Several years ago I had an epiphany. I suddenly realized that whenever I donate money to a worthwhile cause, or to a person in need, something inexplicably good always happens to me in return. Call it karma, divine intervention, or even a universal tendency towards balance, but it always happens without fail, and intuitively it seems like more than just coincidence. Giving is good, feels good, and begets good.

Inspired by the spirit of our new President, and in response to the current economic crisis, our national consciousness has shifted away from accumulation and consumption towards giving and service. It’s a nice change. Today I decided to dedicate this post to a new trend in the world of online giving: peer-to-peer.

My interest in peer-to-peer online giving began with the discovery of DonorsChoose.org. While there’s certainly nothing wrong with writing out a check to a reputable charitable organization, I really like the idea of being able to see exactly where my money is going and who it is helping. With DonorsChoose.org, I can choose to fund all or part of a specific experience that a particular teacher hopes to bring to her students. I find that personal connection very gratifying.

And then I learned about Kiva. The logic behind Kiva is brilliant: Charitable minded visitors to the site can lend money directly to aspiring entrepreneurs around the world thus empowering them to lift themselves out of poverty. For example, a woman in Sudan is currently looking to borrow $350 to open up her own restaurant. Lenders can help by funding all or part of her request. And technically the money isn’t even a donation but a loan that has a 97.8% chance of being repaid.

I thought these two websites were in a category by themselves, but I have since discovered that websites facilitating person to person online giving are becoming increasingly popular.

The New York Times just profiled one called UniThrive.org which connects alumni to college students who need extra financial help to get themselves through college. Like DonorsChoose and Kiva, givers can pledge as much or as little money as they want to fulfill a particular student’s request (up to $2000) in the form of an interest-free loan payable within five years after graduation. Students requesting loans post detailed information about themselves on the site (hometown, major, classes taken) so alumni can presumably choose to help those with whom they identify. Loans can be used for things like international travel experiences or even to help a student who wants to take the MCATs pay for preparation materials and registration fees.

Will this peer-to-peer giving trend continue? Probably. Hopefully. After all, neighbors helping neighbors is just the American way.

(Photo: jeffmcneill’s flickr photostream/Creative Commons)