Kiva.org - start with as little as $10
Of course there are thousands if not hundreds of thousands of great charities out there that deserve a plug but but the thing I really like about Kiva is it doesn't feel like a charity. It feels like a cool online favor (at least to me).
I support a lot of charities but you get to feel, after a while, that the problem...
- Is never going to go away and
- Your dollars are helping but charity can be a bit insulting to the person on the other end (we never think about that, do we)
Kiva.org is different. They offer zero interest loans to folks in 3rd world countries to start or expand their businesses. It isn't a handout. It is loan. They have something like a 97% payback rate and you get to choose who you lend your funds to. Plus all your repayments come to to your main account where you can then turn around and lend it to somebody else.
Every few months I throw $1,000 in there and start a bunch of new loans. Makes me feel I am helping someone make their dreams come true and the money and be used over and over again. Very, very cool.
