annual report design-final

GLOBAL PEACE AND DEVELOPMENT CHARITABLE TRUST

PHILANTHROPY REPORT

WE BELIEVE THAT A HEALTHY DEMOCRACY PROVIDES THE GREATEST CHANCE FOR PEACE, STABILITY, AND PROSPERITY.

Table of Contents

2 Letter from Founder

4 GPD Mission and Philosophy

5 Approach to Giving

6 Grantmaking Trends

8 Grantee List

12 Partner Highlights

HIGHLIGHT 1: United States Military Academy - Center for the Study of Civil-Military Operations

HIGHLIGHT 2: Nuestros Pequeños Hermanos

HIGHLIGHT 3: University of Denver – Center for the Study of the Middle East (CSME)

HIGHLIGHT 4: Syria Direct

HIGHLIGHT 5: Partners for Democratic Change

HIGHLIGHT 6: Tufts University - Dialogue BiH 2.0

HIGHLIGHT 7: Illinois Joining Forces

HIGHLIGHT 8: YMCA of Greater Pittsburgh

26 Stardust Fund Grants

GPD CHARITABLE TRUST PHILANTHROPY REPORT | 1

I created the GPD Charitable Trust in December 2010 to make a difference.

Our motto is “Change the Arc of History…..Just a Little,” recognizing both

the hope and the reality of charitable endeavors. My intent is to honor

those who helped create the wealth from which the Trust was derived by

investing in programs and organizations that improve the world.

LETTERFROMFOUNDER GlobalPeaceAndDevelopment

I remember eagerly accepting the Gates-Buffett challenge to dedicate more than half of my net-worth to charitable causes. It was an easy and natural decision given my upbringing, my values and my career—all of which shaped my service ethos and philosophical commitment to philanthropy.

I was raised in an average middle-class household in Pittsburgh Pennsylvania yet found myself intrigued by military service and international work. This led me to the United States Military Academy at West Point, then to the Army and the business career that inspired the GPD Charitable Trust.

Our major grants at leading academic institutions like West Point, the University of Denver and Northwestern University are designed to encourage thought leadership that is broad and long-range in scope. With this funding we hope to influence the graduates who will lead our nation, the scholars who lead in their fields of study, and the broader communities these institutions touch.

Growing up I observed my father’s dedication to service as he worked tirelessly in our local community organizations and later committed to becoming a “leader

of character to serve the nation” at West Point. My experiences as a young man seeking to fulfill my potential, as a military officer serving abroad, then as

a business leader and entrepreneur working globally, formed the world view and perspective that are closely reflected in our approach to giving:

1 2

3

The commitment to making the world a safer and freer place, which I learned and practiced through my service to the nation as a military officer and as a civilian.

A belief that civic organizations and programs that support youth development are the backbone of a strong community. Whether it was scouting, church or sports, I attribute much of my success to the people who committed their time to serving the community.

4A belief that organizations and individuals are more effective and impactful when they work collaboratively, though it can be difficult.

A belief that well-timed interventions and mentorship in the late-teen/early adult years are critical to developing leaders of character who can fully self-actualize, which I learned from the mentors and leaders that made a difference in my life.

At West Point, we seek to build a Center that will help the US Army better engage local communities in the countries where our soldiers operate so we can be more effective in achieving our military objectives and avoid past mistakes. At Northwestern and the University of Denver, we seek to engage students, faculty and the general public on current issues related to the Middle East with the understanding that dynamics in the region are complex but can and will eventually support democratic governance. Our goals are ambitious, which is why we have committed to partnering with these organizations and their leadership for the long term.

Our commitment to democracy promotion does not end with larger institutions but builds on and from them. Our support to Syria Direct, Development Transformations, and Partners for Democratic Change further leverages our reach and mission. We seek to foster collaborative networks and partnerships that enhance our ability to tackle challenging issues. Given our size, we are uniquely positioned as a grant-making organization to create these networks and build the foundation for sustainable success.

Our commitment to late-teen/early adult interventions is driven by the belief that with good mentors and some patience, young people can become leaders in their communities. Our major grants in this area are to Nuestros Pequeños Hermanos (NPH) and to the YMCA of Pittsburgh where we have funded youth development programs and fostered a collaboration between the two organizations.

We established our “Stardust” fund for smaller grants to organizations and initiatives aligned with our goals that make an impact on their communities in innovative ways. These grants include Spearhead Rugby, The Rabine Family Foundation, Illinois Joining Forces and

many others listed in this report. Our hope is that by making these small grants we can inspire social entrepreneurial practices in charitable giving.

GPD maintains two funding sources. The first is the US Charitable Trust, which is a registered 501c (3). Currently the US Charitable Trust has a corpus of approximately $14,000,000 and funds our work with large academic institutions as well as other short and long-term domestic projects of varying size and scope. The second is the Bermuda-based Charitable Trust which supports organizations outside the United States. The US Charitable Trust is designed to have a fifteen to twenty year horizon while the much larger Bermuda Charitable Trust is geared toward longer-term funding for select organizations and projects.

Our portfolio now includes approximately ten grantees with multi-year commitments. We envision eventually providing significant endowment support to a small number of these organizations in alignment with the US Charitable Trust’s scheduled sunset.

I am confident that as individual funders seeking to make an impact on the world we are not alone in our efforts. Individuals can and do make a difference, and to those given much, much is expected. More and more individuals have chosen the path of philanthropy and it is my hope that this report inspires others to invest in some of the organizations highlighted here, or, alternatively, to create their own charitable giving plan.

