Momnesia

Charity? Not Even Close

On Kiva.org, you can help the world's working poor reach economic independence. But you don't just give your money away — you loan it. Because on this site, your generosity gets repaid.

Kiva.org (a non-profit organization) is home to more than 130 entrepreneurs from the developing world looking to start up or fund a business. And whether it's raising cattle, repairing cars or selling clothes, there's one thing they all have in common: they need your help. But they're not looking for handouts — just a 6-12 month loan to get them on their feet. Which you can help with safely and easily right through Kiva.org.

The lending process is simple. Find a person you'd like to loan to, then do so using your credit card through PayPal. Kiva then transfers the funds to their local microfinance partners, who distribute the money to each business. Periodically, the partner collects repayments and provides detailed updates on how your loan is helping. Once your loan is repaid, you can either withdraw the funds or re-loan to someone new!

Kiva.org also supplies information about each of their field partners, including delinquency and default rates, the number of entrepreneurs they're sponsoring and their risk rating, so you can have a better idea of how your loan will be repaid.

Just think of it as a temporary donation.