I found a website called Kiva.org, which is storefront for a microcredit network. They find aspiring entrepreneurs in the developing world and give them interest-free loans toward their projects. The money comes from individuals who make donations through the website.
What’s fun about the way they’ve set this site up is that you can pick a project that interests you and give whatever you want. I’ve been saving up money for a while, for nothing in particular, and what strikes me about these projects is how easy it is to blow the whole outstanding balance for a project out of the water with one donation. And you get the money back. (Microcredit has a history of vastly higher successful repayment rates than commercial bank loans. Go figure: who do you care about, the bank that posted a 2.5 billion pound profit last year, or the group of people who helped you open a food market in your village?)
Here’s the pre-rolled message from their website, which says it all:
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Hi!
I just made a loan to someone in the developing world using a revolutionary new website called Kiva.
You can go to Kiva’s website and lend to someone in the developing world who needs a loan for their business — like raising goats, selling vegetables at market or making bricks. Each loan has a picture of the entrepreneur, a description of their business and how they plan to use the loan so you know exactly how your money is being spent — and you get updates letting you know how the business is going. The best part is, when the entrepreneur pays back their loan you get your money back — and Kiva’s loans are managed by microfinance institutions on the ground who have a lot of experience doing this, so you can trust that your money is being handled responsibly.
I just made a loan to an entrepreneur named Johnstone Mativo in Kenya. They still need another $50.00 to complete their loan request of $525.00 (you can loan as little as $25.00!). Help me get this business off the ground by clicking on the link below to make a loan to Johnstone Mativo too:
http://kiva.org/app.php?page=businesses&action=about&id=9546&referralId=
It’s finally easy to actually do something about poverty — using Kiva I know exactly who my money is loaned to and what they’re using it for. And most of all, I know that I’m helping them build a sustainable business that will provide income to feed, clothe, house and educate their family long after my loan is paid back.
Join me in changing the world — one loan at a time.
Thanks!
Alistair Hamish MacDonald
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What others are saying about www.Kiva.org:
‘Revolutionising how donors and lenders in the US are connecting with small entrepreneurs in developing countries.’
— BBC
‘If you’ve got 25 bucks, a PC and a PayPal account, you’ve now got the wherewithal to be an international financier.’
— CNN Money
‘Smaller investors can make loans of as little as $25 to specific individual entrepreneurs through a service launched last fall by Kiva.org.’
— The Wall Street Journal
‘An inexpensive feel-good investment opportunity…All loaned funds go directly to the applicants, and most loans are repaid in full.’
— Entrepreneur Magazine
