Built on the belief that
ordinary people change everything.
HopeForward started in 2018 in a church basement in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, when three social workers — Diane Okonkwo, Marcus Webb, and Priya Nair — decided they were done watching crises unfold from a distance.
Their first project: a weekend food distribution for 80 families in the Hill District. By the end of year one, they had served 4,200 families and raised $180,000 from individual donors in 23 states. No corporate backers. No government grants. Just people who believed the same thing they did: that urgent, specific help, delivered with dignity, changes lives.
Eight years later, HopeForward operates in 47 countries, employs 34 full-time staff, and maintains a network of 8,500 active volunteers. Our overhead rate is 12% — among the lowest of any international humanitarian organization of our size.
We publish our full financials quarterly, our program impact data monthly, and our field reports in real time. We believe accountability isn’t just good governance — it’s respect for the donors who trust us with their generosity.
To deliver urgent, measurable humanitarian aid to communities in crisis — with radical transparency, local partnership, and zero tolerance for waste.
A world where every person has access to clean water, nutritious food, basic healthcare, and education — regardless of where they were born.
Leadership
Diane Okonkwo
Co-Founder & Executive Director
Former UNICEF field director with 18 years in humanitarian response across sub-Saharan Africa and Southeast Asia. Diane sets HopeForward's strategic direction and leads global partnerships.
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Marcus Webb
Co-Founder & Chief Operations Officer
Supply chain specialist and logistics expert who ran disaster relief operations for the American Red Cross for 12 years. Marcus ensures every dollar translates to real-world delivery.
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Priya Nair
Co-Founder & Chief Program Officer
Public health physician and epidemiologist who designed mobile health programs for MSF in conflict zones. Priya oversees program design, monitoring, and evaluation across all campaigns.
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Samuel Hartley
Chief Financial Officer
CPA with 20 years in nonprofit financial management. Samuel introduced HopeForward's real-time financial transparency dashboard and maintains our sector-leading 12% overhead rate.
LinkedInWhere your
money goes.
78 cents of every dollar goes directly to programs. We publish our full audited financials every quarter at hopeforward.org/financials.
Direct Programs
78%
Field operations, supplies, local staff, infrastructure — everything that directly reaches beneficiaries.
Operations
12%
Finance, legal, HR, and technology that keeps HopeForward running with integrity.
Fundraising
10%
Donor communications, events, and the team that brings in the resources to fund programs.