Thanks,

John DeBlasio Founder, GPD Charitable Trust

Baghdad 2005 - The Sallyport Team that made it all possible

GPD CHARITABLE TRUST PHILANTHROPY REPORT | 2 & 3

John and his dad who inspired him through his example of community

service

MISSION The Global Peace and Development (GPD) Charitable Trust

seeks to help build a peaceful and stable world by investing in

youth, strengthening civil society, and inspiring others through

creative partnerships.

PHILOSOPHY We believe that a healthy democracy provides the greatest

chance for peace, stability, and prosperity. Our investments in

the future create and support programs designed to strengthen

communities and academic institutions, train and engage

young leaders, and develop effective mechanisms for civic

action that address real-world problems.


In addition to financial support we

engage with our partners to craft long-

range programmatic goals, develop

strategies for building a strong, diverse

and sustainable base of supporters,

and foster lasting partnerships across

organizations to increase impact.

Our approach to philanthropic giving

is modeled on financial portfolio

allocation theory as we are continually

improving our ability to derive the best

mix of risk and return for the Trust.

Each project is reviewed annually and

the portfolio is rebalanced regularly

to ensure we are investing our funds

in the best possible way with an eye

toward the future.

Many of the initiatives we support

are unique, sometimes experimental

projects that have great potential to be

scaled or replicated. The goal of much

of our funding is to create models for

innovative approaches to complex

issues that can be applied and adapted

to different contexts.

We hope to eventually provide legacy

endowments for a small number of

projects that demonstrate the greatest

potential for sustainability and long-

term impact.

APPROACH We aim to build and support a portfolio of complementary initiatives that will be sustainable and impactful beyond the life of the Trust. Our approach is to provide multi-year funding to like-minded institutions and individuals and work closely

with them to create a foundation for long-term success.

GPDPHILANTHROPYREPORT

GLO

BA

L PEACE & DEVELOPMEN

T

CHARITABLE TRUST

13%

2%

Strengthening International Relations and Security

Youth Development

Democracy-Building / Civil Society

Community Strengthening

Support for Veterans


GRANTMAKINGTRENDSTOTAL DOLLARS GRANTED TO DATE:

Global Peace Development Grants are designed to encourage thought leadership that is broad and long-range in scope. With this funding we hope to influence the graduates who will lead our nation, the scholars who lead in

their fields of study, and the broader communities these institutions touch.

GPD TOTAL ANNUAL GRANTMAKINGGRANTS BY CATEGORY (2012-2015)

55%

21%9%

Committed

Projected

050

0,00

01,

000,

000

1,50

0,00

02,

000,

000

2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017

Syria Direct

Center for Middle East Studies at the University of Denver

Center for Middle East Studies at the University of Denver

GPDGRANTSLIST

COMMUNITY STRENGTHENING

The Cara ProgramChicago, Illinoiswww.thecaraprogram.org$50,000 over five yearsFor general operating supportThe Cara Program provides a comprehensive solution to the interrelated challenges of poverty, unemployment barriers and chronic homelessness through a range of industry-specific job training, support, and placement services

The Chicago Council on Global AffairsChicago, Illinoiswww.thechicagocouncil.org$558,000 over five yearsFor general support and for a Senior Fellow on National Security and the Middle EastCCGA provides a forum in Chicago for world leaders, policymakers and issue area experts experts to educate the public and influence public discourse on timely global topics.

Gads Hill CenterChicago, Illinoiswww.gadshillcenter.org$45,000 over three yearsFor general operating supportGads Hill Center serves families in the communities of west and southwest Chicago through early childhood education, academic support and enrichment, social-emotional development and family support programs.

Upwardly GlobalChicago, Illinoiswww.upwardlyglobal.org$40,000 over one yearFor a partnership with the Iraqi Mutual Aid Society and RefugeeOne to provide job and wrap-around services to refugee families from Iraq, Syria and Afghanistan Upwardly Global provides job search assistance and training to educated and skilled immigrants, refugees, and asylees to help them successfully enter the professional workforce in the U.S. while partnering with employers to integrate this population.

DEMOCRACY-BUILDING / CIVIL SOCIETY

Development Transformations, LLCWashington, D.C.www.developmenttransformations.com$80,000 over three yearsFor governance and media projects in Yemen and UkraineDevelopment Transformations helps countries in transition foster cross-sector partnerships that strengthen civil society, encourage citizen participation in the political process and enhance government efficiency and effectiveness.

The 10 iLEAP Global Leadership Program participants (with Donna Egge) from Nuestros Pequeños Hermanos receive certificates of completion at the iLEAP Graduation Ceremony on July 2, 2015. The participants came from Mexico, Honduras, El Salvador, Haiti, and the Dominican Republic for a four week intensive leadership program in Seattle, Washington.

GRANTS COMMITTED SINCE 2012

GPDGRANTSLIST

Partners for Democratic ChangeWashington, D.C.www.partnersglobal.org$90,000 over four yearsTo develop the S-GAP toolkit and establish a pilot project in Honduras The S-GAP framework is an approach to security sector reform that engages civil society, governments, local and international security forces, the private sector and international organizations in crafting a common language and shared definitions that support constructive collaboration.

