Joshua Saunders

A lot of you are young professionals, still in college, maybe even some high school readers.  And even if you’re not so young anymore, but trying to make a change in your life, heed this advice.

I have mentored younger people (I’m not so old myself) for a couple years.  On occassion I will get the question.  The one that is so completely broad and generic that most peopel would struggle to offer one piece of advice.  “What can I do to become more successful?”

Here is the one piece of advice I will always offer.  Get Involved!  Philanthropy doesn’t have to mean doing dirty work, although you may have to hit the streets and get your hands dirty.  There are thousands of organizations looking for help.  The key is to find something you are interested in and join organizations related to it.  If you don’t know what you want to do, pick a couple different areas and test the waters.  Volunteer at a homeless shelter, help out at a local art museum, assist the local animal shelter, help with underpriveleged kids, … the list goes on and on.

The value of philanthropy and donating your time to worthy causes is beyond just feeling good.  It will open your eyes to the problems your community is faced with, make you a more well-rounded individual, and hopefully expand your interests.  And it’s great for your personal and business life.  You will be able to meet new people, take on leadership roles, and have the opportunity to play an active part in making your community a better place.

For my first column I wanted to write about a great organization that allows you to invest in entrepreneurs that could use a helping hand. The organization is called KIVA ( http://www.kiva.org ). Visitors to the website browse the listing of hundreds of entrepreneurs in third world countries who are looking for funds to start their own business or expand their current business. The loans are administered by microfinance institutions that work hand in hand with the borrowers and collect payments. Loans are typically paid back within 6-12 months and although there is no guarantee the loan won’t default, past performance on the website shows a great success rate.

 What return will you make? Well… none financially, although it is very rewarding emotionally and spiritually. Once your borrower has paid back the loan, you can take your money out or you can reinvest in a new entrepreneur. While your loan is out, the borrowers write journal entries thanking you for your support and providing updates on their business. In addition to investing yourself, Kiva offers gift certificates. Giving the gift of allowing someone to give to others is priceless (although not tax deductible).

The Kiva team consists mostly of young professional from Silicon Valley from such companies as PayPal, Google, TiVo, MySpace and more. For more information from Kiva Founder Matt Flannery, visit his blog .