We Deal in Hope: The Bob & Renee Parsons Foundation
Renee Parsons is the Co-founder of The Bob & Renee Parsons Foundation and President of PXG Apparel. A passionate philanthropist, Renee is a member of the global organization Women Moving Millions. She and her husband, Bob Parsons, are Giving Pledge signatories.
Years ago, Bob and I pledged our support for the people of Haiti with an emergency donation after the 2010 earthquake. Knowing we needed to help, but not sure where our funding would make the most difference, I turned to Charity Navigator. It was through the Charity Navigator website that we discovered Hope for Haiti.
It was Hope for Haiti’s dedication to serving the Haitian people, along with their approach of full transparency and financial accountability, that made me confident they would be a worthy partner. At the time, I was serving as the Vice President of Corporate Outreach at GoDaddy. Since Bob was the Founder and acting CEO of GoDaddy, we decided to make that first donation through the company’s community outreach program.
In 2012, we created The Bob & Renee Parsons Foundation to provide hope and life-changing assistance to vulnerable, underserved, and marginalized populations. And through our Foundation, Hope for Haiti has continued to be a trusted grantee and partner.
Since the 2010 earthquake, an incredible amount of progress has been made by Hope for Haiti to increase access to education, healthcare services and clean water in the communities where they work. But there is still more to be done. That’s why we continue to provide support to Hope for Haiti. Beyond the initial donation in 2010 for emergency response, our Foundation has since provided over $10,000,000 to sustain Hope for Haiti’s programs, in both times of calm and times of crisis. Hope for Haiti is driving transformational change, helping to alleviate poverty and improve living conditions in Southern Haiti. Despite external factors such as natural disasters, political uncertainty, and civil unrest, Hope for Haiti is strengthening resilience and self-reliance in some of the country’s most vulnerable communities.
Each time Bob and I visit Haiti, I am struck by the spirit of the people. These are people who, by American standards, are living in extreme levels of poverty. Yet they are filled with joy, kindness, and hope. Bob and I believe that it is this spark of hope that has the power to change lives, to change a nation. Hope for Haiti understands this power and strives to provide the Haitian people with the support and tools needed to not only hope for, but create, a brighter future.
At The Bob & Renee Parsons Foundation, we consider Charity Navigator to be a useful philanthropic resource in our due diligence process. The platform’s metrics and methodology have helped us connect with some incredible nonprofits serving at-need communities. Since our foundation launched in 2012, we have issued more than 362 grants to 123 worthy nonprofit partners. Resources like Charity Navigator allow us to make informed decisions and give us the confidence that our giving will truly make a difference.