Diana French

Diana French created Brother to Brother International in 1982 to address the needs of charities internationally. Brother to Brother locates American businesses willing to donate humanitarian products such as medicine, food and clothing and matches them with charities around the world. Unlike other gift-in-kind programs, Brother to Brother provides its services at no cost to non-profit organizations.

Ms. French serves as the liaison between American businesses and the charities they wish to help. Brother to Brother uses a sophisticated database that matches the needs of charities throughout the nation and around the world to businesses with resources to donate. Under Ms. French, Brother to Brother has been able to connect more than $300 million dollars’ worth of items to more than 1,000 charities since its inception.

Ms. French has transformed Brother to Brother from a local organization, exclusively serving the Tempe area, to an international organization. Brother to Brother is currently ranked as the eighth largest gift-in-kind program.

Brother to Brother's more than 250 part time and 30 full time volunteers range from former welfare recipients to retirees. These volunteers work together with Ms. French to ensure that the needs of various groups are met.

Ms. French has overseen the establishment of the Brother to Brother Book Project. The administrative and staff costs are underwritten by World Vision. The largest expense for Brother to Brother is transporting the donated items, a cost that is usually absorbed by the donor.

The local schools report fewer failing grades and better attendance by children in tutoring. This, the program believes, will translate into more high school graduates, fewer gang members and a break in the cycle of generations of families who remain in public housing because of lack of education and job skills.