Spirit of AmericaLos Angeles, Californiawww.spiritofamerica.net$100,000 over four yearsFor general operating supportSpirit of America supports the safety and success of the US military and diplomats serving abroad by providing targeted humanitarian and economic assistance to vulnerable populations in more than thirty countries.

Syria DirectAmman, Jordanwww.syriadirect.org$545,000 over five yearsTo launch and establish Syria DirectSyria Direct is a non-profit journalism organization that produces timely, credible coverage of issues in Syria by training a small group of Syrian and American citizen journalists in professional information-gathering and unbiased, in-depth reporting.

Tufts UniversityMedford, Massachusettswww.dialoguebih.net$125,000 for two yearsTo launch and establish Dialogue BiH2.0 Dialogue BiH2.0 is a citizen-run interactive internet portal designed to improve government accountability and effectiveness in Bosnia-Herzegovina by aggregating publicly available data, enhancing communication and spurring civic engagement.

USAID – Office of Transition InitiativesWashington, DChttp://www.usaid.gov/political-transition-initiatives$100,000 - grant pendingTo support OTI and other peace and security initiatives OTI supports U.S. foreign policy objectives by providing fast, flexible, short-term assistance targeted at key political transition and stabilization needs and strategically designed for each unique situation.

The Womanity FoundationGeneva, Switzerlandwww.womanity.org$25,000 over three years For general operating support The Womanity Foundation initiates and supports innovative programs for women and girls in developing countries that focus on education, employment, safety and participation in civil society and the media.

Improving the governance, accountability and performance of the security sector is a priority for leaders in uniform in Nigeria. Using the Security Governance Accountability and Performance Framework developed by Partners for Democratic Change with support from GPDCT and National Endowment for Democracy uniform leaders discussed current challenges and developed solutions to shared problems.



GPDGRANTSLIST

STRENGTHENING INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS AND SECURITY

Business Executives for National SecurityWashington, D.C.www.bens.org$75,000 over four yearsTo launch BENS ChicagoBENS supports the U.S. government by applying best business practices and industry expertise toward creative solutions to its most challenging national security problems.

University of Denver – Josef Korbel School of International StudiesDenver, Coloradowww.du.edu/korbel/middleeast/$2,035,000 over ten yearsTo launch and establish the Center for Middle East StudiesCMES generates scholarly research and fosters public understanding of the Middle East and the broader Islamic world’s societies, political systems, and international relations through dialogue and debate on the contemporary politics of the region. This amount also includes funding for CMES partnerships with WorldDenver and the Interfaith Youth Core.

Northwestern UniversityEvanston, Illinoiswww.mena.northwestern.edu/$500,000 over five yearsTo launch and establish the Middle East and North African Studies ProgramMENA offers students and the broader community opportunities to study and discuss critical approaches to social, cultural, political, and economic forces in the Middle East, and provides an understanding of their histories and global interconnections.

United States Military Academy at West PointWest Point, New Yorkwww.usma.edu/cscmo$5,000,000 over twelve yearsTo launch and establish the Center for the Study of Civil-Military OperationsThe CSCMO embeds civil-military and interagency cooperation into traditional military education though cross-disciplinary programming that emphasizes collaboration between the military and the government, NGOs and civilian populations.

SUPPORT FOR VETERANS

Illinois Joining Forces FoundationChicago, Illinoiswww.illinoisjoiningforces.org$140,000 over three yearsTo launch and establish Illinois Joining ForcesIllinois Joining Forces is a statewide public-private network of veteran and military-serving organizations that collaborate to help service members, veterans and their families navigate available resources and support services.

MVP VetsCarlsbad, Californiawww.mvpvets.org$30,000 over three yearsFor job training programsMVPVets helps thousands of military veterans develop new careers in the life sciences fields through virtual training, mentorship opportunities and job matching services.

YOUTH DEVELOPMENT

Pittsburgh YMCAPittsburgh, Pennsylvaniawww.deervalleyymca.org$672,130 over four yearsFor youth leadership programs and camp facilities at Deer Valley YMCA

Nuestros Pequeños Hermanos (NPH) USAChicago, Illinoiswww.nphusa.org$676,465 over four yearsFor youth leadership development programs for NPH International NPH transforms orphaned, abandoned and disadvantaged children’s lives in Latin America and the Caribbean by providing safe, healthy and loving homes, healthcare, leadership and educational opportunities.

Spearhead Rugby AcademyStillwater, Minnesotawww.spearheadrugby.com$45,000 over four yearsFor Student scholarshipsSpearhead Rugby Academy offers training, coaching and academic support to elite high school rugby players and cross-over athletes seeking a career in professional rugby.



Undergraduate Student David Lunde, recipient of CMES’ Best Student Paper Award, with Danny Postel & Nader Hashemi

West Point Class of 2016 Cadet Nicole Zajimovic meets with the Honorable Madeleine Albright following the Thayer Award dinner.

NPH LeadershipAcademy - Guatemala 2014

Syria Direct

With today’s military officers increasingly called upon to accomplish complex missions that require collaboration with civilian partners, the Center fills a critical need in preparing cadets for the multi-faceted challenges they will face when deployed.

GPD SUPPORTIn 2012 GPD committed five million dollars over twelve years to the U.S. Military Academy at West Point to launch and grow the Center for the Study of Civil-Military Operations. The Center’s programming focuses on four key areas: interdisciplinary academic training, service learning, scholarship and public programs. To accomplish its mission the Center works with a range of public, private and nonprofit sector partners that offer meaningful cadet internship opportunities and lend issue area experts to cross-sector dialogues on timely issues.

