Give Back Archives - Its All Here

Kiva – Microfinance Loan Results through January 2014

January 8, 2014Add comment

Kiva is a great organization that we’ve been proud to support for almost 7 years. Kiva is a non-profit organization who’s mission is to connect people through lending to alleviate poverty around the globe. By connecting lenders with a worldwide network of microfinance institutions, Kiva lets individuals lend as little as $25 to help create opportunity around the world.

Over 7 years, we’ve lent over $6400 to various people to help support them in their small business. Microfinance has helped make positive changes in third world countries. It’s a hand up, not a hand out. We hope you’ll join us in supporting others around the world through Kiva. In fact, Kiva will give you $25 to get started. Click on this link http://www.kiva.org/invitedby/itsallhere to get started and we’ll get $25 as well to lend to someone in need.

Here’s a look at our loan portfolio since we started giving in 2007:

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SPANA – Society for Protection of Animals Abroad

July 3, 2012Add comment

We ran across this wonderful organization recently and wanted to let our readers know about it. SPANA, (Society for Protection of Animals Abroad) is about helping all kinds of working animals across Africa and the Middle East. SPANA clinics treat hundreds of thousands of donkeys, horses, mules, camels and livestock every year. SPANA was founded in 1923 by Kate and Nina Hosali after witnessing the suffering of animals during their travels through North Africa.

On our trips around the world, we notice animals of all types that can use a helping hand. Having just returned from Morocco where animals are used for many routine work tasks, we noticed many that were not receiving the best treatment or care. SPANA has education programs that teach children and owners respect and compassion for animals. They’re also there to help animals during times of conflict, drought and natural disaster.

We encourage you to check out the SPANA website and see how easy it is for you to help out this wonderful organization. We were impressed and we know you will be, too.

Kiva

April 7, 2008Add comment

The US has many organizations and programs to help people less fortunate improve their livelihood. Sure there could always be more, but at least there’s something. Many people in the third world and developing countries don’t have the same advantages.

Kiva is a great organization that helps elevate working people above the poverty level all over the world. They make it easy for anyone to help provide a “hand up”, not a “hand out” to budding entrepreneurs in developing countries.

How does Kiva work? Kiva partners with microfinance institutions (think of them as mini-banks) in the same country as the entrepreneur. You “loan” the money to Kiva, who forwards it on to the “mini-bank”, who then loans it to the person who wants to start or expand their business.

While there is no guarantee that the loan will be repaid, Kiva has a very high success rate. You choose who you want to loan money to and can review success rates of the mini-bank before you lend. Plus, you can loan as little as $25.

We’ve been loaning money through Kiva for over a year and have had a great experience. We’ve helped over 8 different people start or expand their business in countries from Azerbaijan, Kenya, Ghana, Vietnam and more. Check out Kiva.

f you want to read more about microfinance, we highly recommend Nobel prize winner, Muhammed Yunus’ book, Banker To The Poor: Micro-Lending and the Battle Against World Poverty. It tells the story of how he started a bank with a $27 loan and today, loans billions of dollars to help the working poor.