Joy2theWorld Organization

KATHLEEN GIBBS – PRESIDENT
Kathleen Gibbs –Founder and President of Joy2theWorld since 2008. While working for Farmers Insurance Group (2005-2011), Kathleen traveled to Ghana, W.A. to volunteer and learn more about micro-loans in 2008. She returned from this excursion and began building teams to create a micro-loan non-profit named Joy2theWorld Inc.

During the initial 5 years of Joy2theWorld (and while still working in the U.S.), Kathleen determined the need for micro loans in 4 rural villages in Ghana, created multi-cultural relationships to develop agreement between need in Ghana and funds in the U.S.; and developed multiple teams willing to work and travel pro bono to fully utilize their skills to train and develop Ghanaians. She generated funds and donations to support the micro loan program through Joy2theWorld. Kathleen hired and trained 2 local (Ghana) staff to provide loan administration and program management. She was responsible for developing an environmental plan for water, sanitation and public health to include a well for water, latrines for girls, etc.; generating cooperation with the local government to provide 173 malaria nets for children under the age of 5.

In addition to more than 1,000 micro loans, Kathleen developed a scholarship program for children, personally funding over 125 scholarships for the children of clients. Kathleen traveled back and forth twice each year (January and August, 2007-2011) to manage and support the existing Ghanaian team. On these trips, special events were coordinated to provide education, medical exams and to further expand the cooperation between the Ghana community and Joy2theWorld. During these years, Kathleen prepared documents for official U.S. 501c3 as well as the required NGO status, generating a Board of Directors, reporting structure, banking documents and operating budgets in both countries. She built the original website and developed a blog for interested donors.