What will you do with your Mahalo Answers payout?
My question:
What are you going to do with the money?
Here's what I did:
I created a Mahalo Answers team on Kiva.
Kiva is a great way to help entrepreneurs that are located around the world. You can find out more about it here: http://www.kiva.org/about
As a Kiva team member, you choose and contribute on your own and a tally of everything the team has given accumulates.
I contributed $25 to a young guy who wants to expand his family resturant. I also used a couple of M$ to pay for some expiring domains as a little reward for what I consider to be some hard work on a couple of answers.
If you have a couple of extra M$ from a payout and would like to do something to help someone else, Kiva is a really easy and fun way for us to do it.
Here's the Mahalo Answers team I made:
http://www.kiva.org/community/viewTeam?team_id=5048
Hit "Join Now" and lets see how much we can contribute!!!!!
You can leave an optional "tip" with Mahalo's virtual currency, Mahalo Dollars. If you are asking a difficult question that might require some research, or if you'd like a wide variety of feedback, a higher tip often leads to more answers to your question.
M$15 Answers
I've gone ahead and and sent $50 for the Mahalo Answers Group.
The think I love about Kiva is that the loans get paid back and you can reuse the money to help somebody else, I've been a member for a couple years now and my older donations have already been paid back.
You can leave an optional "tip" with Mahalo's virtual currency, Mahalo Dollars. If you are asking a difficult question that might require some research, or if you'd like a wide variety of feedback, a higher tip often leads to more answers to your question.
M$
You can leave an optional "tip" with Mahalo's virtual currency, Mahalo Dollars. If you are asking a difficult question that might require some research, or if you'd like a wide variety of feedback, a higher tip often leads to more answers to your question.
M$
Rather than renewing domains for a reward with some of my next payout... I'm totally buying a case of beer. I want to tell all of my friends "your drinks are courtesy of Mahalo Answers tonight!" Perhaps later that same evening, we'll toast Jason for his wisdom... who konws what :)
I've sent you a tip to help with your beer purchase!
However, if you have more than the cost of a case of beer for your payout... consider the group I made on Kiva. I'm really hoping that it'll catch on.
I will also contribute to the beer fund... great use of your tips!
www.kiva.org
You can leave an optional "tip" with Mahalo's virtual currency, Mahalo Dollars. If you are asking a difficult question that might require some research, or if you'd like a wide variety of feedback, a higher tip often leads to more answers to your question.
M$
I also like the idea of the Kiva.org team. Thus far I have been putting most of my money back into tips because I have no real need for the extra cash that would come from the tips I have made so far. Going forward I will make a point to put money aside to help out with the Kiva team! Way to go Rob!!!
Tip for you Spoon!
Here's a M$ tip to get you on your way Richtcs!
I like the sound of Kiva, though I've never investigated it deeply. But I have been active in the world of microfinance, and I know a lot about that.
What will I do with all those lovely M$?
With some of them, I might buy a domain name or two. I have a few ideas for sites that would be interesting to work on. One is actually a site that would cover things like Kiva and other ways of making a difference. Others might make a fair bit of money eventually.
The best case scenario: My few M$ seed an online micro-business or two, which develop over the next three of four years into influential sites in their niches, and generate a healthy income stream. Which income I can use as the stake to play in even bigger ventures, which make a lot of money, and make a big impact on the world.
Today Mahalo Answers... tomorrow.. . the world! :)
You can leave an optional "tip" with Mahalo's virtual currency, Mahalo Dollars. If you are asking a difficult question that might require some research, or if you'd like a wide variety of feedback, a higher tip often leads to more answers to your question.
M$
I think you might be mixing up the two things I mentioned. When I talked about "seeding micro-businesses" I was referring to my own potential websites as micro-businesses.
