A Fistful of Dollars

Kiva.org lets individuals anywhere in the world make micro-loans to people who need them to start or expand a business, buy seeds for farming, or for many other reasons. It's a cool organization. By linking you up with lending partners in the country where the loan is dispersed, Kiva allows you to browse loan requests, track repayment progress, and so on. I lent $25 to Sonia in Peru, which was part of a $1,000 loan that let her buy fertilizer, rent bulls to plow her fields, and invest in a pharmacy that a relative runs in Lima.

So try making a loan. They're short-term, and when they're repaid, you can get your money back or choose to reinvest.

Here's an entertaining video explaining the process that was made by a Kiva volunteer with a fondness for British arena rock and Google Earth.

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