Q:What is the Small Things Challenge?

A:The Small Things Challenge aims to raise awareness and money for two of the world’s most pressing challenges: increasing access to quality education and fostering economic development in emerging countries, such as Afghanistan, Cambodia, Haiti and Sudan.

Throughout the developing world more than 75 million primary age children are not in school; and at least 80 percent of humanity lives on less than $10 a day, according to data from the United Nations. While these issues will continue to challenge our world for some time, we can improve peoples’ lives through pooling surprisingly small contributions.

The Small Things Challenge encourages people worldwide to get involved and be part of the solution. Intel Corporation is working with three respected organizations, Kiva.org, Save the Children, and Global Giving to raise funds and deliver hands-on support in the local regions where help is needed most.

Every small, individual action can make a big difference, especially if millions participate. A small donation to Save the Children and Global Giving, combined with other individuals’ contributions, will provide thousands of primary school children in conflict-affected and developing countries the opportunity to attend school or receive a higher quality education. Or, a modest micro-loan through Kiva.org will give an entrepreneur a hand-up to start a new business and provide for his or her family.

Q:Is there a minimum value for a contribution to Save the Children or Global Giving or a minimum value for a loan through Kiva.org?

A:There is no minimum value for a donation to Save the Children or Global Giving, but micro-loans through Kiva.org start at $25. Every small, individual action can make a big difference, especially if millions participate. For example, in Darfur, Sudan, a $10 donation can help Save the Children provide school supplies for a child or $50 can help provide a blackboard for a classroom. Or through Kiva.org, a $25 loan can be combined with others toward the $250 loan a fisherman in Cambodia needs for buying more nets so he can catch and sell more fish.

Q:Can you tell me more about Save the Children and its Rewrite the Future program?

A:Education is often one of the first major casualties of war. Save the Children’s Rewrite the Future program advocates for the 37 million children who cannot go to school because of conflict in their countries. The 5-year initiative, launched in 2006, is dedicated to ensuring that 8 million children in conflict-affected countries receive better-quality education by 2010. After only 2 years, Rewrite the Future has helped 5.7 million children gain access to school.

Although the number of out-of-school, primary-age children in the world has dramatically fallen from 100 million to 75 million in recent years, the situation in conflict-affected countries has seen little improvement. These countries, though home to half of all the out-of-school children, receive less than one-fifth of basic education aid.

Education is crucial to these countries in order to break the cycle of poverty and violence. It also helps with economic development, poverty alleviation and stability. In the short-term it can help protect children and support conflict resolution; in the long term it lays the foundation for healthier, more productive and better governed societies.

For more information on how Save the Children is helping millions of children access quality education visit www.savethechildren.org.

Q:Can you tell me more about the Technology for Education Fund and Global Giving?

A:Global Giving's Technology for Education Fund builds on Intel's belief that students everywhere deserve to have the skills necessary to become the next generation of innovators and our commitment to expanding access to quality education. Individuals can donate any amount to the fund, which will be used to support non-governmental organizations around the world working to improve the quality of education through the effective use of technology. Funds, including $50,000 from Intel, will be used to provide Intel-powered classmate PCs and other technology to children in these schools, along with the necessary training, support and maintenance.

Global Giving will manage the Technology for Education Fund. It is an online marketplace that connects individuals to the causes and countries they care about. You select the projects you want to support, make a tax-deductible contribution, and get regular progress updates - so you can see your impact.

Q:How will support for Kiva.org be used?

A:Support through Kiva.org will help a real person make great strides toward economic independence and improve life for themselves, their family and their community. To support Kiva.org, individuals can go to its Web site, browse the profiles of the entrepreneurs' seeking loans, choose someone to lend to and then make a loan. Throughout the course of the loan (usually 6-12 months), lenders can receive e-mail journal updates and track repayments. Then, when lenders get their loan money back, they can withdraw it or re-loan it to someone else in need. In November, Kiva.org disclosed that loans made to entrepreneurs through Kiva.org have achieved a repayment rate of 98 percent.

Q:If people want to do more than donate, how can they find out more?

A:Individuals can find out how to get involved directly with Save the Children, Kiva.org and Global Giving by visiting their Web sites: www.kiva.org, www.savechildren.org, or www.globalgiving.org.

Q:Is there a deadline or end date for the Small Things Challenge?