In 2015 students from traditional universities, including Denver University’s Korbel School of International Studies, another GPD grantee, attended the Center’s annual student workshop, bringing a broader range of perspective and experience to the discussions.

IMPACT TO DATETo date, over 1,000 cadets and faculty have participated in the Center’s various programs and this number is set to increase in years to come. In 2014 the Center organized 43 internships for cadets in the U.S. and around the world with partners that included NATO, the Marshall Center, the American University in Kosovo, the U.S. Institute of

Peace and Partners for Democratic Change, also a GPD grant recipient.

Since its launch, the Center has held three student workshops on civil-military cooperation in the context of humanitarian assistance and disaster response engaging experts from Stanford Medical School, the National Disaster Preparedness Training Center, USAID and Linking the World and awarded nine cadet-faculty research grants to collaborate on CMO-related projects.

“We have worked hard over three years to develop a pragmatic and balanced program which enhances the curriculum at West Point by tying it to a community of

practice in a global environment. Our four pillars of Syllabus Integration, Speakers and Scholars, Symposia and Sharing and Service Learning are infinitely scalable

to match the demand of increased opportunities for education…” JOHN MELKON, CENTER DIRECTOR

WHAT’S NEXTCadets have already acknowledged the Center’s critical role in increasing their cultural competency and preparing them to collaborate with non-military entities. Over the next few years, the Center will aim to have impact beyond West Point and become an informational hub and educational model for the other service academies, the Army and the nation.

OVERVIEW AND MISSION

The first of its type housed at a military academy and targeting junior officers, the Center embeds civil-military and interagency cooperation into traditional military education. Cross-disciplinary programming that emphasizes the collaboration between the military and other areas of the government, NGOs and civilian populations is a key

component of the Center’s instructional philosophy.

“CSCMO HAS TAKEN A SUBJECT MATTER THAT WAS PREVIOUSLY

SEEN AS THE PURVIEW OF HIGHER RANKS BY THE TRADITIONAL

COMMUNITY OF PROFESSIONAL MILITARY EDUCATION

AND INTRODUCED IT AT THE EARLIEST LEVEL OF OFFICER

EDUCATION.” (John Melkon, Center Director)

WESTPOINTHighlight 1: Center for the Study of

Civil-Military Operations at West Point

“Having served in Iraq in

2003-2004 as a Civil Affairs

Officer, I recognized how

unprepared we were to

manage the post-conflict

transition. This inspired me

to establish a Center with the

specific mission of developing

young leaders capable of

managing conflict outside of

kinetic action.” JOHN DEBLASIO - FOUNDER OF

GPD CHARITABLE TRUST


CSCMO cadets building a digester dome during a renewable energy mission in Uganda

“NPH was the DeBlasio Family charity. For years we participated in the Padrino program, which involves supporting a Pequeño at one of the homes through financial contributions and writing letters. When I established the GPD Charitable Trust, it was natural for me to look at programs that would support NPH. I was inspired by Donna Egge’s vision to develop the full potential of the children leaving the homes as well as to drive change within NPH through professional

development.”

JOHN DEBLASIO - FOUNDER OF

GPD CHARITABLE TRUSTLuz de Maria Lopez Vigil from NPH El Salvador presents her Applied Leadership Project and cumulative learnings after 4 weeks in the iLEAP Global Leadership Program for Nuestros Pequeños Hermanos. The photo was taken on July 2, 2015 at the iLEAP Graduation Ceremony.

NPHHighlight 2: Nuestros Pequeños Hermanos


Created in 1954, Nuestros Pequeños Hermanos (NPH) seeks to transform orphaned, abandoned and disadvantaged children’s lives in Latin America and the Caribbean by providing safe, healthy and loving homes, healthcare and educational opportunities. Through core values of unconditional love, shared responsibility and service to others,

NPH helps these children grow into caring and productive members of their communities.

GPD SUPPORTSince 2012 GPD has committed $776,000 to support a range of leadership development initiatives that target Pequeños in their critical late-teen/early adult years. These programs seek to complement NPH’s other basic services by building the skills and providing the experiences that youth need to break the cycle of poverty and reach their full potential in life after NPH.

Our grants support international leadership workshops that bring together NPH students from the nine NPH countries, exposes them to new ideas and world-class leaders and encourages them to develop leadership skills through experiential learning.

The capstone of the programs is the Seattle International Leadership Institute. Launched as a pilot in 2011, the Institute brings college-age NPH youth to Seattle to attend classes at a local community college, live with host families and participate in a variety of coordinated skill-building activities.

Given the demonstrated success of the Seattle program, in 2015 we challenged the local NPH supporters to assume funding of the Seattle Leadership Institute. This allowed us to shift our funding toward the iLEAP Fellowship Program, a rigorous, four-week program that enrolls youth from around the world. iLEAP incorporates personal reflection, group learning, professional development, communication and effective leadership training. Our first class of eight NPH youth completed iLEAP in July 2015.

Building collaborations across grantees is critical to our ethos of adding value to our partner organizations. GPD facilitated an

innovative partnership with the Deer Valley YMCA and other YMCA camps in western Pennsylvania where NPH youth serve as YMCA summer camp counselors while rising YMCA leaders volunteer in an NPH home in the spring. This exchange imbues a spirit of service in the young YMCA teens and is a transformational learning experience for the Pequeños. To date we have sponsored and inspired 26 Rising Leaders from the YMCA and six young leaders from NPH to see the world in a different and better way.

