If you’re looking for ways to give back to the world, check out Kiva.  You’ll find bios and pics of many deserving people, in developing countries, looking for small loans so they can start or grow their businesses.  The vast majority of the loans are paid back, too.  If you want to help lift someone out of poverty, here’s your chance. 

Kiva allows individuals to make loans as low as $25 to low-income entrepreneurs in the developing world (microfinance). By doing so, individuals like you provide affordable working capital for the poor (money to buy a sewing machine, livestock, etc.), empowering them to earn their way out of poverty. 

It’s a new, direct and sustainable way to fight global poverty, and the way I see it, I get a higher return on $25 helping someone build a future than the interest my checking account pays. 

Please check out the site: http://kiva.org.  If you need more “reputable” validation than my recommendation , know that they have received great press in publications ranging from The Wall Street Journal to NPR to BusinessWeek.