No matter what your business is, or what you are making….it is always a great idea to give back!  You can set your own amounts, you can make up your own rules…but try to make sure you are making some kind of donation every single month!

Trust me…it will make you feel good about yourself!

Here are a few of my favourite charities and donation spots:

  • Kiva – I absolutely love Kiva as they supply microloans to struggling entrepreneurs in developing countries.  As you already know I am completely dedicated to helping people become successful entrepreneurs and Kiva provides a way for me to help those that don’t have the tools and resources we have!  As you are providing loans it’s not strictly speaking a donation, but I always add a donation for Kiva themselves and when my loans get paid back I pass the money on to someone else as part of a new loan.  It’s really fun to pick who your loans are going to!  Here’s a recent update that Kiva emailed to me:

“This is an update on your loan to Mama in Ghana.

Mama used the loan she received in two different ways. First she bought more flour, margarine, sugar, eggs and yeast to bake more bread. Once a week she travels to Cape Coast to purchase these goods. Very early in the morning she gets up to start baking. During the morning time she sells her bread at a schoolyard. Mama also purchased needed sewing material. Especially during school holidays and on the weekend she concentrates on this line of business. For the future she hopes to be able to provide a good education for her children. She is also planning on building a house for the family one day. “

  • Heifer International: Again I love Heifer because it provides a more permanent solution than just providing food.  Heifer give livestock and animals to families around the world.  They teach people how to look after their animals, milk them, etc and earn money off of selling milk, eggs, or any other products from the animals.  This is about providing a family with food and income, not just a free meal!
  • Wateraid: WaterAid enables the world’s poorest people to gain access to safe water and sanitation. Together with improved hygiene, these basic human rights underpin health, education and livelihoods, forming the first essential step in overcoming poverty.f