GlobalGiving

GlobalGiving is a United States 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that operates an online crowdfunding and grantmaking platform for grassroots charitable and social-impact projects. Through GlobalGiving, individuals, companies, foundations, donor-advised funds, and other institutional contributors can discover projects by geography or theme and provide financial support directly to participating nonprofit organizations and community groups. The platform covers areas including education, health, livelihoods, environmental protection, gender equity, disaster response, refugee support, and local economic development. The organization grew out of work by Mari Kuraishi and Dennis Whittle at the World Bank. In 1998, the pair helped establish the Innovation Marketplace, an internal competition in which World Bank employees proposed practical approaches to reducing global poverty. The initiative was later opened to outside applicants in 2000 as the Development Marketplace. That program brought social entrepreneurs from different countries together to compete for World Bank funding and awarded approximately $5 million to 44 projects. Kuraishi and Whittle subsequently sought to build an internet-based mechanism that could support a broader range of locally designed initiatives than a conventional expert-led grant competition. They left the World Bank in October 2000, and the resulting platform launched on February 14, 2002, initially under the name DevelopmentSpace. Its early philanthropic backers included the Omidyar Network, the Skoll Foundation, the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation, and the Sall Foundation. The service was introduced through a partnership involving the GlobalGiving Foundation and ManyFutures, Inc. In December 2008, ManyFutures became a formal subsidiary of the foundation, after which platform operations were placed under the foundation's direct management. GlobalGiving's model differs from traditional centralized philanthropy because project leaders publicly describe their work and seek support from a distributed donor community. Donors can contribute amounts of their choice through several payment and giving mechanisms, while project pages display organizational information, fundraising progress, and updates. This public history functions as a reputational signal and gives donors continuing visibility into how projects report their progress. Participating organizations are screened through a vetting process that considers factors such as transparency, accountability, financial stability, regulatory compliance, and engagement with the GlobalGiving community. The platform also provides services for companies and institutional funders. Employers, customers, business partners, and corporate foundations can use GlobalGiving to direct funds to selected projects, operate employee-giving programs, or support emergency campaigns. Donors may also purchase gift cards that recipients redeem toward projects of their choice. GlobalGiving receives a nonprofit support fee that varies by project and funding source, in addition to payment-processing costs; these charges help fund vetting, project support, technology, administration, and other operating functions. Disaster response is a significant part of the organization's work. GlobalGiving regularly creates relief and recovery funds for crises and supports local organizations through its Disaster Recovery Network, which combines grants, training, advocacy, and community-led recovery. Its documented response areas have included the 2011 Tohoku earthquake and tsunami, Typhoon Haiyan in 2013, the 2014 Ebola outbreak in West Africa, the 2015 Nepal earthquake, Hurricane Maria in 2017, and assistance related to the Syrian refugee crisis. Leadership has changed several times since the organization's creation. Co-founder Mari Kuraishi left the presidency in 2018 and joined the board, while co-founder Dennis Whittle also continued as a board member after serving as chief executive. Alix Guerrier led the organization from 2018 through 2021. Donna Callejon, a longtime GlobalGiving executive, served as interim chief executive beginning in December 2021, followed by Victoria Vrana, who became CEO in January 2023. In January 2024, Russian authorities designated GlobalGiving an undesirable organization, preventing it from operating in Russia. The organization has also faced public scrutiny concerning regulatory compliance and its operations involving nonprofit partners in China.

