Kiva.org is different from a donation type of site, it’s all about micro loans. A donation type of site is you selecting an amount you want to give to a cause in which you believe. You give them your paypal info or your credit card number and you’re done. Kiva is a loan site. So you’ll get your money back.
I started out making 1 loan at $25.00. After a few months, that loan had been repaid. I re-loaned that money and then added another $25 loan. After these 2 loans started getting repaid and I had $25 in my account, I made another loan. After all loans had been paid, I re-loaned and added another $25 loan.
This past Christmas, I made 6 loans that cost me $106 because I had $44 in my account. Altogether at this point, I’ve made 14 loans. I plan to continue to loan money. I’ve only contributed about $200, but have been able to help so many people around the world.
It’s really quite simple to get started with Kiva. I encourage others to do the same. I’m not rich by any means, but I have $25 I can spare. If it doesn’t get paid back, it’s not going to break the bank.
I hope this encourages you to start making micro loans.