Kiva Microloan Makes Great Last-Minute Christmas Gift

With less than a week until Christmas, some shoppers are scrambling to find the perfect gift. Save a trip to the store and buy a Kiva microloan Groupon. This charitable gift voucher is a great way to teach children about philanthropy and makes a fun family activity. Kiva also made "Oprah's Favorite Things" list this year.

Kiva Groupon
Groupon.com is a reputable website that offers special discount vouchers for a variety of products and services. The website currently has $25 Kiva vouchers for only $15. Groupon and other sponsors are covering the difference, up to $500,000. The offer is limited to one per customer. Complete terms and conditions are available at Groupon.com, but it is important to note the voucher expires on May 31, 2011, after which it automatically converts to a donation for Kiva.

Loan $25 through Kiva
Register at the Kiva.org and look through profiles of low-income entrepreneurial people across the globe. Participants seek loans to finance their business endeavors, such as food service or farms.

Program agents help the recipient set up savings and repayment plans so they can succeed in the future. Loan recipients periodically post updates about their business and, over time, repay the microloan. The lender receives the loan amount back, in this case $15, via PayPal.

Charitable Christmas Gift
This voucher makes a unique Christmas gift that parents can also use as a teaching opportunity. Each loan request contains a brief biography and information about the country. Use this to reinforce geography lessons and help children understand different cultures.

Groupons are plain and generic-looking. After you get the unique voucher code, use it to make a cute certificate or letter to present as a gift. Roll it up and place it in a bottle for tropical flair or put in a festive envelope.