Issue no. 4 - 2014 Governor Community Connection

Kristen Doyle

Governor Kristen Doyle is a partner in investment consulting at Aon Hewitt in Chicago, a firm that serves private and public retirement systems, endowments and foundations. Over the past four years, Kristen has been involved with Young Ambassadors for Opportunity (YAO), and is passionate about helping fellow YAO members to better understand microfinance. 

Since the birth of her son Cullom, Kristen and her husband Brian have begun thinking about how to help children embrace giving. “One of the most important qualities I want to pass on to my son is caring about others, unconditionally, and using the resources we have been blessed with to make other people's lives better,” she shared. “Passing on a legacy of philanthropy is one of the key ways to teach our children that there is a larger world out there where people do not always have food on the table, or a car to drive, or access to good education.”

Jim and Carol Hamilton

Governor Jim Hamilton of Laguna Beach, California has served multiple terms on Opportunity’s board, and was also a member of the board of Opportunity Bank Malawi. Jim and his wife Carol have been married for 60 years and their family includes three children, eight grandchildren and two great-grandchildren.

“We wanted them to experience firsthand the circumstances in which most of the world finds itself,” Jim said. “Thus, two of our children and seven of our grandchildren have joined us on Insight Trips to Africa and Central America.  We have been gratified to know, both through their testimony and their actions, that these experiences have helped shape in them a broader and more realistic world view.”

John and Kathryn Hart

When he initially became involved with Opportunity, Governor John Hart was following the inspirational example of his aunt, who devoted her life to serving the poor in Bolivia. Opportunity’s business model was also a major draw for him. While traditional nonprofits tend to consume capital in order to deliver their programs, Opportunity keeps a donor’s contributions in circulation indefinitely and leverages the power of compound interest. “Because I’m in finance, Opportunity offered a model I liked a whole lot more,” John said. “Properly managed, the capital keeps working. Year after year, it continues to lift people up.”

John and his wife Kathryn support Opportunity in multiple meaningful ways – from sponsoring the New York City Young Ambassadors for Opportunity (YAO) chapter’s annual event to serving on the Ambassadors Council. They have also taken the significant step of including Opportunity in their estate plan. If you would like more information on how to make a legacy gift to Opportunity International, please contact Richard Spalholz, Vice President of Planned Giving, at 631-697-7562 or [email protected].

4 powerful ways to get your family involved in Opportunity

1. 1. Invite your relatives to join you on an Insight Trip. Learn more about Opportunity’s upcoming trips at https://opportunity.org/insight. We’ve already planned nine trips for 2015! Contact Adele Nandan for more information at [email protected] or 630-242-4147.
2. 2. Tell your college-aged children, grandchildren or other relatives about our Campus Ambassadors program. Send them a link to https://opportunity.org/join-a-community/campus-ambassadors, where they can connect with a chapter at their college, or get help starting a new chapter.
3. 3. If you have children, grandchildren or other relatives in their 20s or 30s, encourage them to join Young Ambassadors for Opportunity (YAO). Through YAO, they’ll be inspired by a network of new friends with a heart for giving. We have 24 YAO chapters around the country and internationally, and the group continues to grow! Learn more at https://opportunity.org/yao
4. 4. Tell younger children stories about generosity and transformation. Kids and young teens will relate to your personal stories about Opportunity. What inspired you to begin giving? How has your heart been touched? Share your photos with them, or show them videos from Opportunity’s website.