IMPACT TO DATE From 2012 to 2015 our program has graduated twenty-three Pequeños from the Seattle Institute, eight NPH Leaders from the iLEAP program, six NPH Leaders through the YMCA collaboration, and engaged over twenty-five YMCA Rising Leaders in the NPH homes. We have conducted multiple leader seminars and begun to develop future leaders for the NPH organization. We are tracking these youth to assess impact. Initial results with respect to achieving employment, avoiding poverty and developing leaders with NPH and the YMCA are encouraging.

WHAT’S NEXTIn coming years, NPH plans to create and grow partnerships with organizations that can provide more opportunities for young people to develop the skills and confidence they will need to live independently. NPH will seek to build on the momentum from GPD support to grow its base of funders interested in youth development and leadership programs in order to serve more youth and broaden the range of experiences.

“iLEAP Fellows return home to lead their communities with a renewed clarity and commitment to who they are, what they do, and how together they can change the world.“

CHUCK ALLWORTH, MIDWEST REGION DIRECTOR, NPH USA

NPH IS CURRENTLY RAISING MORE THAN 3,400 BOYS

AND GIRLS. AN ADDITIONAL 1,600 STUDENTS, WHO LIVE

OUTSIDE THE HOMES, RECEIVE SCHOLARSHIPS, MEALS AND

HEALTHCARE.


“Having worked and lived in

the Middle East for 10 years

I was inspired to develop

academic centers that focus

on the potential for positive

change in the Middle East.

At the University of Denver,

we established the Center

for Middle East Studies

which supports the view

that democracy can emerge

in the Middle East, and at

Northwestern the focus is on

the changing social, cultural

and political developments in

the region.”



GPD SUPPORT CMES provides a platform for engaging students and the broader community through academic scholarship, community engagement, and experiential learning. The focus is on timely analysis of critical current issues and thought leadership on broader topics such as liberalism, radicalism and sectarianization.

CMES convenes major thematic events in partnership with the best and brightest scholars, policymakers, and intellectuals from around the world. In 2015 CMES developed two major initiatives. The first was a ground-breaking specialization focused on the role of religion in international affairs. One of the first such programs in the United States, this specialization allows students to obtain an academic certificate or a Minor in the Study of Religion and International Affairs. The second initiative is an experiential learning program that supports student travel to and internships in the Middle East. Another GPD grantee, Syria Direct based in Amman Jordan, now hosts interns from Korbel and shares communication strategies and initiatives as a result of this program.

IMPACT TO DATE Since 2012, CMES has held over 40 lectures and presentations and sent faculty experts to participate in panels around the world. CMES’s programs have been featured on the BBC, Al Jazeera, CNN and in the New York Times and faculty publications have been discussed in Foreign Affairs, The Nation and the New York Review of Books.

CMES’s reach and programmatic reputation have already extended well beyond the Denver region. Visiting presenters over the last three years have included issue area experts from other GPD grantee organizations like the Chicago Council on Global Affairs and the Interfaith Youth Core, as well as the American University of Beirut, Columbia University, Stanford University and the Hebrew University in Jerusalem.

CMES has become a cornerstone of Middle East education for the Denver community and beyond, enriching hundreds of students’ lives through experiential learning opportunities, thought leadership and innovative educational opportunities.

WHAT’S NEXTIn 2015 GPD will continue to build on our successful engagement with the Denver community by supporting a new collaboration between CMES and WorldDenver to design a speaker series that will engage the broader public in dialogue with experts on current events in the Middle East. The partnership would build an important bridge between the Korbel School and the Denver community seeking to engage in international issues.

In addition to seeking new opportunities, CMES will continue to develop programs and resources focused on timely regional issues and on topics promoting the idea that Islam and democracy can co-exist in the Middle East.

“OUR VISION FOR THE FUTURE IS TO MAKE THE UNIVERSITY

OF DENVER A LEADING ACADEMIC INSTITUTION FOR THE

STUDY OF THE MIDDLE EAST. WE HOPE USE OUR CENTER

FOR MIDDLE EAST STUDIES TO ACCOMPLISH THIS GOAL

SO THAT IT WILL RIVAL MORE PROMINENT ACADEMIC

INSTITUTIONS SUCH AS HARVARD, YALE, PRINCETON AND

COLUMBIA.” (Nader Hashemi, CMES Director)

UNIVERSITYOFDENVERHighlight 3: Center for Middle East Studies at the

University of Denver


In 2012 GPD pledged two million dollars over ten years to launch and establish the Center for Middle East Studies (CMES) at University of Denver’s Josef Korbel School of International Studies. CMES generates scholarly research and fosters public understanding of the Middle East and the broader Islamic world’s societies, political systems, and international relations through dialogue and debate on the contemporary politics of the region. The first academic center of its kind in Colorado, CMES focuses specifically on the relationship between Islamic societies and democracy in the context of

the modern Middle East and supports the concept that democratic governance can and will emerge in the region.


“I was inspired to work with

Amjad Tadros to develop

and fund Syria Direct due

to the significance of the

events in Syria as well as

the need to develop and

maintain a credible source of

information and perspective

on the ground. By creating a

program focused on reporting

and training journalists, we

are able to inform decision-

makers and build the basis for

what will hopefully become a

free press in the future.”



