Opportunity International

My wife and I have been OI donors for 16 years and have supported efforts in extending banking services for potential clients in rural areas. We also support OI's agriculture outreach program. This innovative organization is cutting -edge in providing financial services in the developing world: Micro finance group loans, individual savings, smart cards and biometric access banking, crop insurance, ag services, mobile banks, cellphone banking, and much more. OI's outreach in sub-Saharan Africa is vast and still expanding. Beyond just finance, OI provides necessary training and support for clients to be successful. Opportunity's staff in the US and on the ground are highly capable and believe in what they do.

I have supported OI with monthly donations since the 1990s. I first heard of microfinance and OI through a book called "Rich Christians in an Age of Hunger". That book sold me on microfinance, and the integrity of OI sold me on it. I have watched it grow over the years with a business savvy and yet laser-focus on mission that is unparalleled. It is consistently on the cutting edge of technology in finding more efficient and more effective ways to serve the poor, and it is highly transparent and communicative about what it does with its money.

I became very involved with Opportunity International through a Board of Governor's member in 2005, and became a donor and Board of Governor's member myself shortly thereafter. I am very passionate about the eradication of poverty. After many years of trial and error, training/technology based models of microfinance appear to be a viable solution and potentially a major breakthrough to economic development in many parts of the third world.

Back in college, I had the opportunity to take a course on microfinance and go on an Insight Trip to see firsthand how Opportunity helps lift people out of poverty. Opportunity is a very caring and compassionate organization. Opportunity is also run like a business organization, which helps it be very effective and efficient in achieving its goal of lifting people out of poverty. I have been very satisfied as a donor with them for the past few years. Opportunity is a wonderful organization.

Opportunity International takes a business approach to micro lending which makes it one of the most efficient, yet compassionate, organizations in this space. All the money is used to help individuals in third world countries build viable small businesses that create jobs and economic vitality.

Opportunity International is, in my opinion, the best place to contribute to if you want your dollars to have the most amount of overall and sustaining impact. I found out about Opportunity last April, and I have taken an active role in the organization ever since, both from a financial standpoint, but more importantly by raising awareness. We are now in the process of launching YAO - the Young Ambassadors for Opportunity in an effort to raise awareness about the positive impacts of microfinance in the 18-35 year old demographic. Opportunity is where my heart is.

I have given thousands of dollars to this organization because I believe in its mission to provide microfinance services to the working poor in the developing world. I also believe that giving loans to people to start or build a business is the best way to help them lift themselves out of poverty. I have seen firsthand the effects of a loan on the lives of Opportunity International clients. With their business profits, they feed their children more nutritious foods, send them to school, upgrade their housing and begin saving money to increase their security. They also take leadership roles in their community and have a newfound sense of self worth. I'm also impressed with Opportunity's stewardship of the money I give them. Every $100 I give is multiplied to $274 for the poor. One reason is that the loan money is paid back and then recycled again and again to help more people. This is one organization that I feel very comfortable recommending to people who want to make a difference in the world. Opportunity is truly transforming lives -- over 1.24 million last year.