If you mean alternatives to Kiva, microfinance is actually a pretty big sector, and many of the players accept online donations. None of them are exactly like Kiva, but some are much bigger and quite possibly accomplish a lot more with the same amount of money. I haven't looked into Kiva enough to know all the answers to questions I would have. Questions like: Does their model limit lending to people that speak English and have a modicum of IT literacy? (By definition such people are not amongst the most in need.) What checks are there to prevent scams? How do the overheads of that model compare with more traditional microfinance organisations?
I notice you gave $25 to someone in Ukraine. I don't think $25 goes too far in Ukraine, but it goes a heck of a long way in Bangladesh or Tanzania.
Not to devalue your efforts, which I applaud wholeheartedly!
If you are interested in this subject, lets talk about it again, we may be able to find ways to collaborate..
Are there other sites that can "seen online micro-businesses", Philipy?
I received the correct amount from Mahalo into my PayPal account.... I don't think there will be a problem. But you're right... better to wait to make a donation to a place like Kiva until the funds have cleared.
Philipy, check out this 3rd party review of Kiva: http://thesmarterwallet.com/2009/kiva-review-micro-lending-global-reach-peer-to-peer-lending/
@philipy : I was referring to my own potential websites as micro-businesses.
Sorry, I did miss that. Investing in yourself is definatly a good cause. Personally, I've found that I always (100% of the time) have got back what I put into a donation. Sometimes the value changes, but I always get back at least, usually more than what I give.
@philipy : I notice you gave $25 to someone in Ukraine. I don't think $25 goes too far in Ukraine
No, $25 doesn't go very far in the Ukraine. However, I contributed $25 of the $800 that the borrower needed. He wants to expand his family resturaunt with some new tables, a new fridge, etc.
My current Dell is seven years old, with a measly 512MB of RAM a graphics card that sucked even by that year's standards.
You can leave an optional "tip" with Mahalo's virtual currency, Mahalo Dollars. If you are asking a difficult question that might require some research, or if you'd like a wide variety of feedback, a higher tip often leads to more answers to your question.
M$
I plan to invest my first 20 M$ to send two Afghan girls to school:
http://globalgirlfriend.com/gifts/item.do?itemId=29377&siteId=344&sourceId=1096&sourceClass=Category&index=1
My next 25 M$ will be invested in Kiva and after that I will alternate between educational donations and Kiva.
Thanks for the inspiration!
You can leave an optional "tip" with Mahalo's virtual currency, Mahalo Dollars. If you are asking a difficult question that might require some research, or if you'd like a wide variety of feedback, a higher tip often leads to more answers to your question.
M$
You can leave an optional "tip" with Mahalo's virtual currency, Mahalo Dollars. If you are asking a difficult question that might require some research, or if you'd like a wide variety of feedback, a higher tip often leads to more answers to your question.
M$
You can leave an optional "tip" with Mahalo's virtual currency, Mahalo Dollars. If you are asking a difficult question that might require some research, or if you'd like a wide variety of feedback, a higher tip often leads to more answers to your question.
M$
Please, join our group, Morriss!
http://www.kiva.org/community/viewTeam?team_id=5048
It would be grat to have someone as expereicned as you on board.
You can leave an optional "tip" with Mahalo's virtual currency, Mahalo Dollars. If you are asking a difficult question that might require some research, or if you'd like a wide variety of feedback, a higher tip often leads to more answers to your question.
M$
You can leave an optional "tip" with Mahalo's virtual currency, Mahalo Dollars. If you are asking a difficult question that might require some research, or if you'd like a wide variety of feedback, a higher tip often leads to more answers to your question.
M$
I'm thinking of this one with my recent payout:
http://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/3076
I've heard of Kiva but haven't really looked at it before - which is funny, because every time I heard something, I intended to look it up. Well, I'll look it up now!
You can leave an optional "tip" with Mahalo's virtual currency, Mahalo Dollars. If you are asking a difficult question that might require some research, or if you'd like a wide variety of feedback, a higher tip often leads to more answers to your question.