SYRIADIRECTHighlight 4: Syria Direct


Launched in 2013, Syria Direct is a non-profit journalism organization that produces timely, credible coverage of issues in Syria by training a small group of Syrian and American citizen journalists in professional information-gathering and unbiased, in-depth reporting. Syria Direct publishes original news reports, interviews, photographs and videos from inside Syria that are disseminated through social media and published in international news outlets.

Syria Direct’s mission is to foster civil society among the Syrian diaspora and eventually within Syria by building a corps of trained journalists who understand objective reporting and use it to fight government oppression. By training exiles and refugees in the principles and practices of independent, professional journalism, Syria Direct gives them the tools to help their communities and the world better understand the realities, issues and choices the Syrian people face.

GPD SUPPORTGPD has provided $365,000 over four years to help launch and establish Syria Direct. Syria Direct’s journalism training emphasizes the tenets of professional journalism, from identifying sources and checking facts to providing balanced, well-rounded reporting on contentious issues. This organization is unique in that is it committed to using the highest journalistic standards to allow Syrian citizen journalists to tell their own story, set the news agenda and instill principles of independent, critical thinking and integrity into local media.

The conflict in Syria poses a challenge to journalists across the world whose coverage of the events often lacks the historic, cultural and religious background needed to navigate the complex situation. With nearly three million Syrian refugees hoping for a new and unified Syria, freedom of the press and a transparent, credible media are significant steps towards peace.

IMPACT TO DATE Syria Direct trains twelve aspiring Syrian journalists every six months. Their stories have been featured in USA Today, CNN.com, Radio Free Europe and other major international media outlets including Le Monde and The Toronto Globe and Mail.

The organization also engages popular social media platforms to build audience. Syria Direct’s Facebook page has been attracting and informing a growing young and largely Syrian, Arabic-speaking user community, and the Twitter account has thousands of followers, many of whom are journalists, diplomats, and other thought leaders who shape the debate on Syria.

“Without our Syrian trainees, Syria Direct would not be able to report the latest news from Syria. Without our American translators, we would not be able to craft that information into professional quality news items. Syria Direct offers a work environment that none of our Syrian journalists have ever experienced before: respectful, dynamic and highly collaborative.” KEENAN DUFFY, MANAGING DIRECTOR

WHAT’S NEXTSyria Direct plans to launch an Arabic-language website which will extend the content’s reach to a new audience and will give the Syrian trainees an opportunity to build a portfolio in Arabic, thus increasing their likelihood for professional success in the field.

Over the next few years, Syria Direct will continue to tackle the biggest challenge of transforming the Syrian media ecosystem: professionalizing citizen journalists’ news-gathering skills. While the citizen journalism model succeeded at providing behind the scenes coverage during the Arab Spring, the videos and reports produced lacked significant context and background. Training will give these news stories the credibility necessary to be impactful.

“THE MOST UNIQUE COMPONENT OF SYRIA DIRECT IS OUR HIGHLY

COLLABORATIVE WORK ENVIRONMENT. SYRIANS AND AMERICANS

WORK SIDE BY SIDE, MAKING EACH OTHER BETTER REPORTERS BY

SHARING INSIGHTS AND EXCHANGING IDEAS. OUR NEWSROOM IS

A HUB FOR THE FREE EXCHANGE OF IDEAS ABOUT THE FUTURE OF

SYRIA.” (Keenan Duffy, Managing Director)


PARTNERSFORDEMOCRATICCHANGE Highlight 5: Partners for Democratic Change -

Police Reform in Honduras


Created in 1989, Partners for Democratic Change is an independent international NGO committed to building sustainable processes that advance civil society, strengthen democratic institutions and create a culture of change and conflict management. Partners trains thousands of business, community and government leaders in more than fifty countries to work together to peacefully guide transitions and craft sustainable solutions to complex problems.

GPD SUPPORTGPD supported Partners with a grant of $90,000 over two years to develop the Security Governance Accountability and Performance (S-GAP) framework and guide, a toolkit that supports security sector reform processes in post-conflict countries.

The framework offers a new approach to security sector reform by engaging civil society, governments, local and international security forces, the private sector and international organizations in the security dialogue and crafting a common language and shared definitions that support constructive collaboration.

S-GAP also provides leaders with the tools and skills they need to develop an impartial security system with a clear mission and democratic oversight that protects all citizens. The S-GAP tool will be designed in such a way that it can be adapted and applied to a range of country contexts and at different levels of government. In a first stage, Partners plans to pilot the tool in two countries, Guinea and Liberia, then revise it as necessary based on initial results.

Two other GPD grantees, the Center for the Study of Civil Military Operations (CSCMO) at West Point and Denver University’s Center for Middle East Studies (CMES), supported Partners’ work on this project.

IMPACT TO DATE The expected results of S-GAP are that the government, uniformed services and civil society working on security sector reform will have a shared vision and clearly defined

benchmarks to measure progress towards transforming their security sector. In addition, the participatory process of creating and implementing the tool will offer ongoing opportunities to bring together the different sectors in a productive dialogue that contributes to a culture of civic collaboration in policy reforms.

