Interview with Devin Hermanson of World Vision

I recently had to opportunity to interview Devin Hermanson of World Vision. I’ve been battling an ongoing ear infection so I thought it best to conduct this interview by email. Devin is the head of the Gift Catalog at World Vision. He not only took time to answer questions about the Catalog, but also the Haiti tragedy.

1. World Vision’s Gift Catalog is such a wonderful way to get families involved in giving. How did it come about?
It was the idea of a family who had been donors to World Vision and were looking for a way to share their values with their children. They worked with World Vision to come up with several options that depicted the plight of the poor around the world as well as tangible solutions, gave their children a budget, and then chose how to donate the money as a family. Families have been using the World Vision Gift Catalog to bring more meaning to their Christmas celebrations ever since. 

2. What is one of the most touching stories you’ve heard as a result of a purchase from the Catalog?
There have been so many, but one story really touched my heart recently. A brave young boy named Tot Pok in Cambodia lost both his parents to AIDS and had to act as the parent to his siblings. Together, they struggled to survive without a steady source of food or even a real roof over their heads; just a group of young children alone. Thanks to World Vision donors, they now have a chance at full lives as they have a new home, a source of income, and can go to school. Tot Pok still misses his parents, but seeing him talk about his new life, it’s clear that he now has hope; a
beautiful gift.

You can actually see the video on our facebook page.

3. What is the most popular purchase from the Catalog and why do you think it is?
The goat is by far the most popular choice every year because it’s offers such clear benefits to a family.  The gift of a goat offers cheese, milk, and fertilizer for farming for just $75.  Also, the families are taught to not just care for the
animals but to sell them at market, so the impact is long lasting. Families essentially are given a small business and often share offspring with others in the community, allowing a single donation to reach generations of many families.

4. What was your career path that led you to World Vision? How did you get your start working with the Catalog? I’ve had a vision of serving the poor since I was very young and got my MBA at Boston University because they also offered a certificate in non-profit management. The creative possibilities of multimedia and the Internet lead me first to Microsoft and then to one of the very first Internet commerce companies, which eventually went public. At that point, I was yearning to get back to my original vision and found the Gift Catalog opening on an Internet job posting. The timing was perfect and my past experiences have really helped in guiding the Catalog over the past 8 years.

5. What would you recommend parents do to encourage their children who are interested in pursuing a similar path or any non-profit charitable career?
I think that the best thing that parents can do to help is to schedule informational interviews for the kids so they can begin to get a real vision of how they might fit into an organization.

6. When a major tragedy, such as the earthquakes in Haiti, take place do you see a dip in purchases from the Catalog as people contribute more to this specific area?
Our donors consistently amaze us with their generosity and I can say that the impact on the Catalog has not been substantial. For the most part, however, the Catalog brings in donations during a very concentrated period of time and the truly significant disasters over the past decade have come after Christmas.

7. World Vision has been in Haiti helping for the last 30 years. The website is a wonderful resource of information about the tragedy and offers many different ways for families to help. What are a few ways that families with young children can help while using the opportunity to teach giving and charity to their children without scaring them?
The news is filled with images these days that may not be appropriate for children. As much as we try to keep children in mind when posting material on our site, I think it’s always prudent for parents to screen media. In my experience, children are often very enthusiastic about helping other children and can be a great inspiration to adults!  Encouraging that natural generosity by discussing the information available on our website as a family, and then choosing how to help is a great experience for many families.

The message that is so powerful for kids is that they can make a difference!  They can not only choose how to help, but also can use their voices to reach out to others. Many children have amazed their parents with the power of their efforts in group fundraising through our Giving Toolbox. The Toolbox is a resource kit that helps guide all kinds of groups in putting their passion into action. You can find more information here.

Thanks to Devin and World Vision for the opportunity to learn more about the organization, the Gift Catalog, and how involve our children in helping Haiti.