Is the lending service Kiva legitimate?

Yes, they appear to be legitimate. Charity Navigator gives Kiva a high rating.

@Espiritus_Corvus Thank you, and I also appreciate knowing about the Charity Navigator site.

YW. I once asked this question and got some great responses. It turns out that both @ibstubro and @Earthbound_Misfit are big on Kiva.

Yes it is. I lend money on Kiva. It’s a great organization. I’ve been lending the same $500 for about 8 years now, though I do occasionally kick in a donation to Kiva itself, the orgainization, for their overhead. You can help people help themselves, over and over again, and it doesn’t continue to drain your wallet. And you let Kiva decide where your money goes, or you can pick out a project you particularly like. E.g., I lent a woman money to buy an additional sewing machine so that she could expand her business and so she could hire an employee. She grows her business and can better support herself and her family and she contributes employment for someone, all adding to the local economy. And you don’t have to lend that much money, you can get in with as little as 25$. You can also join a lending group and accomplish more with others than you might by yourself. I love Kiva!

Yes – friends of mine have done it for years.