Donor Spotlight: Ward and Kris Brehm’s Adventure of Joyful Philanthropy

When Ward Brehm first heard about Sisters Rising Worldwide, it came through a curious invitation from a friend of SRW, Ed Flaherty. Ed said, “I want you to have breakfast with me and three nuns.”  Ward waited for the punchline, but the meeting turned out to be no joke. Sitting across the table from Sister Irene O’Neill and two Sisters from Africa, he heard about a bold vision: to connect over 650,000 Sisters around the globe, amplifying their efforts to dismantle poverty, oppression, and injustice.

It seemed too big, even for someone as experienced as Ward, a longtime humanitarian, U.S. African Development Foundation board appointee by President George W. Bush, and former member of the USAID Advisory Board. But something about Sister Irene—and her fierce, winsome spirit—was impossible to dismiss. “You just can’t rule Sister Irene out,” Ward laughed. Along with close friends, he helped pilot SRW’s first project combating child trafficking in El Salvador. He traveled to witness the Sisters’ work firsthand and was blown away. “We gathered a group of nearly 30 Sisters who lived just miles apart, yet many had never met. They were so focused on serving others that they didn’t even realize they were a part of something bigger. When we asked them to share their work, they humbly said they didn’t do much. But when they described their days, it was clear that these women are the true agents of change. They don’t even think of themselves as aid workers. They see themselves simply as agents of the Lord.”

Following that trip, Ward and his wife, Kris, made an initial four-year commitment that would ultimately blossom into a transformative partnership. Together, Ward and Kris have championed SRW’s mission with their bold hearts, helping to shape SRW into the growing movement it is today. As Sister Irene reflects, “Ward and Kris’s involvement has been profoundly meaningful and impactful. They believed in the power of this vision when it was only an idea—and their trust, leadership, and joyful spirit helped shape who we have become today. They helped light the way for others to follow.”

For Kris, it’s the relational nature of SRW’s work that resonates most. “Ward is a connector. When he sees something good, he wants others to experience it too, not just to support it, but to feel the great joy and adventure it brings,” Kris shared. “With SRW, you can see the love of God shining through the Sisters to the people they serve.”

What distinguishes SRW for the Brehms is its purity of mission. “In my decades of humanitarian work, I’ve seen bureaucracy and waste,” Ward recalled, “but there’s none of that with SRW. It’s a direct, unfiltered viewpoint—like a syringe injecting hope exactly where it’s needed most. I’m not sure I’ve ever met a more pure agency. You can pick a country, a neighborhood, an issue, or even a Sister on the map that you want to help,” Ward explained. “And you see them. There’s no salary, no big machinery—just real needs, real solutions.” 

Ward recently put Sister Irene and SRW’s network to the test. When violence erupted again in the Congo, Ward reached out through formal channels to see how he could help, but only heard silence. So Ward turned to Sister Irene. Within three days, Sister Irene had connected him directly to a Sister on the ground already risking her life to help people fleeing the violence. When that Sister shared her urgent needs totaling $11,800 to support the people on the ground, she received support the very same day. “These Sisters don’t have white trucks to drive away in when challenges come,” Ward said. “But they wouldn’t even if they could.”

Ward and Kris live their spirituality by example. Reflecting on their journey, they speak of stewardship and joy, not sacrifice. “The assets we have aren’t really ours,” Kris shared. “We’re just stewards, called to love God and love people.” And as Ward added, “Getting involved with a cause bigger than yourself transforms your life. If you’re going to complain about an issue, you also need to ask: What am I going to do about it? Getting involved isn’t about draining your checking account, it’s about accepting an invitation to the greatest adventure of your life.”

After 44 years of marriage, countless adventures, and lives touched around the globe, Ward and Kris embody the spirit of SRW as they define it: powerful, yet simple. Love God. Love people. Change the world.

Interested in learning more about SRW over breakfast with Sister Irene, too? Email her to connect.