GPD Charitable Trust Annual Report 2015

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 GrantmakingTrends
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.
4
A 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) CharitableTrust
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
GLOBA
LPEACE & DEVELO
PMENT
CHARITABLE TRUST

13%
2%
Strengthening International
Relations and Security
Youth Development
Democracy-Building /
Civil Society
Community Strengthening
Support for Veterans
GRANTMAKINGTRENDS
TOTAL 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
0500,0001,000,0001,500,0002,000,000
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 Program
Chicago, Illinois
www.thecaraprogram.org
$50,000 over five years
For general operating support
The 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
Affairs
Chicago, Illinois
www.thechicagocouncil.org
For general support and for a Senior
Fellow on National Security and the
Middle East
CCGA 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 Center
Chicago, Illinois
www.gadshillcenter.org
$45,000 over three years
Gads 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 Global
Chicago, Illinois
www.upwardlyglobal.org
$40,000 over one year
For 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, LLC
Washington, D.C.
www.developmenttransformations.
com
For governance and media projects in
Yemen and Ukraine
DevelopmentTransformations 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 Change
Washington, D.C.
www.partnersglobal.org
$90,000 over four years
To 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 America
Los Angeles, California
www.spiritofamerica.net
Spirit 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 Direct
Amman, Jordan
www.syriadirect.org
To launch and establish Syria Direct
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.
Tufts University
Medford, Massachusetts
www.dialoguebih.net
$125,000 for two years
To 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
Initiatives
Washington, DC
http://www.usaid.gov/political-
transition-initiatives
$100,000 - grant pending
To 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 Foundation
Geneva, Switzerland
www.womanity.org
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
Security
Washington, D.C.
www.bens.org
To launch BENS Chicago
BENS 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 Studies
Denver, Colorado
www.du.edu/korbel/middleeast/
$2,035,000 over ten years
To launch and establish the Center for
Middle East 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.
This amount also includes funding for
CMES partnerships with WorldDenver
and the InterfaithYouth Core.
Northwestern University
Evanston, Illinois
www.mena.northwestern.edu/
To launch and establish the Middle
East and North African Studies
Program
MENA 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 Point
West Point, NewYork
www.usma.edu/cscmo
$5,000,000 over twelve years
To launch and establish the Center for
the Study of Civil-Military Operations
The 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 Foundation
Chicago, Illinois
www.illinoisjoiningforces.org
To launch and establish Illinois Joining
Forces
Illinois 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 Vets
Carlsbad, California
www.mvpvets.org
For job training programs
MVPVets 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 YMCA
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
www.deervalleyymca.org
For youth leadership programs and
camp facilities at Deer ValleyYMCA
Nuestros Pequeños Hermanos
(NPH) USA
Chicago, Illinois
www.nphusa.org
For 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 Academy
Stillwater, Minnesota
www.spearheadrugby.com
For Student scholarships
Spearhead 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 SUPPORT
In 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 DATE
To 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 NEXT
Cadets 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)
WESTPOINT
Highlight 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.”
Luz 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.
NPH
Highlight 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 SUPPORT
Since 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 NEXT
In 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 NEXT
In 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)
UNIVERSITYOFDENVER
Highlight 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.”
SYRIADIRECT
Highlight 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 SUPPORT
GPD 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 NEXT
Syria 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 SUPPORT
GPD 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 NEXT
Another 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)
“Therearecurrentlyover45,000privatenot-for-profitveteran
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
TUFTSUNIVERSITY
Highlight 6: Tufts University
– Dialogue BiH2.0
ILLINOISJOINING
FORCES
Highlight 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.)
YMCA
Highlight 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
Copyright © 2015 by GPD Charitable Trust. All rights reserved.GPD CHARITABLE TRUST PHILANTHROPY REPORT | 26

GPD CHARITABLE TRUST | CHICAGO, ILLINOIS
WWW.GPDCHARITABLETRUST.ORG

GPD Charitable Trust Annual Report 2015

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GPD Charitable Trust Annual Report 2015