50 Weeks of Opportunity
Each week for the next 50 weeks, we will share a piece of Opportunity’s history—major or minor, sobering or inspiring, we have gotten where we are today by facing some of the world’s greatest challenges, with you by our side. Please join us in celebrating the many impactful moments that have built the foundation on which we will embark on our most audacious vision yet: ending extreme poverty.
50 for 50: Celebrating 7 Educators During Teacher Appreciation Week
Opportunity International's Education Finance program began by recognizing education as an integral part of reducing global poverty and inequality. This year, the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic has only emphasized education's critical place in our world and reminded us of teachers' extraordinary creativity, tenacity, and strength. They navigated school closures, attempted to teach virtual classes without reliable connectivity, and ensured that children continued learning amidst so many challenges. In…
Read More50 for 50: An Inside Look at Our Field Offices and Partners
One of our favorite parts of Opportunity International Insight Trips is visiting Opportunity's offices and outposts. It is always eye-opening to see where our global colleagues spend their days and where they meet, serve, and train clients. We have all changed how we work over the past year—and most of us have changed the physical location where we work, too! So we're taking a look back at some of our past visits to Opportunity's field offices and partners, and counting down the days until we're…
Read More50 Years of Memories
For 50 years, Opportunity International has provided financial services, training, and support to families living in poverty—and built a dynamic global community of partners, supporters, clients, staff, and friends.From grand openings to Insight Trips to our very first clients, Opportunity's history is marked by moments of joy, impact, and celebration. Join us as we look back on the journey and celebrate the people who have walked alongside us.This video originally aired at Opportunity's 50th Anniversary…
Read More50 for 50: Listen and Adapt - The Allmans' Story
David Allman, a successful part of the real estate community in Atlanta, is known for his deep involvement in community development and his commitment to meeting local needs. Years ago, David befriended and listened to the lessons of Bob Lupton, an outspoken proponent of missions that are aimed at the beneficiaries' needs, not at the desires of the donors or volunteers (Toxic Charity). Lupton's philosophy struck a chord and shaped the Allmans' outlook on missions, philanthropy, and development moving…
Read More50 for 50: How financial services and access have changed in the last 50 years
When Opportunity International was founded 50 years ago, most of the elements that define modern banking today were brand new ideas. The world’s first ATM was installed in a London suburb in 1967. In the United States, 51% of households had a credit card in 1970; today, 83% do. And in developing economies, financial services and access to markets remained largely unavailable throughout the 1970s and 1980s. Women were nearly completely excluded from the limited financial sector that did exist.…
Read More50 for 50: 7 Bible Verses to Inspire and Encourage You
Many things about Opportunity International have changed since our founding, but one thing has remained unchanged for the last 50 years: the heart behind our work. Our motivation is clear: We respond to Jesus Christ's call to love and serve the poor. We seek to emulate the Good Samaritan, whose compassion crossed ethnic groups and religions. We serve all people regardless of religion, race, ethnicity, or gender. Each year, our philanthropy team chooses a Bible verse to serve as inspiration. The verse…
Read More50 for 50: Founders Circle Award Winners Ken Vander Weele and Larry Reed
On Saturday, February 20, 2021, we presented the first of a series of 50th anniversary awards. The first Founders Circle Awards went to a group of Opportunity International pioneers who helped us innovate our strategies and programs to better serve clients. These awards celebrate the earliest days of initiatives that have come to define Opportunity's work—and we are so excited to go back and remember how these programs began. In 1998, then-Opportunity Network CEO Larry Reed issued a Change or Die…
Read More50 for 50: Founders Circle Award Winner John Magnay
On Saturday, February 20, 2021, we presented the first of a series of 50th anniversary awards. The first Founders Circle Awards went to a group of Opportunity International pioneers who helped us innovate our strategies and programs to better serve clients. These awards celebrate the earliest days of initiatives that have come to define Opportunity's work—and we are so excited to go back and remember how these programs began. In the early 2000s, Opportunity Bank of Malawi noticed a challenge facing…
Read More50 for 50: Founders Circle Award Winners Susy Cheston, Martha Cray, Jill Dailey Smith, and Linda Vander Weele
On Saturday, February 20, 2021, we presented the first of a series of 50th anniversary awards. The first Founders Circle Awards went to a group of Opportunity International pioneers who helped us innovate our strategies and programs to better serve clients. These awards celebrate the earliest days of initiatives that have come to define Opportunity's work—and we are so excited to go back and remember how these programs began. In the early 1990s, a group of Opportunity International donors in the…
Read More50 for 50: Founders Circle Award Winner Chris Crane
On Saturday, February 20, 2021, we presented the first of a series of 50th anniversary awards. The first Founders Circle Awards went to a group of Opportunity International pioneers who helped us innovate our strategies and programs to better serve clients. These awards celebrate the earliest days of initiatives that have come to define Opportunity's work—and we are so excited to go back and remember how these programs began. Enjoy the first spotlight on a winner: In 2005 and 2006, then-Opportunity…
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