Legacy gifts support development projects well into the future
Maura Ramos (right) and Liz Polanco Ramos, participants in the Common Pots (a community kitchen) project, Lima, Peru. Marlon Flores
Ann Speak’s relationship with Cuso International began in the 1980s, when she spent two years as a volunteer in Nigeria. The experience was life-changing, she says, and it was the foundation of a strong bond with Cuso International that hasn’t wavered. Ever since, Ms. Speak has continued to be an active volunteer and donor, and she worked as a member of the organization’s staff as a fundraiser for 12 years.
She is also a legacy donor, leaving a gift for Cuso International as part of her estate.
“Growing up in Winnipeg, Manitoba, I was fascinated by the idea that there was a great big world out there ready to be explored. For years, I longed to travel abroad, and after I graduated from university, Cuso International offered that opportunity,” says Ms. Speak.
“The organization was recruiting teachers, and I had some teaching experience. Becoming a volunteer took me to Nigeria in 1985, and I spent two years teaching English reading and writing skills at a junior high school in a rural village in the northeastern part of the country.”
It was a profound change from her Canadian life. In this poor community of subsistence farmers, there was no running water and for most of the time she was there, no electricity. “In the midst of their struggles, the people there were so joyful about life and so eager to make things better for everyone. I learned much more from them than they did from me, and other Cuso International volunteers have told me they felt the same way.”
“There’s tremendous power in individuals connecting with each other and learning that we share much more than we have differences. ”
Volunteering has been at the heart of Cuso International’s global efforts since its creation by a group of Canadian university graduates in 1961. The organization aims to create long-term solutions to tackle today’s primary development challenges, with a focus on efforts to advance gender equality and social inclusion, improve economic resilience and deliver progress on climate action.
A big part of the work involves connecting marginalized groups with skilled volunteers who live alongside them and provide training and mentoring to help people acquire new knowledge and skills. Operating in more than 100 countries, Cuso International also works with partners and develops specialized programs to lift people up and set them on the path to lasting change.
The vision of the founders was to make the world a better place by bringing people together. And that philosophy continues to inspire Ms. Speak.
“I believe that we’re only going to achieve progress in this world if we understand each other as human beings,” she says. “There’s tremendous power in individuals connecting with each other and learning that we share much more than we have differences. That breeds compassion and empathy.”
The need to support marginalized people is becoming more acute in some respects. For the first time in a generation, the number of people in extreme poverty has increased, now reaching 676 million worldwide. The coronavirus pandemic contributed to a reversal in the steady progress in poverty reduction achieved in recent years – with women and children, young people and refugees particularly affected.
“World poverty is not a problem that we can solve overnight. And a few generations from now, there will still be a need for Cuso International,” says Ms. Speak. “That’s why it was so easy for me to make the decision to leave a gift to the organization in my estate.”
She says that giving a charitable legacy gift to Cuso International allows her to make a more significant donation than she could during her lifetime. Taking the step left her feeling grateful and filled with joy, knowing that she could make an impact that would help people into the future.
“If I’m going to leave a legacy gift of this kind, I want it to be something that expresses my values. And given that Cuso International was such an important part of me forming my values, and given that it is committed to making lasting change, I knew it was the right choice.”
To learn more, visit https://cusointernational.org/leave-a-legacy/
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To view the full report as it appeared in The Globe's print edition: Planned Giving