When smallholder farmers work alone on tiny plots of land, they remain trapped in poverty despite their best efforts.
But imagine the transformation of a community when an entrepreneur can create a business that unites 50 farmers. Together, they can afford machinery and quality supplies, learn together and gain access to better markets.
This collective approach builds efficiency and delivers real returns on investment that individuals simply cannot achieve. This is the power of entrepreneurship.
Share in your common values by making a donation in honour of someone who also believes in creating business solutions to poverty. After completing your donation, you will see options to send a card with your dedication.
Add even more meaning to a celebrant’s special event by making a donation to MEDA. Complete the form and indicate if you would like us to send a notification of your gift.
A gift of stocks, mutual funds, or bonds is an easy way to maximize your charitable giving. With a gift of estate, you can impact the lives of entrepreneurs for years to come.
Decent Jobs:
Individual entrepreneurs or smallholder farmers if their work achieves at least one of the following:
Clients:
Individuals, businesses and other organizations directly benefiting from financial or technical assistance from a MEDA intervention as part of a formal contract, including the following sub-categories:
This past year has brought historic changes. The international development landscape shifted in ways few expected – changes in funding architecture, rapidly evolving trade dynamics, and the acceleration of artificial intelligence. In a season like this, our Anabaptist roots have steadied us.
We return to what first shaped MEDA: faith expressed through service, humility, community, and practical love for our neighbours.
John Sider is MEDA’s Major Gifts Officer for the US Eastern Seaboard, based in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania.
John is a business development professional, experienced in equity investing, entrepreneurship, and relationship building. He has a proven track record in venture capital funding, grants, and developing partnerships, with a strong focus on building investment opportunities in his community. Prior to joining MEDA, John served as Vice President of Business Development for Ben Franklin Technology Partners of Central and Northern Pennsylvania, a venture development organization focused on growing innovation-based startups and small manufacturers in a 32-county territory of Pennsylvania.
John is a graduate of Wheaton College in Illinois and earned his MBA from the Fox School of Business at Temple University in Philadelphia. He is currently a member of the Board of Directors and Chair of the Planning Committee for the Harristown Development Corporation, a non-profit development organization dedicated to revitalizing downtown Harrisburg.
Based in Northeast Ohio, USA, Bethany is a Major Gifts Officer at MEDA, connecting with supporters in Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, and Florida.
With 16 years of experience in various development and leadership roles, including previously as Advancement Director at Central Christian School (Kidron, Ohio), Bethany is passionate about developing relationships through meaningful conversations, creating community and connections, and bringing MEDA’s work closer to home.
Bethany earned a Master of Business Administration from Bluffton University, studied communications at Goshen College, and recently completed a Social and Emotional Intelligence certificate from the Wright Foundation. Connect with her to discuss MEDA’s global impact and how you can engage.
Dean Shoemaker is MEDA’s Major Gifts Officer for Eastern Canada, joining the organization in 2016.
Dean began his career with the Mennonite Savings and Credit Union as a Commercial and Agricultural lender. His 25-year career includes leadership roles in both the private and non-profit sectors, including over ten years at Flowers Canada Growers Trade Association. With extensive volunteer and international missions experience, Dean strongly identifies with MEDA’s mission and goals.
Dean has a Bachelor of Commerce degree from the University of Guelph and lives in Elmira, Ontario, Canada. He enjoys working with supporters who share MEDA’s mission and values.
Randy Sawatzky is MEDA’s Major Gifts Officer for Western Canada, who values creating solid relationships with clients, business prospects, and MEDA staff.
Before working for MEDA, Randy had a long career in sport and recreation management that spanned 20 years. In 2010, Randy started his own import company and transitioned to business development in the agricultural sector, later focusing on the hog industry.
He has a bachelor’s degree in Physical Education and Liberal Arts and a Human Resource Management certificate from the University of Manitoba. Randy remains active in sports, coaching his daughter’s volleyball teams, and is a Bethel Mennonite Church (Winnipeg) member.
Adam Graber Roth is a Major Gifts Officer at MEDA. Based in Goshen, Indiana, he connects with MEDA supporters in Indiana, Illinois, and states west of the Mississippi.
Adam brings 13 years of nonprofit development experience, including roles at Mennonite Central Committee (MCC) and Goshen College. He also served for three years with MCC as a service worker in Egypt and South Africa. Adam loves making connections, finding the intersection between joy, passion, and generosity, and learning from cultures other than his own.
Adam is a graduate of Goshen College in Indiana and earned his Master of Arts degree in Peace Studies and Conflict Resolution from Anabaptist Mennonite Biblical Seminary in Elkhart, Indiana. In his spare time, Adam enjoys carpentry, planting trees, and playing ultimate frisbee. He and his wife have three young children.
Shirley is a Gifts Officer for MEDA, based out of its Waterloo office. She plays a critical role in forging relationships with supporters so they can help fulfill MEDA’s mission of providing economic development support for people living in poverty.
Equipped with a wealth of experience from the non-profit world, Shirley has served in several roles, including as Chief Development Officer for the Mennonite World Conference, Director of Christian Service Ministries for Mennonite Church Canada, and a Family Outreach Worker with the House of Friendship. Her volunteer experience also includes serving as President of Women of Mennonite Church of Eastern Canada and President of Mennonite Women Canada.
Shirley studied at the Anabaptist Mennonite Biblical Seminary and Conrad Grebel University College. Originally from Pennsylvania, U.S.A., Shirley is an avid traveler who has been to Europe, Thailand, Cambodia, Vietnam, Central/South America, Australia, New Zealand, India, Turkey, and Greece. In her spare time, Shirley also likes reading, enjoying coffee in cafes, movies, and motorcycling.
Solomon Schlegel currently serves as Gifts Officer, Canada at MEDA. Solomon is passionate about sustainability, supporting local businesses, and bringing people together to alleviate poverty. Along with his extended family, Solomon has been involved in various capacities with MEDA over the years, with special ties to the Florence Schlegel Quilt Patch Family Fund.
Having previously worked as a Program Manager for the Canada Digital Adoption Program (CDAP), Solomon brings effective communication skills and business acumen along with years of non-profit fundraising through his time on various boards and committees. Solomon has roots in Southern Manitoba. He currently resides in Winnipeg where he sits as Vice-Chair of Prairie Voices Inc, a family of choirs that include Bluestem, Prairie Voices, and Horizon. They combine contemporary repertoire with movement and innovative staging to offer a fresh take on the choral concert.
Solomon holds a Bachelor of Commerce (Honours) degree from the Asper School of Business at the University of Manitoba with a double major in Marketing and Leadership.
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