I was disappointed to hear it had been reported by Forbes magazine that The Justin Timberlake Foundation had spent $146,000 on expenses in 2006 but only donated $32,500.

Obviously I am not an “insider” at Forbes (or anywhere else for that matter) but I do see them as a credible source of information.

This is a common problem for fund-raising organizations because the people who give intend for their donations to go to the cause or work they choose to support, not to foundation overheads and other dubious black holes of spending. When they find out this is not happening, they think twice about donating again.

Let us state again you can rest assured the generous micro-donations you make to SMARTSTART Giving are indeed being directed to Kiva.org. As we have previously disclosed, only the small amount deducted by your credit company (something we do not control) is taken from the $10, $25 or $40 that you donate. Your money is then pooled with that received from other donors for the current month and is given to Kiva on the first Friday of the following month.

Certainly there are expenses involved in operating SMARTSTART Giving. Alex and I cover those expenses (which are not insignificant) personally as part of our ongoing monthly commitment thus ensuring the money you want to be used to support other entrepreneurs in the developing countries of the world is, in fact, doing just that.

To see the people whose lives you are changing by supporting our work, just click on Loans (in the navigation bar) and check out their faces and stories. Together we are doing some really great things. Thank you for helping us by supporting our vision for SMARTSTART Giving.