Thanksgiving is a time of gratitude. It’s also, traditionally, a time to reach out and share our good fortune with others. Riders can share their bounty with fellow riders across the globe thanks to microlending.

Those not hip to the concept, microlending, as the name implies, are very small loans disbursed to low income or poverty-stricken borrowers. These are modest loans, often under $1000, for individuals without the means to invest in a fledgling business, or other basic needs to improve their livelihood. As those who need these life-altering funds often lack any valuable property to act as collateral, traditional bank loans are impractical.

That’s where microlending comes in. The idea has been around for a while now, but its most modern incarnation has come in the past few decades with charitable groups, most notably Grameen Bank, acting as the financial middlemen. Since the Internet revolution and prevalence of social networking sites, a new generation of micro-lenders has popped up, like the non-profit San Francisco-based Kiva, who literally put lenders and borrowers face to face. Here’s how it works:

Across the globe those who need the loans, called “entrepreneurs” at Kiva, submit proposals to local lending groups. These small lending institutions, called “field partners” at Kiva, then work through Kiva to raise money for the various loans. The field partners disburse the money and work with the borrower on repayment (with Kiva claiming to oversee the partners to reduce fraud). Kiva then connects lenders, which are everyday citizens like you and me, who chip in on the borrowing amounts at $25 increments.

It’s non-profit, but it’s also not charity. Borrowers are expected to repay their debt, with interest, to the field partners. Kiva boasts a remarkable 98% repayment rate from its field partners. The lenders themselves don’t yield a profit, but they do get their money back, at least a 98% shot at getting that money back. Upon receiving their repayments, lenders can opt to cash out their investment via Pay Pal, send it to a friend as a Kiva gift certificate, or re-lend it to another entrepreneur.

The cool thing about all this for lenders is they actually choose who gets these humble $25 investments. That means riders can help out fellow riders, if they so choose. How about contributing that final $25 for the $450 loan a woman in the Philippines needs to buy motorcycle tires for her motorcycle taxi? Many folks are simply looking for a loan to purchase a motorcycle for transportation to and from work.

Signing up is easy. Payments are secure through PayPal. Donations can be made anonymously. And as far as investments go, hey, it seems like a safer bet than stocks nowadays!

Check out www.kiva.org for more information. It’s a small world and there’s a lot to be thankful for.

A Fistful Of Dollars: The Story of a Kiva.org Loan from Kieran Ball on Vimeo.