GlobalGiving

globalgiving.org

GlobalGiving is an online marketplace that allows donors to find and fund grassroots projects that appeal to their specific interests. Most of the projects found on GlobalGiving are located in developing countries. Projects are sorted by topic or location; they can range from Disaster Recovery and Clean Water to the AIDS Epidemic. Projects are referred to GlobalGiving through their network of Project Sponsors - the network ensures the reputability of the projects and can provide references for projects' work. The way it works is quite simple: Project Leaders post their causes and details about what they need on GlobalGiving.com; users can browse through the individual needs of each project to see what is being done. They are then free to donate to any number of projects. GlobalGiving claims to have 85 to 90% of donations on-the-ground within 60 days, aiming for an immediate impact. As expected, the donations made are tax-deductible. Perhaps one of the most important points of GlobalGiving is that the money donated goes to a well-defined project versus general operating expenses. Microfinance start-up Kiva.org is very similar in mission along with the Causes Facebook application.