Wednesday, January 24th, 2007
I do some surveys online and have done some shopping services for comapnies that paid me through my PayPal account. I was debating what I should do with it when I discovered Kiva.org. Kiva lets you connect with and loan money to unique small businesses in the developing world. When you have selected a business, you can make a loan using your credit card (via PayPal). You can loan as little as $25 at a time. Checking out is easy and safe because of PayPal. Periodically, you will hear back from the business you sponsor. Partner representatives (often loan officers) write directly to the website to keep you informed on the progress of the business. If you choose, you can receive these via email.When your Kiva loan is repaid, you can choose to withdraw your funds or re-loan to a new business.

I took the plunge and loaned the balance of my PayPal account to a food market owner in Equador. Take a look at Kiva and let me know if you become a microfinancer.