I mentioned Kiva a little while back as an alternative to donating – instead you can take part in providing no-interest, flexible loans to businesses in developing countries. Microfinance for the masses.
I just got notice in my inbox that they now have a number of new businesses that you can lend to.
Later: Damn! All of the loans listed last night have been raised already. I didn’t even have a chance to make a contribution!
Update 16-Oct-2006: I’ve updated the links above to reflect the change in URLs for Kiva.