Kiva.org - Loans that change lives
I want to let you all know about a cool non-profit that is doing great things: Kiva.org - Loans that change lives
Kiva.org allows individuals to make $25 loans to low-income entrepreneurs in the developing world (microfinance). By doing so, individuals like you provide affordable working capital for the poor (money to buy a sewing machine, livestock, etc.), empowering them to earn their way out of poverty.
It's a new, direct and sustainable way to fight global poverty, and the way I see it, I get a higher return on $25 helping someone build a future than the interest my checking account pays.
Anyways, if you have a minute, please check out the site: http://kiva.org. If you need more "reputable" validation than my recommendation, know that they have received great press in publications ranging from The Wall Street Journal to NPR to BusinessWeek, including FRONTLINE/WORLD Uganda - A Little Goes A Long Way that will be re-broadcast on PBS stations over the next two weeks. If you missed the program, please check the schedule of your local PBS station for programming details.
Hat tip to radical congruency for the links.
