How many people regularly donate money to charity? I am currently planning a post written around how to integrate doing what you want to do and what you think you should do; so there will be more on this to come; but in the mean time here is some food for thought:
I have been thinking of the best way to give; that is the way to give which has the biggest impact on what I believe in. While I think that the big charities do great things, I can’t help but feel sometimes too much money is paid towards ‘strategy analysis’, offices, p.r. advertising etc; when people could be spending the resources doing ‘stuff’. The adverts are well designed and heart touching – but perhaps a bit generic. How do charities/causes engage us more? How can we create a direct connection with the people that benefit from our kindness? Well I may have found one answer – microloans.
Take a look at some of the examples of group statements regarding Microloans from Kiva:
Atheists, Agnostics, Skeptics and Free-thinkers –
We loan because: We care about the suffering of human beings.
Christians –
We loan because: Pure and undefiled religion before God the Father is this: to care for orphans and widows in their misfortune and to keep oneself unstained by the world. (Jam. 1:27)
Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, Transgender
We loan because: We are out and proud and know what it is like to face barriers. We are privileged to help our entrepreneurs achieve their own equality. We thank our friends who join us in our loans & in supporting GLBT rights.
Europe
We loan because: We think Kiva is a unique opportunity for people all over the world to assist entrepreneurs in improving their businesses and communities.
Microloans are just what you might expect – small loans. Taking Kiva – a microloans charitable website – as an example, you can browse a collection of ‘profiles’ in which people are making a bid for a loan for various start-ups. You can select a country or region and read a small synopsis from prospective borrowers. From clothing company start ups to food stalls, from farmers to bakers – you are given the opportunity to pledge an interest free loan/portion of a loan to a candidate. By investing in somebody’s ideas, you are making them self sufficient – enabling them. Take a minute to consider how much more effective and powerful this concept is than a monthly charitable subscription. Essentially you are donating the money – if you get the money back as pledged – great; you can reinvest in somebody else. But you are truly changing people’s lives. You can choose people who you relate to – who you believe in. You can give them a chance at achieving their dreams. Just think how amazing that is.
I am going to start using Kiva to pledge some money each month towards a different individual, starting with Thailand (I have been here a few times, love the people and have witnessed the poverty). What are you going to give?
check out their letter below
Hi there,
I wanted to let you know about Kiva (www.kiva.org), a non-profit that allows you to lend as little as $25 to a specific low-income entrepreneur across the globe.
You choose who to lend to – whether a baker in Afghanistan, a goat herder in Uganda, a farmer in Peru, a restaurateur in Cambodia, or a tailor in Iraq – and as they repay their loan, you get your money back. It’s a powerful and sustainable way to empower someone right now to lift themselves out of poverty.
Check it out!
A friend of mine introduced me to Kiva with a gift certificate over a year ago. I’ve made three loans so far, one each to people in Kenya, Pakistan, and Guatemala. I like being able to read the profiles and business plans and see pictures of the recipients.
I don’t consider this giving, though, since it is a loan. I suppose on my end it would be giving if I kept reinvesting the money (as I have so far) but I do have the option of removing it once paid back. I think there are different needs – some people need gifts that truly won’t be repaid and others benefit from the accountability and community connection of a loan. I like Kiva’s business model but I will continue to give elsewhere as well.
Emily @ evolvingPF recently posted..Wait a Second, Do I LIKE Dave Ramsey?
That is great to hear some feedback about Kiva! The reason I consider this giving is that I will reinvest time and time again, while I continue to sponsor more loans. I think you are right with the two different types of gift theory – I think helping people to become self-sufficient is one of the most effective means of charity.
Nice blog btw – added to my reading list 🙂