Giving and Economic Development One Person at a Time

I wanted to share with you something I saw on Oprah this last week. Oprah did a show on giving. Her featured guest was former president Bill Clinton who was talking about his new book titled Giving. In it he features individuals who have created extraordinary ways to give. An example features a young couple who have created an organization called Kiva. This organization links lenders with individuals in developing countries looking to start a small business. Many of those requesting loans are women who are solely responsible for their families. Here is how this very simple idea works. A lender logs on and looks through a list of requests. These requests features a description of the business idea and a picture of the entrepreneur. A lender can lend as little as $25. When the money is repaid an account is created for the lender who then can help another. 97% of all loans have been repaid. There really is no downside to this idea. I logged on and found only two requests. Alongside the requests was a note from the founders stating that since their appearance on Oprah and the release of President Clinton's book they have been deluged with lenders. They will post more soon but in the meantime there are two individuals looking for support. I think this is a beautiful way to learn about people and countries and entrepreneurship in a very personal and real way. The website is http://www.kiva.org/