, with the total number of guarantors not to exceed 3. Cumulatively, a borrower’s guarantors must secure 100% of the loan amount.
What do I need to prepare to apply for a Kavod Fund loan?

Our application will ask you for basic financial information about you and/or your business, but we will not ask you to upload any financial documents.

  • We will ask you to share your story in a compelling way by creating a public borrower profile, which includes a photo of you / your business.
  • This profile will include a few paragraphs on who you are, what personal or business needs/dreams/aspirations require support from our lender community, what your business does, and what you plan to use the loan for.
  • You can find helpful tips and tricks on submitting a great photo and personal/business story here.
What types of businesses get funded on Kavod Fund?

Kavod Fund supports a variety of small businesses, including bakers, bookshop owners, independent movie theaters and more. You can check out the type of businesses that are currently fundraising here.

How do people use their Kavod Fund loan?

People use their Kavod Fund loans to change their lives and circumstances for the better and/or grow and strengthen their businesses. Some examples include:

  • A $4,000 loan to purchase needed technical equipment for starting a first-responder communications system consultancy.
  • A $5,000 loan for marketing material to expand a non-profit organization.
  • A $10,000 loan to help expand a children’s literacy program.
  • A $3,000 loan to help fund a child’s school tuition.
  • A $7,000 loan to help pay for medical school.
  • A $13,000 loan to consolidate high-interest medical debt.
How quickly can I get funded?
  • Once your application is submitted, Kavod Fund will get back to you with next steps within 10 - 15 business days.
  • Submitting a great photo and your personal/business story is the best way to make it through the review process quickly.
  • Once your loan is approved for fundraising, you will have 15 days to raise support from your closest supporters, family, and friends during the private fundraising period.
  • Then you’ll have 45 additional days to publicly fundraise through Kavod Fund's wider network of lenders.