| Giving globally
Virginia Business
December 2004
Charity
may begin at home but it shouldn’t end there,
says Richmond businessman and philanthropist Steven
A. Markel. The vice chairman of the Markel Corp., a
specialty insurance company based in Richmond, recently
gave $1 million to the Micro Enterprise Development
Program run by the Christian Children’s Fund (CCF).
The gift represents the largest private donation ever
for the program, which works in developing countries
to provide job training and low-interest loans to small
business startups. “Just as we are told to invest
globally, people should consider giving globally,”
Markel says. He also believes that donors should take
the time to get involved and ensure that their charitable
funds are being used effectively.
Markel, a board director for CCF, and his wife, Melanie,
decided to direct their funds to the Micro Enterprise
Development Program after traveling to CCF sites in
Guatemala, Honduras, Senegal and the Gambia. “Visiting
these places makes it a whole lot more real; it’s
easy to see what’s lacking,” he says. “Everywhere
you turn there are unlimited opportunities to do things
to help children.”
The Markels also regularly provide money to Richmond
charities such as the Massey Cancer Center and Maymont
Park.
Having been a part of Markel Corp. since 1975, Markel
is most interested in helping to foster an entrepreneurial
spirit and a sense of economic self-sufficiency within
small communities. After sustenance, shelter and safety,
“creating a means to livelihood is the next thing
in the food chain.”
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