“We want to see more investment in the institutional and policy changes necessary to make systems better and

recognition of the role all stakeholders have in the reform process.“

(TERESA CRAWFORD, PARTNERS FOR DEMOCRATIC CHANGE)

WHAT’S NEXTAnother GPD grant in 2015 will allow Partners to adapt the framework to help Honduras—currently one of the most violent countries in the world—transition from a military police force to a civilian police force. The government has faced challenges communicating this plan to the public and overcoming the lack of trust and respect toward the national police force.

In this context, S-GAP fills a great need to convene all the actors involved in this civilian police transition, to share data and security-related statistics, agree on benchmarks for monitoring progress on reforms and coordinate initiatives and resources.

“OUR VISION FOR THE FUTURE IS BETTER DIALOGUE

ABOUT SECURITY, GOVERNANCE, ACCOUNTABILITY AND

PERFORMANCE WITH CONCRETE AND MEASURABLE

ACTIONS TAKEN TOWARDS REFORM.”

(Teresa Crawford, Director - Partners for Democratic Change)

Civil society, uniform and government leaders in Sierra Leone discussing issues of security governance, accountability and performance with Partners

for Democratic Change using the Security Governance Accountability and Performance Framework created by Partners for Democratic Change with

support from GPDCT and National Endowment for Democracy.

“My experience supporting

and working on security force

development programs in

Iraq and Afghanistan for 10

years inspired me to fund

Partners to develop the

Security Gap Framework as a

tool for creating an integrated

approach to security sector

reform.”





TUFTS UNIVERSITY - “Bosnia is one of those places that fell off the map due to the emergence of other more immediate crises. However, major governance problems remain in the wake of the Dayton Peace Accords. Our view is that we can influence change in Bosnia by developing an initiative focused on inspiring civic action and engagement that will allow the country to fully realize it’s potential. By partnering with thought leading institutions like Tufts University and the University of Chicago we are able to think about new and creative ways to resolve Bosnia

Herzegovina’s problems.”



By providing independent, credible and timely information and policy analysis, the portal serves as a critical point of reference for citizens, mainstream media, activists, policy makers and the broader international community.

GPD SUPPORT GPD committed $100,000 to Tufts University to launch and establish Dialogue BiH2.0. With this support the project will seek to accomplish three key objectives:

• Aggregate, link and present publicly available information and communications related to the region’s current core challenges and opportunities: politics, the economy, education, energy and EU/NATO integration

• Use civic-technology to promote citizen participation in policy and agenda-setting

• Track, map and contextualize trends and developments as they emerge in various formats including infographics, special reports and interviews

“Dialogue BiH2.0 is currently the only bi-lingual (English & Bosnian/Croatian/Serbian) policy portal in Bosnia-Herzegovina

that is able to cater to the needs and interest of a diverse audience from a neutral perspective while producing high-quality content.” (BRUCE HITCHNER, TUFTS UNIVERSITY)

STRATEGIC PARTNERSHIP Over the next year, GPD hopes to facilitate a partnership between Tufts and the Comparative Constitutions Project at the University of Chicago Law School. The Project, led by Deputy Dean and professor Tom Ginsburg, seeks to facilitate political reconstruction and stability in the world’s most fractious societies by serving as a resource for constitutional drafting and implementation.

Partners will develop educational modules for the general public focused on constitutional options for Bosnia-Herzegovina. The materials would draw participants into an online exercise in constitution-making that could be integrated into the Dialogue 2.0 website. The pilot exercise and its results could then be promoted on the site as an example of how to generate constitutional options for a future Bosnia.

IJF aggregates, and makes easily searchable, information on all military and veteran resources in the state. Participating community organizations are grouped into one of nine categories--behavioral health, education, legal support, children and families, benefits and emergency assistance, housing and homelessness, employment and job training, and women veterans—and coordinate their efforts to more effectively serve their constituents.

GPD SUPPORT GPD provided $140,000 to help launch IJF, which is now recognized as a leading model for delivering critical resources, information and support services in coordinated way across community organizations and across sectors.

IJF’s guiding principles are to close the gap of available resources by improving communication and collaboration between military, government and community partners, develop solution-based working groups to overcome obstacles in delivering quality services, and provide solutions to policy makers for addressing inefficiencies and redundancies.

“Our greatest impact is providing increased access and navigability of services and supports. Many Veterans, having

given up on the complex fragmentation of services, have found the care they needed through Illinois Joining Forces.”

(TOM MILLER, CHAIR, IJF BOARD OF DIRECTORS)

“There are currently over 45,000 private not-for-profit veteran

serving organizations (VSOs) around the United States, each

with its own mission and approach. They rarely collaborate

and very often are competing for the same funding resources

to assist the same veterans. Illinois Joining Forces seeks

to bridge the gap between the VSO’s, the veterans they

serve, and the State of Illinois Veteran’s Administration.“

JOHN DEBLASIO - FOUNDER OF GPD CHARITABLE TRUST

TUFTSUNIVERSITYHighlight 6: Tufts University

– Dialogue BiH2.0

ILLINOISJOININGFORCESHighlight 7


Launched in 2014, Dialogue BiH2.0 is a citizen-run interactive internet portal designed to improve government accountability and effectiveness in Bosnia-Herzegovina by aggregating publicly available data, enhancing communication and

spurring civic engagement.


Illinois Joining Forces (IJF) is a public-private network of veteran and military-serving organizations that collaborate to help service members, veterans and their families navigate the range of support services available to them.

