Pam Omidyar on Achieving Impact

Just before the rush of the holidays set in last week, we received word that Pam Omidyar, HopeLab’s founder and board chair, and her husband Pierre had been named by Barron’s magazine as the No. 1 “Best Philanthropists” on a list of 25 notable givers dedicated to improving the world. Pam was in the office for meetings when the news came to us, and as we discussed the list, she offered a personal perspective on how meaningful impact is achieved through philanthropy.

One question the editors had posed as they prepared their profile of Pam and Pierre and their philanthropic work was, “What’s the secret ingredient that makes a particular project or initiative ‘high impact’?” Pam responded:

“We like to think big. We want to impact many people, in profound and meaningful ways, all over the world. The secret ingredient has nothing to do with us – it’s the courage and talent of untapped individuals that is unleashed through opportunity. We believe everyone is inherently capable but not everyone has equal opportunity. We’re looking to find ways to empower and engage people to ignite transformative change. If we inspire others to join us along the way, that’s even better.”

What stands out most for me about how Pam and Pierre operate are two simple but remarkably powerful things, both reflected in that quote: their deep humility and their consistent focus on the individuals they aim to serve. These qualities they share are deeply embedded in the culture of the organizations they’ve founded – HopeLab, Omidyar Network, Humanity United, and the Ulupono Initiative. In my time at HopeLab, I’ve seen how their values-based approach can do as much, if not more, to drive change than monetary resources alone. An example: Re-Mission is a success, not only because of the vision and resources behind it but because we sought out and incorporated the direct input of young cancer patients throughout the development of the product. Rather than presuming we knew best, we focused on the customer and created something that both appealed to the them and met their needs. That approach has become a hallmark of all our work at HopeLab.

Recognition of the Omidyars’ philantrhopic work is a well-deserved honor, certainly, but I couldn’t help but reflect on how challenging it can be to have measurable impact on some of today’s most intractable problems. Disease, poverty, slavery – all continue to be devastating issues in spite of the advancements of our modern world. The work Pam and Pierre are investing in has potential to improve millions of lives, but change rarely happens over night. Lasting, long-term impact on tough problems requires visionary thinking and patient capital. The Omidyars have been generous with both.