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This project will focus on helping to grow local economies. We have chosen to work with KIVA. KIVA is an organization that administers microloans around the world. Their website provides a database of individuals and businesses that are requesting loans for various reasons. We are proposing investing a total of $1,000 into one or more businesses. We consider this an investment versus an expense because the initial $1,000 has the potential to help multiple individuals over time. This is a loan, not a gift or grant. KIVA representatives work with the business to set up a payment schedule for repaying the loan. The loan payments are deposited back into our KIVA account and are available to reinvest into another business. While there is always some risk that the loan will not get paid back, there is a much better chance that this original $1,000 will be reinvested multiple times. We will keep our members engaged with this project in several ways. First, by working as a club to select businesses that are meaningful to our members. Then we will periodically review and report on the status of the loans. As the loans are repaid, the club will be looking for new opportunities to reinvest the money from our KIVA account. The initial investment of the $1,000 will be made prior to December, 2018. To reach our goal of $1,000, we are requesting a matching grant of $500.
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