Kiva is currently one of my favourite pastimes! Lend $25 to someone somewhere, help them to change their lives, when they pay it back lend it to someone else, and change another life. Micro-financing is much more ethical than big banks, which often will not lend to those who need it most - often women. Try it for free first: http://www.kiva.org/invitedby/emily78642327
The Lao organisation Big Brother Mouse joins two of my passions: children reading, and the promotion of mother tongues :) They're doing a great job with very limited funds - I've visited them, chatted to the owner, and taken some of their books out to a rural school, so this recommendation is from first-hand experience!
Big Banking was one cause of the financial meltdown in 2008; by 2010, they were already awarding themselves massive bonuses. Move your money...
