When Lending Is Better Than Giving

Kiva.org is our featured charity on magicvideo.com this month.  In a nutshell, Kiva is a microlending organization benefiting countless people around the world; people in impoverished areas who would never otherwise have access to funding for starting a company or buying livestock to keep their farms going.  Founded in 2005, Kiva has a 98% repayment rate!  Incredible.

I found out about this great organization a few months ago after seeing one of its co-founders, Jessica Jackley, give a TED talk.  She had an amazing story about starting an amazing company.  I encourage you to check out the talk and get all the details about her start.

Kiva.org is certainly a philanthropic site at its heart, in that it asks visitors to lend money to help people in need the world over.  But an important distinction about Kiva is that it’s not a charity looking to simply give a hand out.  The founders believe (as do I) that there is something inherently empowering in a loan, as opposed to a gift.  It tells the recipient that you see them as a business person.  They realize that you believe in them enough to trust that they will be successful and pay you back.

And the site itself is laid out so well that it provides such a great experience, allowing visitors to view the profiles and stories of people to whom they can lend, and then decide on where they want their money to go.

Check out this video on how Kiva works:

Then, go here to start lending.