Bill Brand: Leaving a Lasting Gift
"I appreciate that Project HOPE gives people the training they need to be able to sustain themselves."
November 21, 2017
If there’s one important life lesson that Bill Brand learned from his 50-year career at United States Steel, it’s the importance of training. “You don’t want to make yourself the only one able to do your job,” he says. Bill learned early on that sharing his professional expertise with others was a key component to success.
Project HOPE’s mission to provide health workers with the knowledge, tools and support they need to save lives resonates deeply with Bill. “Training people is so important. I appreciate that Project HOPE gives people the training they need to be able to sustain themselves.”
Bill’s charitable giving began by volunteering his time and money toward programs benefiting the United States, especially the homeless and food banks. Recently retired, he also still has plenty of energy left to help maintain a Rails to Trails hike and bike path in his Western Pennsylvania community.
Yet Bill felt the call to expand his philanthropic reach and realized that while Project HOPE does some work domestically, our vast influence is global. “I was looking to do something international, to help the poorest of the poor. I remembered the commercials about Project HOPE from the 1950s and read about what they do today. I decided it was a good fit.”
Bill gave Project HOPE a substantial contribution earlier this year, but his generous support toward HOPE’s programming has been consistent for more than a decade. In 2015, Bill’s dedication toward Project HOPE’s commitment to global health transformation was deepened when he became a Legacy of HOPE Society member. By including HOPE in his estate plans, Bill has joined a special community of supporters who have demonstrated their devotion to bringing HOPE to people around the world.
As Bill’s philanthropy grows, so does his confidence in purpose and gratification level. “I find that the more you give, the more you receive. And if there’s one thing I’d like to say to others, it’s that you really can afford to donate.”
Find out more about creating your legacy with Project HOPE. Visit our Planned Giving website at projecthope.myplannedgift.org, or contact our Planned Giving Office at 800-544-4673, ext. 472, or by email at [email protected]
