Micro-financing may be one of the hottest new trends in the industry of giving back and the Divas are all for it.  Kiva is a nonprofit organization based in San Francisco that utilizes a network of micro-finance institutions in order to alleviate poverty across the globe.  What exactly is micro-finance, you might ask?  In short, it allows low-income individuals living areas that lack traditional banking services to take out small loans in order to create entrepreneurial opportunities for themselves.  When you donate to Kiva, they take 100% of your money and give it to a micro-financing organization, who in turn administers the loans to people in need.

Diva Kaz has been supporting Kiva for almost two years.  Just recently, Kaz hit the mark of making 25 loans to Kiva, all of which have been repaid without a hitch.   Although you can choose to donate to anyone, Kaz focuses on supporting women entrepreneurs around the world, empowering them to become leaders both within their families as well as in the wider community.  In addition, although many lenders will make one $25 loan at a time, lenders are able to make several loans to many different projects or to lend at any level above $25 for any project that they may be particularly drawn to.

All in all, micro-finance is based on the idea that low-income individuals are capable of lifting themselves out of poverty if given access to the proper financial services.  The Divas believe in this concept with the desire that all people have the opportunity to flourish.  If you want to support Kiva, you can make your own donations after the jump —>