A Letter from Eugene Cho

Dear ODW Community,

First of all, thank you so much for your ongoing support and belief in the work of One Day’s Wages. We can’t be who we are and do what we do without you. Because of your support, ODW had our most impactful year in 2019. We invested over $1.2 million in carefully vetted projects through 36 partnerships, impacting over 38,000 people. This year, our vision is to raise and invest $1.5 million, which will impact even more people.

As we remain focused on our goals for this year and beyond, I have some big personal news to share with you– and I wanted to make sure you were among the first people to hear it and hear it directly from me. But let me assure you that as the co-founders of ODW, my wife, Minhee and I remain committed to the vision and future of ODW.

FIRST, THE NEWS.

Alongside my leadership at ODW, I’ve decided to take on the opportunity of becoming the new President/CEO of an organization called Bread for the World (BFTW), based in Washington DC. BFTW is a non-partisan Christian organization that seeks to end hunger in the United States and around the world. Unlike ODW, they do zero direct relief or funding and engage only in advocacy and research. I’ll assume this leadership beginning in July 2020 and will be commuting for one year before relocating to DC.

WHAT WILL CHANGE ABOUT MY ROLE AT ODW?
Again, let me amplify my passion for ODW. While some things will inevitably be impacted, I will continue to strategically lead ODW as President and visionary (non-paid).

Starting in July, I’ll focus the majority of my time at ODW on big picture vision and strategy. While I’ve served as the primary external voice and visionary since the inception of ODW, we have always been more than just one person or family. Our strength is shown through the broad support of our incredible staff, boards, donors, partners, and through each of you. We’re already working on a plan to ensure that we achieve our future goals.

WHY BREAD FOR THE WORLD?

Like you, I’m passionate about the work and vision of ODW as we impact thousands of beneficiaries every year through our carefully vetted projects. Through my role at BFTW, we’ll have an opportunity to influence numerous critical policies and the allocation of hundreds of millions of federal funding that will impact millions of lives–ultimately, towards the shared goal of ending poverty in our lifetime. In other words, I’m both burdened and excited about doubling down on the conviction to empower the poor and vulnerable through ODW and BFTW.

THANK YOU.

Above everything, I want to express my gratitude for your ongoing support and partnership. There will inevitably be some challenges but with your continued partnership, I’m confident and expectant for the future of One Day’s Wages.

With gratitude,
Eugene Cho

Read more about the announcement here.