Supporters Like You

Dan and Margot

Over the course of 22 years, Dan and Margot had sponsored more than 10 children and elders through Unbound.

The couple met at a part-time job while Margot was in high school and Dan was in college and got engaged at Margot’s high school prom. They had careers in the accounting industry and raised two sons.

For them, sponsoring and giving were often tied to personal reasons. After their own children were grown, they sponsored mostly girls through Unbound because they knew women in developing countries often had even less opportunities than men. When both Dan and Margot’s parents passed, to honor their memory, they began sponsoring two elders, one who shared Margot’s birthday.

The couple had made retirement plans, but not long after retiring in 2022, Margot was diagnosed with an aggressive form of brain cancer. Just 20 months after her diagnosis and at the age of 64, Margot passed away.

Dennis

It’s important to Dennis that his financial contributions to Unbound lead to a tangible difference in the life of a child living in poverty and their family. For over 17 years, through multiple sponsorships and charitable giving, he’s been able to see the extent of the impact his support has had.

Regular written communication with his sponsored friends, encouraged by Unbound, has helped Dennis develop meaningful relationships with not only them, but their other family members as well. “The depth of their appreciation is truly heartwarming,” he said. “Unbound has been wonderful to partner with in their efforts to help others in need.”

Dennis makes donations via qualified charitable distributions from his IRA. With over 90% of Unbound’s expenses going toward program support, Dennis has confidence in the knowledge that Unbound is a trustworthy organization, exercising good stewardship of his funds.

“Each of [my sponsored friends] is very special to me,” he said. “From their letters to me, I know that I have helped to make their lives a little better and more enjoyable.”

But, according to Dennis, they aren’t the only ones who’ve been positively impacted by the experience — Unbound and his sponsored friends have also brought joy to and made Dennis’ own life better.

Tal and Julia

For more than two decades, Tal and Julia had been sponsors through Unbound, enjoying the connections they built with their sponsored friends via letters across the distance.

But in early 2024, they decided to see Unbound’s programs in action for themselves by taking an Unbound Awareness Trip to Guatemala. The experience was life-changing for both.

“Meeting the boys we knew only through pictures was unbelievable, the hugs so memorable,” Julia said. “Seeing the work firsthand and learning about all the additional ways we can offer support beyond sponsorship was eye-opening.”

Two such ways they learned about were the Unbound Scholarship Program and Agents of Change. After meeting families positively impacted by both programs, they were inspired to offer their support through their donor-advised fund.

“Our donor-advised fund is an easy vehicle through which we can offer our support,” said Tal about the funds they had set aside to support charitable initiatives. “With the fund’s growth over the years, that means we can do more and more for others.”

The couple has also used their donor-advised fund to contribute to the Unbound Critical Needs Fund, which supports families during times of crisis. They said having easy access to Unbound staff to advise them on their donations has made the process smooth and quick.

“It brings us great joy to be able to share our blessings with others, to be the hands and feet of Christ,” Julia said.

Scott and Liz

Sponsors Scott and Liz believe that when families have their essential needs met, they’re better positioned to focus their efforts on meeting the goals that will advance them down a path free from poverty.

This belief led the couple to donate some of their appreciated stock to Unbound to fund the construction of homes for two families most in need in Unbound’s Guatemala program.

“We think that a safe place to live allows the children in these families to be better situated in school, which is a key step in their development,” said Liz, whose family first became Unbound sponsors after learning about the organization at an event hosted by their church in 2017. “We believe that God has put us in a position to help provide dry, well-constructed shelter for these families.”

Scott and Liz worked with their financial advisor and Unbound to transfer their shares, describing the experience as positive and straightforward. Donating appreciated stock rather than cash, Liz said, allowed them to contribute to Unbound in a tax-efficient way and increase their contribution levels. They encourage other potential donors to always speak with a tax accountant or financial advisor prior to making any stock donation decisions.

They’re impressed with how both their sponsorship contributions and their donations impact not just individuals but entire families.

Callan J. Ackerman, Ph.D.

While raising four children of his own, Callan Ackerman has been supporting children and families through Unbound for more than 20 years.

Ackerman’s support began in memory of his mother-in-law, with the hope of also inspiring and encouraging his children and future generations to live charitable lives. “It gives me a great sense of comfort and purpose to know that we can continue to help the poor, hopefully indefinitely,” Ackerman says.

He feels a great responsibility toward the children he sponsors and enjoys the personal connection he has with them. His hope is for others to put Unbound at the top of their list for doing God’s work in helping families overcome poverty.  

George and Diane Moll

George and Diane Moll have been actively involved with Unbound since 2000. They’ve supported individuals and communities all over the world, including in countries such as the Philippines and India.

“Our life on Earth is for a certain period of time, and it is one thing to be able to effect change during your physical life, but to have that continue when you are no longer able to keep that going, that presence, I think, is a wonderful way to effect change in our world,” states Diane.

Reputation is important to both George and Diane. They work incredibly hard to ensure accountability and transparency. With Unbound, they see firsthand what is being done with the resources provided by supporters and witness the dedication, joy and goodness coming from the staff in the field.

Diane notes, “We live, in many ways, … in an age of so much skepticism, where people are very reluctant many times to entrust their funds, their money, their resources to another because they have seen much misuse. And so it is always such a breath of fresh air to be able to say, ‘I know of an organization that you can feel very confident of their stewardship and the way they present themselves as far as meeting the needs of other people.’”