M$
Here's what I donated to:
http://www.kiva.org/app.php?page=businesses&action=about&id=88397
You can leave an optional "tip" with Mahalo's virtual currency, Mahalo Dollars. If you are asking a difficult question that might require some research, or if you'd like a wide variety of feedback, a higher tip often leads to more answers to your question.
M$
I'll save it until I need something online, then I'll ponce!
You can leave an optional "tip" with Mahalo's virtual currency, Mahalo Dollars. If you are asking a difficult question that might require some research, or if you'd like a wide variety of feedback, a higher tip often leads to more answers to your question.
M$
Also damn, I'm a little short of this month's payout, oh well, I can wait another month.
You can leave an optional "tip" with Mahalo's virtual currency, Mahalo Dollars. If you are asking a difficult question that might require some research, or if you'd like a wide variety of feedback, a higher tip often leads to more answers to your question.
M$
However I do enjoy a good beer, and tips are a great beer buying tool, bring on the Peevah! (beer in Russian)
You can leave an optional "tip" with Mahalo's virtual currency, Mahalo Dollars. If you are asking a difficult question that might require some research, or if you'd like a wide variety of feedback, a higher tip often leads to more answers to your question.
M$
Wow, thats awesome. Thanks for joining the group, Jeff!!!!
Great to see what kind of people we have in the Mahalo community!
This really makes be feel good about being here.
If mahalo really pays... I am still new so I still question it. I will be using the tips to help pay off an 800$ medical bill for x-rays and doctor visits for when I hyperextended my ankle and tore tendons and legaments last year, and when I broke my shoulder upper arm, and cracked my neck without realising it also for the first time got validation that I was struck by lightning at least 6 times! .. So I am lucky to be living and able to function at all, but I have not been so lucky to be able to get transportation into town to get a paying job. So, I been working on internet sites to try to earn money, and get enough to either move to town or buy my Grandpas old house off my parents... ..
(long term goals)
1. first goal pay off the medical bill
(2,3,4, 5 are long term goals and may wait for very a long time...)
2. goal .. Get a prepaid cell phone
3. goal get a ups mailbox
4. .. new computer.. preferably a labtop.. that could use internet with the cell phone..
5. afford storage, and a cheap place to live.. if my Grandpas house goal is not made..
of course all of those are after I can find someone to pay to transport me into town to get a savings and a checking account.
I so hope mahalo, combined with mylot, and other sites I work will help me get that boost I need so I can move out of my parents house and live on my own.... I am 29 years old the only luck I have had in my life is surviving lightning strikes, and being spiritually recognized for some pretty strange things like I been recognized as a Shaman through 11 different traditions, and ordained as a minister through 4 churches.. but yet I can't find other ministers in the area who want to start an actual ministry with me.. So its like jeesh... The main thing keeping me from practicing is living with my parents in their foster parenting group home ran by the state. So I have to basically hide my spiritual practices.... so I been restricted to ministering online...
I hope mahalo tips will help me get going so I am not sitting hear grinding my wheels wearing down the rails as I push so hard to get flying down that track! :) ...
After I get myself on track and rolling.. I will definately use any other mahalo dollars to of course tip others on mahalo, and help my friends and family members out.....As well as doing what I dedicate my life to do anyhow. Make a positive difference in this world I live in.
I aspired to work myself into riches.. but what most call rich, Is actually normal american living... after earning 11 cents a day for the last 3 years.. If mahalo really pays I am about 1-2 dollars a day.. yes I know still in poverty level but it gives me some real hope! ...
So I hope to take my small earnings and find a way to invest them and make them grow.. and as it grows aspire to spread it around... make that difference I live to do, and after I find out mahalo really does pay. Mahalo will find itself with many new members who been struggling on the bottom end of society. I would love be one of those people who could testify how a site like Mahalo can change lives!.
Take care all,
- DNatureofDTrain