World Vision International’s Aids Initiative: Challenging a Global Partnership
World Vision International’s AIDS Initiative:
Challenging a Global Partnership
World Vision International is a $1 Billion Christian relief and development partnership that is made up of 48 national members forming a federation. Founded in the United States by American Bob Pierce in 1950, the organizations mission was to implement common goals and strategies in fundraising, programming, and advocacy amongst the 48 independent members of the World Vision Partnership. WVI used its preexisting connections with evangelical agencies to meet emergency and relief needs for people in undeveloped countries. With communication channels already set up in churches and other institutions around the world, it was not hard for the company to get its message across to the public. For only around $10 a month, donors were able to support, and in essence save, a child’s life. For this monthly donation, a full time staff along with hundreds of volunteers work nearly nonstop to deliver photos and letters between the children in need and their host families. This effort allowed the donors to actually see how their money was affecting a life and therefore created a more personal, loving connection between them and the child they were supporting. A separate portion of the staff members worked in marketing creating appeals to attract as many donors as possible. By 2002, this brilliant partnership had raised a whopping $732 million in cash and nearly $300 million in commodities. Many imitators have tried to recreate the business structure of World Vision International due to its success. The “feel-good” sense experienced by the donors after connecting with an impoverished child across the globe made it relatively simple to keep people on board for the WVI cause and even spread the word to others for support and donations. But this was not the only strength of World Vision International. The company was about much more than fighting to help one specific cause. An excerpt from their
Challenging a Global Partnership
World Vision International is a $1 Billion Christian relief and development partnership that is made up of 48 national members forming a federation. Founded in the United States by American Bob Pierce in 1950, the organizations mission was to implement common goals and strategies in fundraising, programming, and advocacy amongst the 48 independent members of the World Vision Partnership. WVI used its preexisting connections with evangelical agencies to meet emergency and relief needs for people in undeveloped countries. With communication channels already set up in churches and other institutions around the world, it was not hard for the company to get its message across to the public. For only around $10 a month, donors were able to support, and in essence save, a child’s life. For this monthly donation, a full time staff along with hundreds of volunteers work nearly nonstop to deliver photos and letters between the children in need and their host families. This effort allowed the donors to actually see how their money was affecting a life and therefore created a more personal, loving connection between them and the child they were supporting. A separate portion of the staff members worked in marketing creating appeals to attract as many donors as possible. By 2002, this brilliant partnership had raised a whopping $732 million in cash and nearly $300 million in commodities. Many imitators have tried to recreate the business structure of World Vision International due to its success. The “feel-good” sense experienced by the donors after connecting with an impoverished child across the globe made it relatively simple to keep people on board for the WVI cause and even spread the word to others for support and donations. But this was not the only strength of World Vision International. The company was about much more than fighting to help one specific cause. An excerpt from their