GPD SUPPORT Participants complete service projects, teach the Honduran “pequeños” many of the games, group exercises and songs that are part of the YMCA camping experience, and learn about Honduran culture.In exchange, the YMCA brings several young adults from NPH to participate as counselors at the various YMCA summer camps in the Pittsburgh area. During this time the visiting NPH youth build relationships with local families, and develop their language, mentorship, and professional skills.

The goal of the program is to build hard working future leaders, with respect and appreciation for their community while forging strong cross-cultural bonds and mutual understanding.

“THE YMCA’S PURPOSE WITH THIS PROGRAM IS TO HELP

OUR YOUNG LEADERS DEVELOP A GLOBAL UNDERSTANDING

OF SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY. WE HOPE THAT THE

EXPERIENCE WILL HELP THESE YOUNG PEOPLE GROW INTO

ADULTS WHO WORK TO SOLVE THE BIGGEST PROBLEMS

FACING NOT ONLY THEIR LOCAL COMMUNITY BUT THE

GLOBAL COMMUNITY, TOO.” (Todd Brinkman, District Vice

President of Camping Services, YMCA of greater Pittsburgh.)

YMCAHighlight 8: YMCA of Greater Pittsburgh


The GPD Charitable Trust has granted YMCA of Greater Pittsburgh over $670,000 since 2012 for capital improvements to their camping grounds and to launch their Rising Leaders Program. Rising Leaders is a unique partnership with other GPD grantee Nuestros Pequeños Hermanos that offers a small group of YMCA youth the opportunity to travel to

Honduras to work with a local NPH orphanage.


“While I was growing up, my family had a tradition of camping at the Deer Valley YMCA camp site. Later, I followed that tradition with my own family at the same facility. Today, the values of the YMCA and camping are more important to families in America than ever before which is why the GPD Charitable Trust funded a capital campaign to secure the Deer Valley facility’s future. Under Todd Brinkman’s leadership, the YMCA has also built a strong youth development program in collaboration with Nuestros Pequenos Hermanos, another GPD Charitable Trust partner, based on shared values and a common vision for leaders of

service. ”



GPDSTARDUSTFUND 2012 - 2015

COMMUNITY STRENGTHENING

Ducks Unlimited

Memphis, Tennessee

$6,500

Hubbard Street Dance Chicago

Chicago, Illinois

$16,000

Illinois Holocaust Museum and

Education Center

Skokie, Illinois

$1,000

Lincoln Park Zoo

Chicago, Illinois

$5,000

Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum

Chicago, Illinois

$6,500

Rabine Group Foundation

Schaumburg, Illinois

$20,000

DEMOCRACY-BUILDING / CIVIL

SOCIETY

US Fund for UNICEF

New York, New York

$30,000 grant

$300,000 investment in the

UNICEF Bridge Fund

Turning Point USA

Lemont, Illinois

$5,000

Worldwide Impact Now

Dana Point, California

$5,000

STRENGTHENING

INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS AND

SECURITY

American Enterprise Institute

Washington, D.C.

$20,000

The Council of Christians and Jews

London, United Kingdom

$8,200

SUPPORT FOR VETERANS

The Navy Seal Foundation

Virginia Beach, Virginia

$12,500

Intrepid Fallen Heroes Fund

New York, New York

$10,000

Pritzker Military Library

Chicago, Illinois

$1,000

Wounded Warrior Project

Jacksonville, Florida

$10,000

YOUTH DEVELOPMENT

Academy for Global Citizenship

Chicago, Illinois

$10,000

ACE Scholarships

Denver, Colorado

$2,500

Bay Area Youth Rugby, Inc.

San Francisco, California

$5,000

Festival of Children Foundation

Costa Mesa, California

$5,000

National Guard Youth Foundation

Alexandria, Virginia

$21,000

PHOTO CREDITS:

Page 1: YMCA OF GREATER PITTSBURGH

Page 3: SALLYPORT TEAM

Page 7: SYRIA DIRECT

Page 7: CENTER FOR MIDDLE EAST STUDIES AT THE UNIVERSITY OF DENVER

Page 7: PARTNERS FOR DEMOCRATIC CHANGE - POLICE REFORM IN HONDURAS (both center photos)

Page 8: NUESTROS PEQUEÑOS HERMANOS

Page 9: PARTNERS FOR DEMOCRATIC CHANGE - POLICE REFORM IN HONDURAS

Page 11: CLASS OF 2016 CADET NICOLE ZAJIMOVIC MEETS WITH THE HONORABLE MADELEINE ALBRIGHT FOLLOWING THE THAYER AWARD DINNER

Page 11: SYRIA DIRECT (center left)

Page 11: CENTER FOR MIDDLE EAST STUDIES AT THE UNIVERSITY OF DENVER (center right)

Page 11: NUESTROS PEQUEÑOS HERMANOS

Page 13: CENTER FOR THE STUDY OF CIVIL-MILITARY OPERATIONS AT WEST POINT

Page 14: NUESTROS PEQUEÑOS HERMANOS (credit to Chip Rountree)

Page 17: CENTER FOR MIDDLE EAST STUDIES AT THE UNIVERSITY OF DENVER

Page 18: SYRIA DIRECT

Page 21: PARTNERS FOR DEMOCRATIC CHANGE - POLICE REFORM IN HONDURAS (Credit to Maja Bedak @ Partners)

Page 25: YMCA OF GREATER PITTSBURGH

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