OUR FOUNDING STORY

When the images of the great Ethiopian famine emerged in the mid-1980s, Donna Berber was shaken to her core. Donna attended Live Aid, the global concert that brought attention to the devastating famine that claimed millions of victims, which planted a seed that later inspired a vision that would change millions of lives.

COMMITMENT TO THE MOST VULNERABLE

A Glimmer of Hope was born in 2000 with the mission to improve lives in Ethiopia. A few months later, the Berbers found themselves in a position to do a great deal more than they had originally planned. Donna's husband, Philip, sold his Internet brokerage company, and the couple decided to invest a significant portion of the earnings into Glimmer.

LISTENING TO THE PEOPLE

Donna and Philip visited Ethiopia to understand how to effectively support the most vulnerable, informing their plans for a new way to give with more efficiency and transparency. At that time, little was being done to help those struggling in the rural areas. It was important to the Berbers to go where no one else was willing to go, to help the people with the greatest need.

AN INNOVATIVE SOLUTION TO ENDING POVERTY

Powered by Donna's vision and Philip's business acumen, Glimmer's new model for community development took shape. With an endowment to fund all operations, they established Glimmer with the promise that all donor funds would go directly to projects. Since 2000, Glimmer has grown tremendously—impacting the lives of more than 5 million people.

A RETURN TO GLIMMER’S ROOTS

In 2024, Glimmer transitioned from an international NGO to a direct grantmaker—building on the organization’s incredible work in Ethiopia. Moving forward, Glimmer is investing in local initiatives through grants funded from the family’s endowment with a focus on women and girls, and critical humanitarian needs.  As the country continues to endure the ongoing impacts of war and drought, Glimmer’s new direction allows more direct funding focused on Tigray.