Kiva recently made TIME magazine’s list of “50 Best Websites of 2008″.  As described:

You don’t have to give away money to support a good cause. At Kiva you can make a small loan instead. A unique peer-to-peer lending site that focuses on microloans, Kiva lets lenders pledge funds — from $25 and up — to entrepreneurs in developing countries. As of May 2008, that included a cattle breeder in Azerbaijan and a snack-kiosk owner in Indonesia. Kiva works with microlenders in recipients’ native countries and typically pays you back within a year.

Kiva is the world’s largest publis database of micro-enterprise profiles and earned a well deserved spot on TIME’s list.