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“When you see horrible things happen to innocent people, you can choose one of two paths. You can either go a route of bitterness and hatred and perpetuate a problem, or you can think—does this have to be like this?” - Thomas Keown
Who is best equipped to drive lasting change for people facing challenging circumstances?
Our latest guest on Future Nonprofit, Thomas Keown, has discovered a powerful answer to this question—and it's one you may not be expecting.
Thomas grew up in Northern Ireland during a 30-year conflict known as The Troubles. For decades, all his community knew was war, fighting, and hate. But over time, Thomas came to realize that although injustices can transcend generations, so too can healing and hope.
After going back to help the youth of his homeland as an adult, it became crystal clear to Thomas what kind of people are capable of making the most profound impact on world crises—the people who have made it out of those very crises.
Today, Thomas is the founder and CEO of Many Hopes, a nonprofit that empowers children to overcome injustice and then equips them with the tools they need to help others do the same. Some of the children supported by Many Hopes go on to become lawyers fighting the very injustice they experienced and doctors providing the care they couldn’t receive—each one living proof of the power of survivor-driven change.
In this special episode from our Camp Redwood series, you’ll discover what it takes to inspire support for causes that may be out of sight and out of mind, why Thomas's decision to return funds to some of his donors led to a surprising increase in giving, how a nonprofit closing its doors can actually be the ultimate success story, and so much more.
If you’re looking to learn from a nonprofit that has mastered the art of building trust with their donors, their local outreach partners, and the people they serve, this episode is for you.
Thomas Keown founded Many Hopes after visiting East Africa for the first time in 2007 and thinking, “If my friends back home could see what I’ve just seen, they would want to help. So I’m going to show them.”
Born in Northern Ireland during “The Troubles,” he was educated at Queens University, Belfast, worked for one of the two Nobel prize-winning signatories of the Belfast Peace Agreement, and is a former columnist. His career has spanned the media, politics and for-purpose missions in the UK, USA, Africa, and Latin America. His belief that seemingly intractable problems can be solved by bringing the right influences to bear on them stems from his Christian faith. He lives in New York City with his wife and three-legged dog, serves as an elder at Church of the City, and travels extensively speaking on issues of justice.
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