GlobalGiving's origins lie in two experiments in participatory development finance led by Mari Kuraishi and Dennis Whittle while they worked in strategy and innovation roles at the World Bank. In 1998, they created the Innovation Marketplace, an internal competition that invited World Bank employees to propose new approaches to global poverty reduction. Winning ideas received grants for further development. In 2000, the competition was opened to outside social entrepreneurs and became the Development Marketplace. The expanded program brought finalists from multiple countries to Washington, D.C., and awarded about $5 million to 44 projects. The success of these competitions suggested that internet technology could broaden access to social investment beyond a limited number of expert-selected grants. Kuraishi and Whittle left the World Bank in October 2000 and began developing an online platform through which nonprofit and community organizations could present projects directly to potential supporters. The service launched on February 14, 2002, initially using the name DevelopmentSpace. Its early financing came from philanthropic organizations including Omidyar Network, the Skoll Foundation, the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation, and the Sall Foundation. The platform was introduced through a partnership involving the GlobalGiving Foundation and ManyFutures, Inc. GlobalGiving developed a crowdfunding model in which project leaders create public appeals and donors decide which initiatives to support. This approach differs from the World Bank's Development Marketplace, where a central process selected winners. GlobalGiving's project pages, fundraising records, and progress updates create an ongoing public information trail. The organization also found that participating groups using email and social media to mobilize their own supporters generally performed more strongly on the platform. In December 2008, ManyFutures became a formal subsidiary of the GlobalGiving Foundation and platform operations moved under direct foundation management. The resulting organization combined an online marketplace with nonprofit screening, donor services, corporate giving tools, and programs intended to strengthen local organizations. Projects could be browsed by location or subject, and contributors could use multiple payment and giving channels, including donor-advised funds and, in some contexts, mobile-money services such as M-Pesa. Emergency response became an important operational area. GlobalGiving created relief funds and supported local partners responding to the 2011 Tohoku earthquake and tsunami, Typhoon Haiyan in 2013, the Ebola outbreak in West Africa in 2014, the Nepal earthquake in 2015, Hurricane Maria in 2017, and the Syrian refugee crisis. Its Disaster Recovery Network expanded this work beyond immediate fundraising by combining locally directed grants with training and advocacy. The organization's community-led approach has also led disaster-information organizations to recommend it as one possible channel for donors seeking to support relief work. GlobalGiving's international operations have required adaptation to local legal regimes. In 2018 it opened a representative office in China to support Chinese nonprofit organizations. Because foreign nongovernmental organizations operating in China must comply with registration, supervision, and security-bureau requirements, GlobalGiving has worked with local partner entities to distribute funds legally. These arrangements have drawn criticism from some watchdogs and U.S. lawmakers, who have raised concerns that regulatory partnerships could expose civil-society groups to monitoring or political influence. The organization has therefore operated at the intersection of international philanthropy, local regulation, and geopolitical scrutiny. The organization has experienced several leadership transitions. Co-founder Mari Kuraishi left the presidency in November 2018 and joined the board, while co-founder Dennis Whittle remained associated with the organization as a board member after his executive tenure. Alix Guerrier served as CEO from 2018 until 2021. Donna Callejon, a longtime GlobalGiving leader, became interim CEO in December 2021, and Victoria Vrana became CEO in January 2023. In January 2024, Russia classified GlobalGiving as an undesirable organization, effectively prohibiting its activities in the country. Today, GlobalGiving functions as a nonprofit intermediary rather than a conventional commercial brand. Its work combines technology, charitable fundraising, organizational vetting, corporate philanthropy, disaster response, and donor reporting. The platform's central proposition remains that donors can support locally designed projects while nonprofit partners gain access to international funding and a public channel for communicating results.

• 2024

  Russia designates GlobalGiving an undesirable organization

  [1]GlobalGivingen.wikipedia.org

  The Russian government applies a designation that prevents GlobalGiving from operating in Russia.

• 2023

  Victoria Vrana becomes CEO

  [1]GlobalGivingen.wikipedia.org

  Victoria Vrana assumes the chief executive role in January.

• 2018

  China representative office opens

  [1]GlobalGivingen.wikipedia.org

  GlobalGiving establishes a representative office in China to support local nonprofit organizations.

• 2008

  ManyFutures becomes a foundation subsidiary

  [1]GlobalGivingen.wikipedia.org

  ManyFutures becomes a formal subsidiary of the GlobalGiving Foundation and operations move under direct foundation management.

• 2002

  GlobalGiving platform launches

  [1]GlobalGivingen.wikipedia.org

  The internet-based service, initially called DevelopmentSpace, launches on February 14.

• 2000

  Development Marketplace opens to outside applicants

  [1]GlobalGivingen.wikipedia.org

  The World Bank expands the competition to external social entrepreneurs, awarding approximately $5 million to 44 projects.

• 1998

  Innovation Marketplace begins at the World Bank

  [1]GlobalGivingen.wikipedia.org

  Mari Kuraishi and Dennis Whittle establish an internal competition for World Bank employees proposing new approaches to poverty reduction.

A technology-enabled nonprofit intermediary focused on community-led philanthropy, transparent project reporting, and cross-border support for grassroots organizations.

• Charitable crowdfunding · 2002

  GlobalGiving project marketplace

  The core online marketplace allows vetted nonprofit organizations and community groups to present projects to individual and institutional donors. Projects can be searched by country, issue area, or emergency, and public pages generally provide fundraising information and subsequent updates. The model gives donors discretion over project selection rather than allocating all funds through a centralized expert panel.

• Corporate philanthropy

  Corporate giving platform

  GlobalGiving provides tools that enable companies, employee groups, customers, partners, and corporate foundations to support projects through structured giving programs. These services can be used for employee engagement, matching or directed contributions, cause campaigns, and international grant distribution.

• Disaster response

  Disaster Recovery Network

  The Disaster Recovery Network supports community-led responses to natural disasters and humanitarian crises. Its activities include emergency fundraising, local grants, training, and advocacy, with an emphasis on helping organizations rooted in affected communities manage both immediate relief and longer-term recovery.

