Microfinancing/microcredit is becoming an increasingly popular form of aid to people in developing countries. Kiva's lending model introduces an innovative kind of transparency to the world of micro-financial aid: their online selection process allows lenders to choose exactly which projects their funds will support, while journal entries and regular email updates provide lenders with an opportunity to follow the work of the business they've chosen to sponsor.

The opportunity for uncommonly personal interaction is what makes Kiva a successful fundraising project, and it's also what makes it so much more. Peer-to-peer lending allows participants on both sides of the exchange a rare opportunity to learn about one another and to build dignified, meaningful relationships. While Kiva's tools work to share much-needed finances with developing nations, they also help to build community between people of vastly different worlds.