Memorial Tributes, giving in groups or organizing in memory of Loved One

[Guest]

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[Christine3415]

Sadly, a close loved one has passed and the obit suggests memorials to a charity of your choice.

Is there a link on Kiva.org that allows for lending/giving in the form of a memorial tribute? Would it be feasible to possibly consider this as an option at some point?
It would be thoughtful for those of us who already are on board with Kiva's mission to be able to generate activity lending/donating in the memorial giving category. This would certainly increase group giving as well as grow awareness for this wonderful site.

I am relatively new, and after searching for such an option, am at a loss how to make a gift to honor a dear friend. If there are reasons that this is not possible, I am unaware. If it hasn't been tried, maybe this is for the suggestion box. Thanks.

If a category for Memorial Tribute activity was created, it would be a dignified and beautiful gesture for those grieving and a fitting harbor for a person's legacy to be attached with a beautiful mission such as Kiva. There are many who would learn about this way of changing our world, and it could ease the pain of loss in sustaining the dreams of others.

Thanks. Christine

[cpbailey]

Christine,

What a lovely idea to memorialize a loved one by designating funds to Kiva.  It is an on-going way to pass a message of support to others.  There is a Kiva Friends Memorial Fund for Mark, a borrower from Kenya who passed away under unfortunate circumstances.  Dozens of people donated to a fund which loans to his fellow countrymen.  Each person can elect to have their name listed on the fund.  This is an example of how this can currently be done.  Link to Mark's fund is below:   

    http://www.kiva.org/lender/markagwonahmemoria3530

One can also look through varies group funds listed on this website to see if something else matches the need.  Here is the link for the groups:

    http://www.kivapedia.org/index.php/Main_Page/Groups

So there are possibilities/work arounds, depending on you needs (security, tax deductions, control and ease).

Let me know if you have further questions!

Colette

[Natasha]

Christine,

Colette has given you a good example of a fund that has been set up. I have seen other examples during my time lending and found this example in my portfolio. I hope this assists.

http://www.kiva.org/lender/inmemoryof8634

Regards,
Natasha

[wind5001]

Dear Christine,

first of all welcome to KivaFriends!

Colette and Natasha have both presented very special solutions for your question...since I set up the Mark Fund, I can assist you if you need some help here, too.

Basically it works like this: You need a distinctive email-address that is not yet linked to Kiva (your personal address won't do, because it is used for your profile already)...you can set that up in a few minutes with googlemail or yahoo or wherever you want. Everyone who wants to participate in that fund can send you a Gift Certificate to the email-address which you then can redeem at Kiva and make loans in the name of the loved one. In the "I loan because" you can write about the person you're mourning, in the "About me" you can list the donor's names, if you want.

If you have more questions, feel free to ask them here or send me a message!

Good luck!

Oli

[Christine3415]

Thank you Natasha, Colette and Oli for your suggestions and examples of tribute funds and description on how to set this up.

It was especially heartbreaking to read of the loss of Mark. I hope it helps give his loved ones encouragement and solace, to see how his life has inspired others to help keep his legacy alive in Kenya, and mobilize continued support for his community.


Kiva.org did respond to my inquiry which was posted prior to locating the Kivafriends site. Their response was as follows:

Dear Christine

Let me start by extending my condolences for the passing of your best friend's son.  Turning such a sad event into one with potential to improve the lives of others is commendable, and we thank you for thinking of Kiva for honoring him.
 
You are correct, at this time we do not have a feature on our website that allows users to make a loan or donation in another individual's name. This is a common request, and we are working on making memorial lending an option.

One option is to create an account for your friend with a username that reflects the meaning of your loan. For example, you could create an account with the name "InHonorOf____," make a loan with that account, and share the login information with your friend so that they may track the progress of the loan and learn more about the borrower.
 
I hope that this is an agreeable option while we work on making memorial lending a possibility in the future.
 
Happy Holidays!



After the funeral and some days have passed, I will approach my friend and her husband with all of these examples from kivafriends to see if they would like me to aide in creating such an account for them on their son's behalf. I feel that the function of selecting the loan recipients and receiving the credits to start and maintain a portfolio in Clancy's honor should belong to them. I thank everyone here for their assistance.

The creation of the Mark fund was beautifully done. You are to be commended for bringing such a thoughtful monument to this promising young man.

Happy Holidays to all of you and your loved ones.

Christine

[Natasha]

Christine,

Sorry for your loss. Thankyou for sharing the response from Kiva with us. I think it is a lovely way to remember someone special. 

A belated, but very warm welcome to Kiva Friends!

Cheers,
Natasha

[wind5001]

Christine,

I'm glad Kiva reacted so promptly to your query!

Like I said, if you feel like you need a hand, let me know...I'd love to help!

Oli

[cpbailey]

Christine,

Oli helped me set up a fund, so I would highly recommend asking for his help should you need some.  He is easy to work with and very highly regarded by the regulars on Kiva Friends.

Colette

[wind5001]

Colette,

 

 

 

Oli

[cpbailey]

Christine,

I think I forgot to mention that Oli is a bit of a flirt!  Maybe that is a part of his charm...     

Colette