• Nonprofit due diligence

  Nonprofit vetting program

  Organizations seeking to participate in the GlobalGiving community undergo reviews related to transparency, accountability, financial condition, legal and regulatory compliance, and engagement with donors and the platform. The process is intended to provide a baseline of confidence for donors while helping participating organizations improve their fundraising readiness.

• Charitable giving

  GlobalGiving gift cards

  Gift cards allow a recipient to direct a charitable amount toward a project of their choice on the GlobalGiving platform. The offering extends the marketplace model to gifting and gives recipients discretion over the social or environmental cause they wish to support.

• 2024

  Russian undesirable-organization designation

  Russian authorities designated GlobalGiving an undesirable organization, a legal status that prohibits its activities in Russia. The action occurred within a wider Russian campaign against foreign organizations and independent civil-society groups.

  Source

• 2018

  Scrutiny over operations in China

  GlobalGiving's work with nonprofit organizations in China has attracted criticism from watchdogs and some U.S. lawmakers. Critics have questioned whether cooperation with locally authorized entities and public-security authorities could expose civil-society groups to monitoring or political influence. The organization operates within China's regulatory framework for foreign nongovernmental organizations.

  Source

Read more

• 2017Hurricane Maria response

  Caribbean · United States · International

  The organization supported relief and recovery initiatives following Hurricane Maria.

  Source
• 2015Nepal earthquake relief

  Nepal · International

  GlobalGiving launched or facilitated funding for community organizations working after the Nepal earthquake.

  Source
• 2014West Africa Ebola response

  West Africa · International

  GlobalGiving supported relief organizations responding to the Ebola outbreak in West Africa.

  Source
• 2013Typhoon Haiyan relief

  Philippines · International

  The platform directed donor funding toward nonprofit organizations assisting communities affected by Typhoon Haiyan.

  Source
• 2011Tohoku earthquake and tsunami response

  Japan · International

  GlobalGiving facilitated support for local organizations responding to the earthquake and tsunami in northeastern Japan.

  Source
• Syrian refugee support

  Syria · Neighboring countries · International

  GlobalGiving has facilitated support for organizations assisting Syrian refugees and communities affected by displacement.

  Source

• 2024

  Respond to the Russian undesirable-organization designationOther

  Background

  Russian authorities placed GlobalGiving on the undesirable-organizations list.

  Action taken

  The designation barred GlobalGiving from conducting activities in Russia.

  Aftermath

  GlobalGiving's ability to operate and support projects in Russia was legally restricted.

  Source

• 2018

  Establish a representative office in ChinaStrategy

  Background

  GlobalGiving sought to support Chinese nonprofit organizations while complying with China's rules governing foreign nongovernmental organizations.

  Action taken

  The organization opened a representative office and worked with locally authorized partners to facilitate legal program activity and fund disbursement.

  Aftermath

  The approach enabled work with Chinese nonprofits but also generated scrutiny concerning regulatory dependence, oversight, and possible political influence.

  Source

• 2008

  Bring platform operations under foundation managementStrategy

  Background

  The platform had initially operated through a partnership involving the GlobalGiving Foundation and ManyFutures, Inc.

  Action taken

  ManyFutures became a formal subsidiary of the GlobalGiving Foundation and operational responsibility moved directly to the foundation.

  Aftermath

  The change consolidated the platform's governance and operating structure within the nonprofit foundation.

  Source

• 2002

  Adopt a public crowdfunding model for international developmentStrategy

  Background

  The founders sought to extend the World Bank Development Marketplace's social-investment concept beyond a limited expert-selected grant competition.

  Action taken

  GlobalGiving launched an internet platform where nonprofit organizations could present projects directly to a broad donor community.

  Aftermath

  The model created a marketplace based on donor choice, public project updates, and organizational reputation rather than only centralized grant selection.

  Source

• Unconfirmed

  Reported2021.05.05

  United Airlines launches fundraising campaign for COVID-19 relief in India[3]United Airlines 为印度新冠救援发起募款活动finanznachrichten.de

  United Airlines initiated an online fundraising campaign to support India’s response to rising COVID-19 cases. Customers could donate to relief partners; the airline offered up to five million bonus miles and pledged to match donations up to $40,000.

• 2020.04.17

  Reported2020.04.17

  Songathon launches global Prompt Challenge[4]Songathon推出全球Prompt Challengeamericansongwriter.com

  Songathon announced the launch of the global Songathon Prompt Challenge, an online songwriting contest themed around social distancing to raise awareness and funds for Covid-19 relief efforts.

Read more

1. 1GlobalGivingen.wikipedia.org
2. 2GlobalGiving official websiteglobalgiving.org
3. 3United Airlines 为印度新冠救援发起募款活动finanznachrichten.de
4. 4Songathon推出全球Prompt Challengeamericansongwriter.com