Kiva

I feel so fortunate to be able to do something I really enjoy and in this economy, to still have a job at all is amazing. (I don't imagine I'll be firing myself any time soon, but still...having work to do and getting paid for it is something to be thankful for.)

I realize that there are people who don't have the same advantages here that we have, and luckily there are ways to help entrepreneurs all over the world. If you haven't heard of Kiva, I really recommend checking them out. Kiva is a way to help out a specific entrepreneur in a developing country by lending a small sum of money. When the money is paid back (as it almost always is) you can cash it out, or give it to a new entrepreneur. So your $50 could help someone in Ghana, then in Peru, then Azerbaijan...and so on.

I love this idea for so many reasons: a little money does a lot of good, over and over again; it helps people who are already helping themselves by supporting existing businesses; and it's a way to connect business owners all over the world. A new kind of "global economy," if you will.