Kiva.org

Kiva is a nonprofit organization specialized in microfinance.

"Kiva enables a world where people separated by long distances can connect through lending for the purpose of alleviating poverty, while also promoting strong, persistent interpersonal connections that improve cross-cultural understanding. Kiva’s unique model provides debt to mid- and small-sized Microfinance Institutions, offering the chance to extend coverage to new populations outside the reach of larger institutions. In its first three years, over 148,000 internet lenders made $22 million in loans to 33,000 entrepreneurs in 40 developing countries. Kiva aims to scale to one million internet lenders and over $100 million in loans by 2010. Kiva is headquartered in San Francisco, CA."(PALO ALTO, Calif.—March 11, 2008).

Kiva connects lenders to borrowers allowing the first to lend as little as $25 to the second. Once the money is repaid, lenders can re-lend their money, donate it to Kiva, or withdraw their funds. Check what various news channels have said about Kiva by clicking here.