A Legacy of Hope

Your legacy is the imprint of your life on future generations.  

Everyone leaves a legacy, whether positive or negative.  An inspiring teacher can change the life trajectory of a generation of kids, each of whom in turn can multiply that impact.  Living with respect for the environment will leave a better world for those who come after us.  Great art, literature and music can inspire and come alive long after the artist is gone.

AT OPPORTUNITY INTERNATIONAL, OUR ASPIRATION IS TO LEAVE A LEGACY OF HOPE. 

A massive legacy usually starts from something very small. In 1970, Al Whittaker heard a talk about using business principles to address global poverty. He was so challenged to use his skills to help the poor that he left a very lucrative career on Wall Street and formed what would become Opportunity International in 1971.

That same year he challenged Ross Clemenger, a Canadian missionary serving in Colombia, with a big idea about loans to the poor, and six months later Ross advanced the first Opportunity International loan to Carlos Moreno (pictured), a tea and spice merchant in Colombia.

That was 50 years ago and this year Opportunity International celebrates its 50^th Anniversary. To celebrate this anniversary, we have collected together some of the stories of the important moments in our history.

In the late 80s, Canadian businessman David Stiller volunteered in relief and development work and quickly realized the potential of microcredit to build sustainable livelihoods. Fast forward to 1998 when David incorporated Opportunity International Canada. It was my privilege to meet with David when I joined as CEO in 2018 — the 20^th Anniversary of our founding — and he remains a mentor to this day.

It’s difficult to fathom the scale of their legacy — the millions of families impacted for good because Al, Ross and David looked beyond themselves to see how they might serve the poor.

We are part of that legacy today. We stand on the shoulders of those leaders and staff before us who served with such passion, commitment, and excellence, and of the many generous donors and volunteers, who over the years invested time, talent, and treasure to make this poverty alleviation work possible.

The vision of Opportunity International is a world in which all people have the opportunity to achieve a life free from poverty, with dignity and purpose. If you share this vision, you can help leave a legacy of hope as clients acquire sustainable livelihoods and build a better future for their families.  You can directly support our work or leave a planned gift in your will. 

It’s never too late to start building a legacy. Consider how you might leave the world a little better than you found it, how you might share from your abundance with those who have less, or how you might encourage or inspire others on their journey.