i found Kiva today randomly and thought it was fantastic and others might like to know about it.
i apologize if it's been mentioned somewhere. i did a search first, but who knows?
anywho, Kiva sets it up so individuals can become part of the micro-lending process. while i appreciate what charity does, giving people the opportunity to do it themselves is very different than just giving people something!
well, they say it best (from Kiva's website):
We let you loan to the working poor
Kiva lets you connect with and loan money to unique entrepreneurs in the developing world. By choosing a loan on Kiva, 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 entrepreneur 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 entrepreneurs. That said, they are usually short on funds. Through Kiva, our partners upload their entrepreneur 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 entrepreneur, and back!
*all money loaned goes to the individual - kiva doesn't keep any of it.
ive got $200 spread around several groups/individuals right now. whats interesting about this is that it seems to straddle the republican and democrat ideals.
the pay back rate is (as with many microloans) almost 100%
its not a perfect charity/idea, but its definitely worth getting behind
Yeah i heard about this awhile ago. A friend of mine has been loaning people small amounts for a few months now. Maybe once i am out of debt i will too.
I read about this recently in an airline magazine. (I think it was Southwest's February magazine.) I think it's a great organization. I intend to give some loving once I receive my stimulus package from the government.
A great article on how traditional lending is screwing up urban planning. The basic premise is that banks only understand standard formats for development (big box, large office, entry-level homes, etc.) and are very hesitant to build anything out of the box (i.e. walkable mixed-use) due to a lack of strong financial data on how to make it work...
www.kiva.org - why should banks be the only ones doing the lending?
i found Kiva today randomly and thought it was fantastic and others might like to know about it.
i apologize if it's been mentioned somewhere. i did a search first, but who knows?
anywho, Kiva sets it up so individuals can become part of the micro-lending process. while i appreciate what charity does, giving people the opportunity to do it themselves is very different than just giving people something!
well, they say it best (from Kiva's website):
We let you loan to the working poor
Kiva lets you connect with and loan money to unique entrepreneurs in the developing world. By choosing a loan on Kiva, 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 entrepreneur 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 entrepreneurs. That said, they are usually short on funds. Through Kiva, our partners upload their entrepreneur 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 entrepreneur, and back!
*all money loaned goes to the individual - kiva doesn't keep any of it.
one last thing - lending starts at $25. we're not talking a big commitment here.
ive got $200 spread around several groups/individuals right now. whats interesting about this is that it seems to straddle the republican and democrat ideals.
the pay back rate is (as with many microloans) almost 100%
its not a perfect charity/idea, but its definitely worth getting behind
i prefer loan sharks
Yeah i heard about this awhile ago. A friend of mine has been loaning people small amounts for a few months now. Maybe once i am out of debt i will too.
I read about this recently in an airline magazine. (I think it was Southwest's February magazine.) I think it's a great organization. I intend to give some loving once I receive my stimulus package from the government.
A bit of a tangent, but I was looking into this this morning:
www.cleinberger.com/docs/By_CL/Need_For_Alternative_Places.pdf
A great article on how traditional lending is screwing up urban planning. The basic premise is that banks only understand standard formats for development (big box, large office, entry-level homes, etc.) and are very hesitant to build anything out of the box (i.e. walkable mixed-use) due to a lack of strong financial data on how to make it work...
Joel McKellar, LEED AP
http://reallifeleed.blogspot.com
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