A:The Small Things Challenge is currently scheduled to run through Dec. 31, 2009.

Q:How can people get involved in the Small Things Challenge?

A:There are several ways to get involved.

 1. Individuals can donate money to Save the Children’s Rewrite the Future program,

which helps children in conflict-affected countries receive a quality education.

 2. Individuals can provide a micro-loan through Kiva.org to an entrepreneur in the

developing world.

 3. Individuals can donate to Global Giving's Technology for Education Fund program to

enhance education in developing countries through the effective use of technology.

 4. Individuals can become an advocate and make your friends and family aware of the

Small Things Challenge. Urge them to donate or lend money and signal their support

at www.smallthingschallenge.com for the need to increase access to education and

economic development in developing countries. For every person who clicks on the

“we’ll donate 25 cents for you” button on the Web site, Intel will donate 25 cents, up

to $300,000 this year, to be split equally between both organizations.

Q:What is Intel Corporation’s role?

A:Intel is providing financial support in the form of donating 25 cents for every person who clicks on the “we’ll donate 25 cents for you” button on the Web site. The company will provide up to $300,000 this year to be split equally between both organizations, in addition to the $100 million that Intel is investing in other education programs this year. Intel is also providing opportunities throughout the year to increase global awareness for the issues addressed by the Small Things Challenge.

The Small Things Challenge builds upon Intel’s 40 years of active involvement in education. Over the past decade, Intel has invested over $1 billion, and Intel employees have donated more than 2.5 million hours toward improving education in 50 countries.

Q:Can you tell me more about Kiva.org and microfinance?

Kiva.org is the world's first person-to-person micro-lending Web site, empowering individuals to lend directly to unique entrepreneurs in the developing world. So, support for Kiva.org is not a charitable donation, but a modest loan to a small business owner that will allow him or her to take advantage of economic opportunities.

As the financial services of microfinance usually involve small amounts of money - small loans, small savings, etc. - the term "microfinance" helps to differentiate these services from those which formal banks provide.

Q:Why are they small? Someone who doesn't have a lot of money isn't likely to want to take out a $5,000 loan, or be able to open a savings account with an opening balance of $1,000. Hence "micro."

A:Comprehensive impact studies have demonstrated that:

 1. Microfinance helps very poor households meet basic needs and protect against risks.

 2. The use of financial services by low-income households is associated with improvements in household economic welfare and enterprise stability or growth.

 3. By supporting women's economic participation, microfinance helps to empower women, thus promoting gender-equity and improving household well-being.

For almost all significant impacts, the magnitude of impact is positively related to the length of time that clients have been in the program.

Q:How will donations to Save the Children be used?

A:By supporting Rewrite the Future, individuals can help children living in the most challenging circumstances have hope for a future. By going to school, even children living in refugee camps in the midst of an ongoing war can find safety and stability to help them become productive adults. Educating children in conflict areas helps to maintain peace and protect children from violence, exploitation and abuse. Donations will be used to pay for such things as training teachers in Afghanistan and rebuilding schools in Darfur. These are just examples of some of the things Save the Children's Rewrite the Future Campaign provides to children in conflict.

Q:How will donations to the Technology for Education Fund be used?

A:Funds will be used to support non-governmental organizations working to improve the quality of education in developing countries. Donations will enable them to purchase and deploy technology, such as computers and educational software, and supporting services for schools.

Q:Are donations tax deductible?

A:Your contribution to Save the Children and Global Giving may be taken as a Federal tax deduction.

A micro-loan through Kiva.org is not tax deductible. Throughout the course of the loan (usually 6-12 months), lenders can receive email journal updates and track repayments. Then, when they get their loan money back, they can withdraw it or re-loan it to someone else in need. In November, Kiva.org disclosed that loans made to entrepreneurs through Kiva.org have achieved a repayment rate of 98 percent.

Q:How is this program aligned with the UN Millennium Development Goals?

A:The goals of the Small Things Challenge were designed to align with key aspects of the UN Millennium Goals. Leaders from 189 countries met at the United Nations 8 years ago to pledge their commitment to build a "safer, more prosperous, and equitable world." They outlined eight measurable goals called the United Nations Millennium Development Goals that included eradicating extreme poverty and hunger with programs that promote employment and raising the standard of living. They also aim to ensure that all boys and girls complete a full course of primary schooling.