Tips for Sharing What You Have
01 October 2023
Written by Public Spirit
Sharing what you have is about exactly that— supporting your community in ways that you feel called and connected to. Whether that’s investing in their small business dreams or having a career chat, sharing is, well, caring. Here are some easy ways to do it.
Investing in low-income entrepreneurs not only unlocks their untapped potential, creates jobs, and reduces poverty but also fosters diversity, innovation, and economic stability.
Kiva is a non-profit organization that empowers individuals, particularly those in underserved communities, to access capital and improve their lives through micro-loans. They connect people who want to lend small amounts of money with entrepreneurs and small business owners in need of financial support (you can get started with a $25 loan!)
If you have the means to offer loans through Kiva, it’s a great way to invest back into your community and empower small business owners trying to make a living by sharing their passions. To get started with Kiva, here’s a quick how-to:
Create an Account: Visit the Kiva website to set up your free account and lending profile.
Browse Borrowers: Once you’re signed up, you can explore their list of entrepreneurs based on location, sector, loan type, and more to see what might be a fit.
Read Borrower Profiles: Each Kiva borrower’s profile shares more about their business, how they’ll use their loan, and their background. Get to know their stories so you can find a borrower (or borrowers!) that you want to support.
Choose a Borrower: Once you’ve found a borrower that resonates with you, you can start your lending journey with them. Kiva’s lending options can be as low as $25, making it easy to get involved and support a business in your area.
If you’re wondering how the Kiva loans work, they are meant to be repaid over time and have a strong repayment record. Like with any business venture, there’s always the risk that some loans do not get repaid, but it’s important to remember that, in any case, the goal of Kiva is to bolster businesses in your community. Thanks to your support, entrepreneurs are able to do just that.
#2 HELP DEMOCRATIZE ACCESS TO CAREER INFORMATION FOR UNDER-REPRESENTED YOUTH BY “VIRTUALLY VOLUNTEERING” TO ANSWER THEIR QUESTIONS:
Many underserved communities lack access to the necessary information and resources to make informed career choices.
To help make this information more accessible, especially to the next generations, CareerVillage is an online platform that connects professionals with students to offer them career advice and guidance. Whether its to pick your brain about an industry, understand what a role is actually like, or chat about potential career paths, this platform is opening doors for the youth.
The good news is, you can do this type of 'micro-volunteering' virtually in your spare time. Here's how:
Create a Volunteer Profile: Visit the CareerVillage website to sign up and set your preferences to let people know what kinds of questions you’d like to answer.
Ask and Answer: You’ll be notified by email when a question comes through for you to answer based on your skills and experiences.
Get Active in the Questions: You can even answer posted questions so other students can read your advice, too.
CareerVillage is an easy way to connect when you have a moment— or you can set aside a few minutes each day to answer questions. We know the students will thank you!