John D. Leland felt fortunate to have his real estate career get off to such a strong start in the mid-2000s. Consequently, he decided to dedicate most of what he made selling houses to those who are less fortunate.

In 2007, Leland, an agent at RE/MAX Inland Empire Inc., became heavily involved in a Spokane-based nonprofit organization called International Assistance Program. The following year, he gave his entire salary to the organization, which helps Ethiopian women who want to start small businesses. For the past two years he’s donated most of his salary to the organization.

“Everything I do and have done is because of God’s blessing in my life,” Leland said.

Because of his faith-based generosity, he received the Spokane Association of REALTORS’® Community Service Award at the organization’s annual banquet in May.

Leland started to work in real estate in April of 2004 after serving for three years as a youth and family pastor at North Side Church of Christ in Spokane. He started out as a buyer’s agent on a real estate team formed by his sister, Jennifer Valerian, at Windermere Real Estate City Group, near downtown Spokane. After six months he broke out on his own and started to represent both buyers and sellers. When his sister left to start RE/MAX Inland Empire, he joined her firm.

In 2006, he read a small blurb in the church bulletin about service work in Ethiopia. He talked to other members of the Northview Bible Church he attended, then to his wife, Kim, about going to the African nation in 2007.

The Lelands went and were astounded by what they saw. The International Assistance Program helped form the Letta Microfinance Institute, an Ethopia-based bank that makes loans to Ethiopian entrepreneurs – mostly women. The loans are small by U.S. standards – the average loan is about $350. In Ethiopia, however, that’s enough money to start a small business.

The businesses range from coffee-bean farmers to retailers, Leland said.

“Microfinance works and is breaking the grip of generational poverty,” he said.

After seeing the program in action, Leland and his wife decided to tithe sacrificially. They devised a budget through which they could live on Kim’s salary as a hair stylist and donate John’s to IAP. In 2008 he gave $54,000 to the organization. He dedicated most of his income in the following two years.

Since then, he has become chairman of the IAP board and its director of development, all the while keeping a successful real estate practice going.

The program has grown substantially in recent years. Three years ago, Letta Microfinance had made about 60 loans. As of earlier this month, Letta Microfinance (letta is an Ethiopian word for germinate, with a more literal meaning of “emerging toward the light”) had made about 850 loans.

Spokane-based IAP also has projects in Ecuador and Ghana and is continuing to expand its global reach; the bulk of its work, however, continues to be done in Ethiopia.
“It’s amazing that we can do so much with so little,” Leland said.

For more information on IAP, go to www.iassist.org.