Hey all,
You’ve definitely noticed me flogging the latest push to get people signed up to the “Atheists, Agnostics, Skeptics, Freethinkers, Secular Humanists and the Non-Religious” Kiva lending group. This group is the all-time #1 lender on Kiva, and is just shy of 25,000 members. I received an e-mail from Kiva.org saying that if we get to that 25,000 milestone by Sunday, March 31st, we will be given $10,000 in loan matching. $10,000 is a lot of money, especially given that many of these microloans are only for a few hundred dollars.
The response from you has been overwhelming. Since Friday, more than 90 of you have signed up through the link I provided, meaning that the Crommunist Manifesto Kiva account has been given $2350 in gift loans, matched by large-money donors. We’ve been able to fund 23 projects at the $100 level. Additionally, everyone who joins Kiva for the first time gets a $25 gift loan of their own, meaning that our actual contribution has been something like $5000.
We’re not done yet, though. As of writing, we are still 170 members short of that 25,000 milestone. I’m going to need your help to push us over the edge here. Here’s how you can pitch in:
- If you haven’t already, follow this link and sign up. It is free to join, and your first $25 loan is free, so even if you’re tapped out at the moment you will be able to participate.
- If you have Facebook, share this post on your wall, and ask your friends to share it.
- If you’re on Twitter, throw out a link to this post and ask people to re-tweet.
- If you have a blog, put up a post about the campaign (hell, you can even copy this one verbatim).
- If you’re not on social media, consider sending an e-mail to a couple of friends and ask them to join up.
It only takes a couple of seconds, it’s free, and you can make a big difference to the lives of the borrowers. Also, it will be a profound statement in support of the fact that you don’t need to believe in a god to do good things.
Please join in the campaign. It would be a real shame if we fell short of something this helpful and easily achievable.
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Crommunist 
Well I was hoping I’d manage to remember to come back to this one after payday. With the extra details, I don’t need to wait – you’ve got another one!
Joined and Facebooked
Can we get this Pharyngulated? Can we get a regular to bring this up over there?
Done. I can’t say I’ll be able to donate much, but I figured this was when it would do the most good. Good luck.
Oh, and hi. I’ve been lurking around here for a while.
H’lo!
I have a confused – it seems to say that I have to choose a borrower before I can create an account?
So, like I said on the other thread: I just made one of those $25 free loans, and I’ll possibly make more when/if I happen to have money with which I can do so. I also joined up with the group.
I do wish I could use a pseudonym when giving out loans, though. I don’t like putting my real name on things, but I don’t want to be wholly unrecognizable, either. Oh well, anonymity it is, I suppose.
From ‘My Portfolio’, go to ‘Lender Page’. You can put anything you like in the ‘Display Name’ section.
(Also joined – got 3 friends from Facebook to join – only 90 more to go!)
Oh, cool, thanks, Stephen T.
Joined, used the $25 credit and some of my own $. Thanks for keeping up the agitation long enough to convince me to do it!!
Done the “free” $25 loan and a second one. Been meaning to get involved in this, thanks for the nudge.
I done did it! 🙂
Only 57 more sign-ups to $10,000!
Signed up. Like randomfactor, been meaning to join for a long time, and thanks for the campaign.
Looks like only 32 to go? It says it updates daily, so I don’t know if that is an accurate number.
I’m pretty sure that’s a running tally, since it changes several times a day.
It is. It now says only 30 members to go.
I’ve just signed up and made my first loan. The free $25 is a great incentive, because even people who would be concerned about being repaid have nothing to lose.
5 to go, then! WooHoo!
We made it! Kiva now says Atheists,etc. team has 25,000 members.
Signed up yesterday, whoever thought of that $25 starting freebie is a genius.
Says 25,006! Woo-hoo!
Whoo! We made 25,000 members (25,014 as of this moment)! So exciting! Wheeee!
*dances*
A bit late, but done.