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Kim Renken volunteered through Grameen Foundation’s skillanthropy program, Bankers without Borders (BwB) where we connect thousands of skilled volunteers with high potential social enterprises and nonprofits around the world. Kim’s story below captures her journey as a volunteer: stepping into an unfamiliar sector, working in collaboration with a team of volunteers to dig into investment strategy, and discovering how much impact volunteers can have—while learning just as much in the process.

Recently, my Global Fellows team proudly delivered our final recommendations to LEAP Housing, an Idaho-based nonprofit tackling housing affordability through innovative community-driven solutions—a moment that left me feeling deeply grateful and inspired.

When I signed up for this skill-based volunteering opportunity months ago, I never imagined how transformative it would be.

In just a few short months, I immersed myself in a completely new topic, collaborated with an incredible group of colleagues, and contributed to an organization making a real difference in a community far from my own. Our project centered on helping LEAP Housing explore how to scale its impact investment fund—an effort that could expand affordable housing options in a state with limited public incentives. The experience stretched me in ways I didn’t anticipate and reminded me of the power of stepping outside your comfort zone.

When I first joined, I wasn’t sure what to expect. During our kickoff meeting, I met five other volunteers that I have never met, from five different parts of the company living in five different locations. Together, we completed consulting training and dove into pre-reading materials about LEAP Housing. It quickly became clear that I knew almost nothing about housing challenges in Idaho or the complexities of scaling investment funds—with LEAP aiming to grow theirs toward the $100M mark. Honestly, I wondered how I could possibly add value.

But that uncertainty didn’t last long. I discovered that each of us brought unique skills and perspectives to the table. What united us was a shared passion for learning and community impact. We worked to identify potential impact funders, strengthen core collateral, and outline strategic steps for LEAP to expand the fund’s reach—all areas where our collective experience mattered more than any one person’s expertise. We embraced the challenge wholeheartedly—spending hours researching topics far outside our day-to-day roles and sharing insights during weekly meetings. Each contribution added a new layer of understanding, creating a holistic view that none of us could have achieved alone.

This experience reminded me that growth happens when we lean into the unfamiliar. It reinforced the importance of collaboration and the incredible impact we can make when we combine our talents for a common purpose. Walking away from this project, I feel proud, energized, and more connected—not just to my team, but to the broader mission of making housing accessible for all.