Helping the World's Poorest Entrepreneurs

If doing more good was one of your resolutions this year, here's your chance. Kiva is an organization that lets you make microloans to entrepreneurs in the world's poorest countries. You get to pick the business yourself and then loan the money via a credit card. Kiva handles getting the money to partners in the various countries who distribute the money to the business owners. Throughout the payback period, usually six to 12 months, you can receive email journal updates from the business you're helping. Loaning a little can earn great rewards--mostly in the form of a reality check. Because even though owning a small business is the world's hardest job, aren't we lucky to be doing it in the world's greatest country?