Several Milepoint.com members got together and decided that as a group they wanted to get involved in microlending through Kiva.org. Kiva is a site that lets people lend directly to individuals in developing nations who are looking for funds to start businesses, to expand, to use funds for expenses that will allow them to continue to work productively, and effectively improve their lives.

Kiva lets members ‘join teams’ and work together on their loans, encouraging each other and even competing with other teams to do the most to improve the lives of the people who are benefiting from the site. The Milepoint team is already one of the world’s most active and fastest growing.

As a frequent flyer community it makes sense to get involved in the betterment of the local communities we visit in a transient way, and Milepoint decided to get behind the member effort by offering a $25 Kiva gift certificate to anyone joining the Milepoint lending team on Kiva and lending at least $25. The first 200 to join are eligible.

If you’re a member of Kiva and Mileopoint, great, you just need to join the team (as one of the first 200 to do so) and have lent at least $25 and you’ll get $25 for your account from Milepoint. If you’re not, joing Milepoint and Kiva and there’s $25 on the table from Milepoint for you to loan out.

Here’s the discussion thread for the Milepoint.com lending team on Kiva. And here’s the Milepoint announcement that the first 200 members to join the Kiva.com Milepoint lending team would have their first $25 in loans matched by Milepoint.