he Lamberts built their careers as entrepreneurs in the healthcare industry, launching and selling several successful businesses. After years of hard work, they found themselves with resources far beyond what they expected. “We had been given a lot, and a lot was expected of us,” Holly reflects. “We couldn’t possibly spend it all ourselves—and God placed a desire on both our hearts to give back in a meaningful way.” Ryan, however, struggled with wanting to hold on to a certain financial “security number” for his family’s future. Letting go of that mindset required courage. “Releasing that number and going in the opposite direction was one of the craziest things I’ve ever done,” he says. “It felt risky—until I did it. Then I realized it was exactly the right decision.”

As Ryan studied Scripture and saw the warnings about clinging to wealth, he became determined to steward what God had entrusted to them. The couple leaned into an audacious plan: to give generously and wholeheartedly. “Our goal is to shovel it out the door to serve others,” he says. As they gave more, they began to understand why God calls His people to live generously. “Giving brings deep joy—not just because it feels good, but because it aligns with who God created us to be,” Holly says. “We are made to love Him and to love others. When we put ourselves second and choose to help someone else, we experience that joy.” When they began exploring ways to make a significant impact, the options felt overwhelming. But they sensed God directing them toward serving the world’s most vulnerable people.

“There are thousands of organizations addressing poverty,” Ryan says. “World Vision does it at scale and with operational excellence. When I had cancer, I went to Mayo Clinic because I needed the best care to stay alive for my family. World Vision operates with that same level of excellence—for life or death situations faced by children around the world.”
As trust grew with the World Vision team, Ryan attended the Everyone Needs a Believer Conference in Southern California. There, he witnessed the global impact firsthand and became confident that World Vision could deploy their family’s resources effectively and urgently. Together, Ryan and Holly offered a 24 hour match for any gift supporting any World Vision program. When the match concluded, the response was extraordinary. In the moment, Holly felt prompted to double the match—an act that led to the largest single day of giving in World Vision’s 75 year history.

The outpouring of generosity that followed impacted nearly every area of World Vision’s work. Their investment helped 1.2 million people gain tools to lift themselves out of extreme poverty; upgraded 96 healthcare facilities in Niger; equipped community health workers to reach nearly 1 million people; expanded clean water access for more than 1 million people in Zambia; strengthened child protection programs to end child marriage; provided 210 Child Friendly Spaces for children recovering from crisis; and distributed 22,500 Bibles, helping more than 100,000 people encounter God’s Word.

Ryan reflects, “Letting go of control and trusting God to guide our giving has brought us so much joy. People have real needs right now—we don’t have to wait to respond. I once thought wealth would make me happy but giving it away with others is what brings the greatest joy.”

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We invite you to explore the stories of 6 Philanthropists who are partnering with World Vision to empower families to overcome poverty.