'Tis the Season

This year everyone on my Christmas list got a gift certificate to the micofinance organization Kiva. My reason for choosing Kiva is that Kiva personalized philanthropy for the small individual donor (meet Frida my latest Kiva loan recipient who has recently paid back the full amount of her loan). Those on my Christmas list received more than notification from an organization that my tax-deductible contribution was given in their name, they received an invitation to personally engage in the giving process.

Kiva has changed the face of philanthropy by its innovative ability to draw donors into an experience that stretches beyond their day to day life through online philanthropy. Kiva has also successfully figured out a giving model to make a $25 really fee like they matter. Too often donors feel that their gift is not large enough to create real positive change but giving through Kiva you can see how a small amount of money can create a huge amount of social impact in the life of another.

Kiva’s impact model to fight global poverty has proven to be meaningful, effective and fun. Donors can see the tangible positive effects of their dollars but more importantly its a donation that keeps on giving. As recipients pay back their loans, donors can choose to reinvest their dollars in another person in need of a micro loan to improve their life.

How Kiva works:

A Fistful Of Dollars: The Story of a Kiva.org Loan from Kieran Ball on Vimeo.

Wishing you a peaceful holiday season from Funlanthropy!

Meet Frida And Loan Her The Tools To Achieve Economic Security

Frida Leonor Delgago Chirinosis is a 49 year old women who lives in Huarán, Peru with her 4 children. Frida is making great strides towards economic independence by working hard to improve her families’ quality of life.

Frida owns homestay business that provides good quality accommodations for tourists from all over the world visiting the Sacred Valley of the Incas. She is able to provide tourists a greater understanding and awareness of the Peruvian culture by opening her home to those who would like to experience the true Peruvian way of life.

Frida wishes to invest in her small business by adding more rooms and a bathroom to her cottage. A lone of $600 will allow Frida to remodel so she can accommodate more tourists, increase her business and better provide for her family. Frida has agreed to pay back her loan request starting September 2009 and plans to have it payed off by February 2010.

I have decided to personally loan Frida a portion of her request through the non-profit organization Kiva.

Kiva's mission is to connect people through lending for the sake of alleviating poverty. Kiva is the first person-to-person micro-lending website. Micro-lending is the practice of lending very small loans to the very poor to promote entrepreneurship to generate income to build a better life. Remember, these are loans - not charity. Loans start as low as $25 and have a 98% repayment rate.

You can make a huge impact through a small loan simply visit http://www.kiva.org/and scroll the hundreds of opportunities to lend a small amount of money and make a tremendous amount of difference.