Austin Women Magazine: Apr. 14, 2006 - In its April 2006 edition, Austin Woman Magazine featured the honorees for the prestigious Girl Scouts-Lone Star Council Women of Distinction Awards. A Glimmer of Hope founder Donna Berber was one of those eight women:
Although A Glimmer of Hope Foundation started as a twinkle in Donna Berber’s eye more than 20 years ago, it wasn’t until she was on an early morning run in Austin in 1999 that her dream really began to materialize.
A year later, A Glimmer of Hope Foundation was established with the help of profits from the sale of Philip Berber’s online trading firm. With an initial endowment of $100 million, Berber and husband Philip began a new approach to making a difference in the lives of economically disadvantaged children in Central Texas and overseas. Since the foundation’s inception, Berber’s efforts to “build a bridge across I-35” have sparked 42 different projects benefiting more than 20,000 people in Austin and its surrounding communities.
A Glimmer of Hope’s undertakings include funding activities that focus on building self-esteem, making positive choices and the understanding of essential life and job skills. The foundation funds several different types of programs for at-risk children, including summer camps, soccer clubs and art and dance classes. Other activities teach kids about health, nutrition and safety. In addition to the 20,000 Texans A Glimmer of Hope has aided, the foundation’s For the Children program has equipped more than 15,000 Austin children with school supplies.
Berber was nominated for the 2006 Women of Distinction award by Lisa Sullivan, president of Austin’s Infuse Corporation. Sullivan learned of Berber’s efforts through A Glimmer of Hope’s Austin Athletic Scholarship Foundation.
“What Donna has done is truly remarkable,” Sullivan said. “The consistency in her message and her relentless level of effort is incredible. She has the most amazing, most heartfelt approach, and you can tell she means it. Donna was the perfect person for the award, knowing her determination and the outcomes she’s been able to achieve.”
Over the years, Berber’s efforts have spread far past the Austin City Limits sign. After attending the original Live Aid concert in London in 1985, one of the first efforts to shed light on Ethiopia’s widespread famine, Berber made a promise to herself: If she ever had the resources, she would reach out to help the people of that impoverished African country.
“It started with a feeling, which turned into a fire,” Berber said. “For me, it’s simply about relieving some of the pain and suffering of humanity – whether it’s in Africa or in Austin.”
Since 2001, A Glimmer of Hope has affected more than 1.5 million Ethiopians by executing over 1,400 development projects. This year, the foundation projects aid for 500,000 more Ethiopians through 520 new projects, which include improvements in drinking water, health care, education opportunities, agriculture and controlling AIDS. In 2002, Berber also endowed $1 million for programs aiding underprivileged children in the United Kingdom.
Berber’s business model has created country offices in the United States, Ethiopia and the United Kingdom, with local philanthropists overseeing each branch. She realized that putting those who are most familiar with their community’s needs in charge would maximize benefits.
“We love to fund local grassroots organizations that are deeply connected to and committed to their community,” Berber explained. “We invest in people with passion and heart … we cover our own operating costs so 100% of all outside contributions get passed along.”
In 2002, the Berbers were named one of Worth Magazine’s Top 25 Most Generous Young Americans and one of BusinessWeek’s 50 Most Generous Philanthropists. A Glimmer of Hope has also received the Boys and Girls Club Champions for Youth Award, the Champion for Children’s Aware Award from Helping Hand Home for Children and a nomination for the Conrad Hilton Philanthropy Prize.
“I am of course honored and very flattered,” Berber said. “However, I must put a word in for those ‘angels in the community’ – those men, women and children who work tirelessly to serve those in need, often without reward or acknowledgement … I accept this award with those angels in mind.”
Story by Page Fullerton