Economic-Development Group Taps Business Executive

For 37 years, Opportunity International, in Oak Brook, Ill., has provided small loans mostly to poor women overseas to help improve their lives and the lives of others in their towns and cities. Now the charity is seeking more donations from women in the United States to help reach its goal of moving 100 million people out of poverty by 2015. Last year, the group raised $61.2-million.

To connect more female donors to its cause, the group created a new position, vice president for women’s philanthropy, and in June hired Ruth-Anne Renaud, a corporate marketing veteran, to start leading the charge.

Despite the tough economic climate, Ms. Renaud feels optimistic about her mandate. “We have a cause that is particularly relevant — it’s built around the concept of women helping women,” she says. “Here is an opportunity for women in the developed world to transform the lives of women and children who live in less developed countries, to impact the lives of women who have far fewer opportunities.”

Women have long supported Opportunity International, but the charity hopes having Ms. Renaud on board will enable the group to focus specifically on creating more opportunities for involving female donors, says Mark Smalls, the charity’s senior vice president for marketing, who hired Ms. Renaud. “A big part of this role is to let more people know about Opportunity International and about the work we do and the fact that it is focused on women,” he says.

Last year women received 86 percent of the charity’s loans, which can be for amounts as low as $50. Recipients have used the money for myriad purposes, including expanding their farms and starting small businesses, such as weaving and selling baskets.

Ms. Renaud, 44, says she will draw on her 20 years of corporate marketing experience to generate greater awareness of the role Opportunity International plays in helping women in 28 developing countries escape poverty.

“In my nine years at AT&T, my area of expertise had been new product and service introduction,” she says. “This is a new target market that is being served at Opportunity International. My ability to use the business processes of identifying your market, understanding their needs, crafting the message and the programs that ideally will resonate with them, and then executing them was a large part of what Opportunity was looking for me to bring to the table.”

Her goals include inspiring current donors to bolster their giving, identifying new supporters, and recruiting board members. Ms. Renaud declined to reveal the salary of her new position.

While Ms. Renaud has never worked directly for a charity, she spent two years doing marketing for Event 360, a local company that organizes fund-raising events for nonprofit groups, including a walkathon in 14 cities across the country that raised money for breast-cancer research and benefited Susan G. Komen for the Cure, in Dallas. While the experiences helped familiarize her with the nonprofit world, Ms. Renaud doesn’t see much difference between marketing for charities and businesses. “The principles translate,” she says.

Her work experience was only part of the reason Opportunity International plucked Ms. Renaud from a final pool of 15 applicants. “Even more than her background, she really seemed to get it,” says Mr. Smalls. “She seemed to understand what we were trying to do, as well as was obviously very excited and passionate about being the person to lead the effort.”

In an interview, Ms. Renaud spoke about her new job and her upcoming trip to Ghana.

Why did you take this job?

After working at Event 360 for nonprofit groups, I wanted to go inside and be part of the work. Women’s philanthropy resonates with me; it provides a very tangible proven vehicle to affect change. To be able to be part of that is personally very satisfying. It was also a case of an opportunity that presented itself to me at the right time.

What are you doing to reach out to female donors?

We are looking to extend some activities we do today and tailor them specifically to women. For example, we plan to organize more trips to countries where we work, where women from the U.S. will have the chance to meet people who have received loans from Opportunity International. Many of our loans help with education and schools, which can be of interest to men and women, but particularly resonates with women. I would love to build a trip where mothers and daughters go together, or one where women go with their friends or sisters or even business colleagues who are looking to experience something together.

Any new strategies?

In September we gave our first international women’s leadership award, to Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, president of Liberia. The event was a chance to honor this world leader and bring together some of our existing donors and other people, including women business leaders, who might be interested in what we do. It was not a fund-raising event where we raised money through ticket sales, but we hope it leads to significant donations because the cause will resonate with women.

Aside from that event, I’m also reaching out to women’s social, professional, and community groups that may be looking for a charitable cause to associate with. I am charged with going out and making the case for Opportunity International.

Why the focus specifically on female donors?

It’s a tremendous opportunity. The amount of wealth being transferred to women and their impact on philanthropy is substantial. We are seeing the first generation of a broad group of women who were financially successful in the business world retire. In addition, more women are inheriting family wealth.

Isn’t there a lot of competition for female donors?

There is indeed. I really do believe it’s being able to tell our story, make that connection, and make it relevant. And it’s about being able to demonstrate the results. We’ll be looking to bring our clients to gatherings and have them tell their stories directly.

What are you most excited about?

Traveling to Ghana with Opportunity International in December. I am looking forward to that experience because it will enable me to speak with greater authenticity to the results and work that is happening in the places and communities we serve. I have never been to the developing world, and this is going to give me a real reason to travel with a different focus.