kiva.org - let you loan to the working poor

[Desertdude]

http://www.kiva.org

Very interesting concept... Still reading about it
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What We Do

We let you loan to the working poor

Kiva lets you connect with and loan money to unique small businesses in the developing world. By choosing a business on Kiva.org, you can "sponsor a business" and help the world's working poor make great strides towards economic independence. Throughout the course of the loan (usually 6-12 months), you can receive email journal updates from the business you've sponsored. As loans are repaid, you get your loan money back.


We partner with organizations all over the world


Kiva partners with existing microfinance institutions. In doing so, we gain access to outstanding entrepreneurs from impoverished communities world-wide. Our partners are experts in choosing qualified borrowers. That said, they are usually short on funds. Through Kiva.org, our partners upload their borrower profiles directly to the site so you can lend to them.


We show you where your money goes

Kiva provides a data-rich, transparent lending platform for the poor. We are constantly working to make the system more transparent to show how money flows throughout the entire cycle. The below diagram shows briefly how money gets from you to a third-world borrower, and back!



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[DesertRose]

I've been watching Kiva since they started - a fantastic success, and all grassroots. I am approaching them soon to establish a link to some of the smaller efforts we support in Kenya and Tanzania. We are finding that the strongest projects are those that are based on loans or partnerships, not gobs of money being tossed around. It's tough sometimes, but in the end it's earned and it's valued.

 

[Streakerfreak]

This is a fantastic concept. Instead of just giving people food or money which will run out fast, we can give someone the tools to support themselves for life.

 

[taco2go]

Micro-loans/microfinancing is proving to be quite effective. -And if you prefer to donate the capital - it can potentially 'circulate' in the community, from one borrower to the next.
We are seeing solid results in our involvement with this approach in Nepal and N india.

 

[RoundOut]

This is a fantastic concept. Instead of just giving people food or money which will run out fast, we can give someone the tools to support themselves for life.

Give someone a fish and they eat for a day. Teach them to fish and they eat for a lifetime.

 

[Ruffin' It]

yet another reason

This is why I love this forum and the people who make it up. You'd never find this sort of thing anywhere else. I'm going to be speaking with my wife about this as soon as I get home this morning. I also have a history of asking for people to make donations instead of giving me gifts for holidays - I think I just found this years Christmas present! :wings:

 

[telwyn]

Great idea! I read the different lending opportunities to my 6 and 4 year olds and let them each pick someone to loan $25 to. Hopefully they'll learn a bit about being charitable incline and also get a little lesson in capitalism...

 

[HiLift Jack]

4/15/2008

Uncle Sam did not get all my money, I made a contribution to this organization today after my wife and I were discussing doing something good with what we have been blessed with this year.

Love is all you need, Pass it on.

Jack

 

[Streakerfreak]

Uncle Sam did not get all my money, I made a contribution to this organization today after my wife and I were discussing doing something good with what we have been blessed with this year.

Love is all you need, Pass it on.

Jack

Very cool:26_7_2:

 

[Trail Monkey]

Thanks for posting this. ive watched these micro loan orgs on TV. and been very inpressed. but this post made me check out the www.kiva.org link which led to me sponsoring some folks.. very nice privelege for us spoiled americans to have..

 

[Johnny Dollar]

hey this is really cool.

I first heard about microlending on NPR when Terri Gross was interviewing Mohammed Yunus about his Grameen Bank which operates on the same principle of Kiva.

I've forwarded this site to several buddies. My family and I are always down for grass roots support for business in developing nations.

We've been buying livestock through Hefer International for years now.

:clapsmile

 

[Seeker]

I've been watching Kiva since they started - a fantastic success, and all grassroots. I am approaching them soon to establish a link to some of the smaller efforts we support in Kenya and Tanzania. We are finding that the strongest projects are those that are based on loans or partnerships, not gobs of money being tossed around. It's tough sometimes, but in the end it's earned and it's valued.

There's a good book out there who's thesis you just summed up very well called "White Man's Burden: Why the West's Efforts to Aid the Rest Have Done So Much Ill and So Little Good"

Big Aid isn't the solution. We need to help the people pull themselves up, rather than try to push on their bottoms until we think they're standing on their feet.

I agree, Kiva is an incredible project and I think bottom-up efforts like this will, slowly over time, help to revolutionize the world's poor.

As a side note, the economist who originated the idea of Micro-loans is now a Nobel Laureate.

 

[telwyn]

Bump for a good cause.

 

[TCM]

I am a big fan of Kiva and have been donating to them for several years. I think the concept works wonderfully.