Response to Pierre Ly and Geri Mason's "Individual Preferences Over Development Projects: Evidence from Microlending on Kiva
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So essentially this is a research paper on how lenders or donors choose what projects to support. Kiva.org, however large, is only a portion of the platforms out there. However, it is a good reference point due to the relative diverse options it gives and similarity to the general market availability of charity channels. (td;lr I'm not sure how large kiva.org is, but if it does offer the wide variety of options that this report suggests, then it is a good platform to study this subject.)
He describes it as a peer-to-peer microfinance system of charitable giving, which connects generous donors with developing world entrepreneurs. I find it interesting that it doesn't seem as a purely give-what-they-are-lacking; like many do with money directed towards healthcare, clothing, books, etc. Rather, it seems like more of an investment-like system, which confused me when I first started reading through it due to words like 'lending' and "repayment".
I also understand the psychology of donors wanting to know that their funds were used well and were effective towards alleviating poverty. And relating to the title of the article, recipient profiles are likely formatted and worded to highlight the facts that will net them the most funds. Examples: previous successes, lower goal, and allocation towards areas most popular with the wealthy philanthropists.
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