Microfinance is-or at least should be-all the rage.  In a time of shrinking wallets and pinched bank accounts, it still helps to give back, and when small sums of money go a long way, why not?  Microfinance generally involves person-to-person loans of very small amounts, giving poor people the opportunity to start businesses they otherwise would not be able to.  For amounts as little as $20, the biggest difference can be made in the lives of people around the world.  MicroPlace make investing in microfinance funds easy and user-friendly.  You’ll not only get a primer regarding this type of investment (including risks, benefits and more), but you’ll be able to search for investments by several factors: geography, level of poverty, your desired financial return, and other social issues-going green, fair trade and more.  And while we hope that you will take the impetus to do good on your own, we love the idea– and ease– of giving microfinance loans as a gift.  And for a limited time, when you purchase a gift certificate (for which you can suggest a certain cause), you’ll get an additional $20 credit to give to the fund of your choice.  Which we think is a much better gift than a tie.  Visit MicroPlace for more information.