I get it.

We all face challenges and it’s an uphill fight to donate when you feel you are struggling yourself.

I have often wondered after a natural disaster if the money I donated went to those who actually needed the help or simply fattened the administrative side. Charity Navigator is amazing in that regard.

Six months ago I stumbled on an incredible book at a bookstore in Asheville, NC and discovered Kiva. They have a 4 star rating on Charity Navigator — the highest possible.

I would be remiss if I did not credit my discovery of Kiva to Bob Harris and his (for me) life altering book, The International Bank of Bob. It’s a fascinating, and at times heartbreaking, read.

Kiva is a microlending platform, not a charity in the normal sense of the word. Just shy of my 43rd birthday, I made my 100th microloan. This is my lending profile. Bob Harris has made over 10,000!

Lending as little as $25 can help a family or individual help themselves live a better life, often in places which lack the vast credit options we enjoy in the US. When I started lending, I set an ambitious goal of 365 loans in one year. My deadline is September 29th, 2018, so I still have 187 days to make 263 more loans.

I am confident I will.

For me, the true draw of Kiva is you choose who you lend to, and these are loans, not donations. When they are paid back, you can keep re-lending the same money over and over, as I already have in some cases, exponentially increasing your money’s value over time. It also has a team aspect for shared interests. You can join as many as you like; I am a member of 19 teams.

Please consider lending on Kiva.

A $25 microloan could easily buy you and a friend a nice lunch today or materially change someone’s life tomorrow.

Thanks! 🙂

— The Impostor