Chances are that if you’re reading this, you might not be a Sam’s Club member – even though the Wal-Mart-owned, Costco-like membership-only retail stores boast 47 million members worldwide and are in 48 states (with the Socialist Republics of Oregon and Vermont being the only holdouts).

However, you probably at least know someone who is a member of Sam’s Club, somewhere out there in the universe. The reason why this is important is because the company is giving away $1 million to charities as part of their Giving Made Simple campaign, and our good friends at Kiva are in the running.

While we’d like to think that the above promo video that we made for them exclusively for this contest might have something to do with their current top ranking, the truth of the matter is that they’re an exceptional organization that has enabled anyone to help working people start businesses and have an opportunity to succeed around the world. They bring the empowering idea of microfinance – small, low-cost loans made to those who don’t quite qualify for traditional business loans – with the crowdsourcing power of the internet to create real, lasting change. Anyone can contribute to loan for as little as $25 through Kiva, and you’re not just giving a handout to someone you don’t know, but rather making an investment in a business that would have few other options – and 98 percent of businesses funded through Kiva pay back their lenders on time and in full. Teach a man to fish and so on and so forth.

There’s been some discussion in the Kiva community about whether one should support Wal-Mart or big-box stores or even accept money from them, since big-box stores have been a big reason why small businesses have struggled or shut down across the world. While that’s perhaps a discussion for another post, let’s just say that if you or someone you know is already a Sam’s Club member, then have them vote for Kiva in this contest so they can use $1 million to generate $10 million in loans for working people around the world. If you’re not already a member, then do consider redirecting that $40 Sam’s Club membership fee to one of Kiva’s fine entrepreneurs worldwide and make an economic stimulus that’s bound to work.