I've heard about Kiva.org a few times on television but I didn't really understand how it worked until I read an article about it today, and well, I got excited.
The concept is absolutely brilliant. This is the first charity organization that I've ever heard of where you can actually get your donation back.
The way Kiva works is that you loan people in need money to improve their business, giving them the chance to become self sufficient and have a better life.
You're not simply making a one time donation, you're giving someone a hand, helping them to help themselves, and the entrepreneurs pay you back!
You can lend as little as $25.00 and you choose which people and businesses you'd like to help. When the loan is paid back it's your choice whether you'd like to lend it to someone else or just cash out.
If you decide to loan a business money, you can follow the story to see how their progressing via email.
Anyone can promote Kiva by handing out brochures or sending their friends and families and email about the organization.
Bloggers and website owners can promote Kiva.org by displaying a banner on their site, and they also have codes that allow you to encourage others to donate to a specific entrepreneur available in JavaScript which is compatible with most blogs.
I love Kiva.org and what they're doing for others, if you like the idea then visit the website and grab a banner to put on your site to let others know you support the cause.
