GlobalGiving: Connecting Personal Donors to Local Projects (1/2)

A little money can go a long way, especially in the developing world. This is one of the main beliefs of the non-profit group GlobalGiving. 2 former top officials at the World Bank launched GlobalGiving 7 years ago. Mark Kuraishi and Dennis Whittle wanted to connect personal donors to projects in mostly poor countries using the Internet.

So far, the group has raised over 5 million dollars, mostly through its Web site, globalgiving.com. The money has paid for or helped finance about 700 projects around the world.

Joan Ochi is a spokeswoman for the Washington D.C.-based organization. She says donors can search the GlobalGiving Web site to find projects that interest them. Right now, for example, donors can give to a program called “Reach the Unreached…Delivering Care in Africa.” This project provides nurses in Zimbabwe with motorcycles and safety equipment. Miz Ochi says the nurses can now provide better care and health services to more people, especially in rural areas.