Kiva.org

Busman747 · 01-01-2008, 01:28

I came across a website the other day and at first, dismissed it as a scam to rake in the dollars from gullable Americans. After all, if you were asked to lend from $25 to $400 or even more to an individual in Iraq or Nigeria for them to start a business in their country, would you expect any return? Apparently, they DO pay it back and you can have your money returned..........or help out someone else.

The website is Kiva.org - What We Do

Check it out for yourself, Would you risk a smallish sum of money to help out people in other countries? Do you think this is a worthy charity? or is it a scam that is endorsed by Bill Clinton Check out the "youtube"

What are YOUR thoughts??

Speedy · 01-01-2008, 01:42

Might be genuine but i still wouldnt do it.

Busman747 · 01-01-2008, 01:56

Quote:

Originally Posted by Speedy

Might be genuine but i still wouldnt do it.

Any reason speedy? Is it because it is a "foreign" charity? or do you feel that it is too risky gambling a tenner or so? I would like to participate myself but perhaps like you, still have a small nagging doubt that the money would go to the wrong people.........HOWEVER, I cannot imagine Bill Clinton endorsing it without him or his administration checking that it is a bona-fide charity

Bonnyboy · 01-01-2008, 02:04

It probably is a genuine programme. Worthy cause too. I personally wouldn’t subscribe to it though.

The USA ( Bill ) have their problems as we do in the UK. We in the UK have people living on the streets in cardboard boxes, old folk living in near to death hypothermic conditions in their own homes, an NHS that cant seem to grasp basic cleanliness, a young generation hell bent on destroying each other and anyone who attempts to intervene, a Police force at loggerheads with the Government. The list is endless.

Charity begins at home, always has done….and I aint all that charitable anyway

Busman747 · 01-01-2008, 02:37

I understand what you are saying Bonnyboy but it seems that most if not all of the "big" charities in the UK are more concerned with paying out mega-bucks to their chairman and senior staff ......with the remainder going to help the charities cause (if there IS any "remainder!")

A classic example of this is "Scope" who only last year, closed down its homes, and now, operate by paying people to "lobby" parliament. If anyone has recently donated to this charity, you have merely helped to raise the finances to pay for a middle class salary.

blazey · 01-01-2008, 02:40

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bonnyboy

It probably is a genuine programme. Worthy cause too. I personally wouldn’t subscribe to it though.

The USA ( Bill ) have their problems as we do in the UK. We in the UK have people living on the streets in cardboard boxes, old folk living in near to death hypothermic conditions in their own homes, an NHS that cant seem to grasp basic cleanliness, a young generation hell bent on destroying each other and anyone who attempts to intervene, a Police force at loggerheads with the Government. The list is endless.

Charity begins at home, always has done….and I aint all that charitable anyway

Same reason why I wont donate money to foreign charities. There's enough problems here that could do with a tenner from all of us without dishing it out to someone else in another country.

derekgas · 01-01-2008, 10:50

Nice idea busman, charities always use funds for 'administration' purposes, and that means people make a lot of money out of it unless it is registered as a non profit making charity, and even charites like rspb (royal society for the protection of birds) sell your details to other organisations, we donate to cancer research, and one or two other things, but once a donation is made, your spam mail and junk mail goes through the roof.
We get around 3 phone calls a day at work from charities, and always, 'poor children', poor animals', 'poor schools' etc, I guess it kind of hardens us against them, I can see how Kiva could work, but seriously doubt it will, it is very difficult to find genuinely charitable people, particularly in business, and I suspect anybody involved at a higher level will be business minded, and for that reason, will want something out of it, Bill Clinton is easy, celebrities never take to not being in the media regularly.

cashman · 01-01-2008, 11:03

think its a scam of some sort, a bit cleverer than the usual e-mail drivel i recieve,wouldn,t give it the time of day. anyone who would consider it, suggest they do there own D.D. n if they come up with its genuine, i'm a dutchman.

WillowTheWhisp · 01-01-2008, 11:07

I do believe that Kiva is registered as a non-profit making organisation and there are plenty of people who have 'donated' more than once and had their loan repaid and then 'donated' again. Now that's the bit which appeals to me.

It is not a typical charity pouring more and more money down an ever deepening black hole with little or nothing to show for it. It's a system of loaning money to individuals in developing countries who are given a leg-up by the loan and get on their feet, support themselves (and often others too) and repay the loan. A bit like "Dragon's Den".

I do hate being hounded by charities to give more and more and then see them tarting up their shops or swanky offices and receiving glossy brochures showing what they are doing. I see that as a pure waste of funds which is supposed to be helping people. As for Scope - the way they treated the people they supposedly care for stopped me donating anything at all to them and has made me seriously question my donations to anything else.

This however, sounds like an excellent scheme and if you look into past records it has been working well, with people getting a good return of their loans and consequently able to use the money again and again to help others.

I like it.

derekgas · 01-01-2008, 11:20

Quote:

Originally Posted by WillowTheWhisp

I do believe that Kiva is registered as a non-profit making organisation and there are plenty of people who have 'donated' more than once and had their loan repaid and then 'donated' again. Now that's the bit which appeals to me.

It is not a typical charity pouring more and more money down an ever deepening black hole with little or nothing to show for it. It's a system of loaning money to individuals in developing countries who are given a leg-up by the loan and get on their feet, support themselves (and often others too) and repay the loan. A bit like "Dragon's Den".

I do hate being hounded by charities to give more and more and then see them tarting up their shops or swanky offices and receiving glossy brochures showing what they are doing. I see that as a pure waste of funds which is supposed to be helping people. As for Scope - the way they treated the people they supposedly care for stopped me donating anything at all to them and has made me seriously question my donations to anything else.

This however, sounds like an excellent scheme and if you look into past records it has been working well, with people getting a good return of their loans and consequently able to use the money again and again to help others.

I like it.

You obviously looked at it properly willow, and I think that is what busman asked, I dismissed it without looking at it properly, probably because we already donate to several, and have no intention of donating to any more, though this does clearly seem that you get your money back.

kathleen_firth · 01-01-2008, 14:03

i wouldnt be risking anything

blazey · 01-01-2008, 18:55

Charity doesn't necessarily have to be via organisations either. I think that often goes overlooked. I think my favourite 'charity' has to be the 'shoe-box' one at xmas where you make up boxes of little presents for children in africa. Doesn't cost you anything really but you know it makes a big difference to a child somewhere to have that gift.

AccyLass · 01-01-2008, 19:04

Quote:

Originally Posted by blazey

Charity doesn't necessarily have to be via organisations either. I think that often goes overlooked. I think my favourite 'charity' has to be the 'shoe-box' one at xmas where you make up boxes of little presents for children in africa. Doesn't cost you anything really but you know it makes a big difference to a child somewhere to have that gift.

Like you, I quite like the "shoebox" charity. The one that we do tho is given to children in need in this immediate area, childrens homes, shelters, people with just no money but in and around Accrington

I would not give to another country unfortunately while our country's children/adults are still wanting

Busman747 · 01-01-2008, 19:23

I have agreed with Willow to try out Kiva by making a minimal payment ($25 is only a take-away meal for 2 or 3)

Assuming they take offers from the UK, we will let you all know whether we have been "had" or that we have made a tiny difference to someones life somewhere....

Busman747 · 01-01-2008, 23:58

Check out this WEBSITE if you have any doubts