My 650th Kiva loan

Goes to this group of 20 small entrepreneurs in Trou-du-Nord, Haiti.

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If you’re just tuning in, I’m writing a book about microfinance for Bloomsbury. Kiva is quickly becoming the microfinance equivalent of eBay. Great place to start if you’re interested.

Want to do something cool today? Go visit, open an account, and loan a few bucks halfway around the world. (Hundreds of loans now, I haven’t lost a dollar yet. That’s unusual, but their default rate is less than two percent.) It’s not charity; you get the money back, they get to build their business, and you get to keep loaning the money right back out, over and over if you like.

My plan is to make 1000 loans this year. I’m a little behind right now, but I’ll catch up. After that, I’ll just keep re-loaning the same money over and over. It’s a great addiction, if you’re looking for one. Highly recommended.